This week I am pleased to share my experience with the new Sonia Kashuk makeup line available exclusively at Target. Not all the products were available at my local store, like lipgloss, brow definer, and lip pencils, so I hope to have reviews of those soon. Following the Sonia review, I also have a much-anticipated review of Paula's Choice skin care products. Enjoy!

Overall, this is a line to look at if you are fed up with Cover Girl and Maybelline, but you don't want to pay department store prices. Makeup artist Sonia Kashuk created these products in cooperation with Target to offer professional quality products to everyone at a price we can afford. The sleek silver compacts are minimalist (albeit a bit tin-y), the colors are universal and wearable, and the formulas rival many department store brands that are twice the price.

Perfecting Liquid Foundation ($9.99)
If it's the dewy look you're after, this liquid delivers. The coverage is sheer to medium, so you do need a separate concealer for any "challenging" areas like dark circles or blemishes. I bought Bisque, the lightest of the six shade selection also including Cream, Bamboo, Camel, Pecan and Amber. The best aspect of this foundation, in my opinion, is that the colors are yellow-based, not pink like most drugstore foundation. If you have fair skin, you know what I mean. Yellow-based colors typically look more natural on the skin - more like a fleshtone. The only thing I really don't like about this foundation is the scent - stinky and perfumey. If you can get past the odor, this is a department store quality makeup at a pretty reasonable price.

Dual Coverage Powder Foundation ($9.99)
I was less happy with this foundation because the lightest shade, Ivory, is actually too light for me (wow, that never happens!). I ended up looking like a ghost. I may check out the other colors (Linen, Sand, Honey, Golden and Tawny) to see I can find a better match. Dual Coverage is a powder with a silky, almost creamy feel. It has medium coverage and lasts fairly well through the day. I did have to apply a little loose powder under my eyes and on my eye lids to keep the foundation from creasing, but for the most part it stays put. I am still enamored with Urban Decay's Surreal Skin powder foundation, but there is quite a price difference...

Barely There Loose Powder ($7.99)
Of all the Sonia products I tried, this is my favorite. There is only one color, Naked, a transparent ivory-white, which I imagine is supposed to work for all skintones. I have an unfair bias considering my skin is really fair, so it does work great for me, but I have a hard time imagining it being the ideal color for someone with darker skin. As for the texture, I think it's outstanding - incredibly light and imperceptible. I even like it better than T. LeClerc, which is quite a coup considering how inexpensive the Sonia version is!

Beautifying Blush ($7.99)
Apparently there is a powder and a cream version of the Sonia blush, but I could only get the powder. The one thing that surprised me about this blush is the tiny little brush in the compact. I would think a professional makeup artist would have a separate, larger brush that you could buy instead of those awful eyeshadow-sized brushes. You just can't get decent application from a brush that size. I immediately pitched mine in the trash. As for the blush itself, it comes in Pink, Bloom, Dawn, Spice and Nude; I chose Pink. The texture is soft and blendable, and I found it lasted well through the day on my normal-to-dry skin.

Enhance Eye Color ($4.99)
Sonia has quite an array of neutrals and colors to choose from, so I went with a basic cream beige, Whisper, and a soft, sheer purple, Amethyst. Whisper is the ideal base shade that you can use under other colors, alone on the whole eye area to subtly bring out your eyes, or on the browbone as a sort of highlighter. I used Amethyst both as liner (both wet and dry) and as shadow just on the lid. Both colors went on smoothly and lasted well throughout the day with fading or creasing. At this price, you can afford to try several new colors for fall.

Luxury Lip Color ($5.99)
This lipstick was my second favorite Sonia product, after the loose powder. Choosing a shade from a sea of browns, pinks, and everything in between is always a challenge, but I really lucked out with September, a cool cranberry red. The creamy texture sets to a semi-matte finish that I found lasted well even after eating or drinking a little something. Personally, I think this is a the ultimate fall color.

Paula's Choice skincare
I have gotten several requests for a review of this line created by consumer advocate Paula Begoun. I hesitated for quite a while because I disagree with a product reviewer selling her own line of products; it just seems like a conflict of interest to me... That aside, it is still a line of products like any other, so I figured what the heck :) You never know, I might find something wonderful that I can't live without!

One Step Face Cleanser, Normal to Dry Skin ($9.95 for 8 ounce tube)
This milky lotion cleanser does a fine job of removing makeup, but it felt a little greasy on my skin, and it stung like crazy! My skin can be sensitive, but this was ridiculous. It was so uncomfortable that I had to return it.

Final Touch Toner, Normal to Dry Skin ($8.95 for 8 ounces)
I had a painful reaction to the toner as well - burning and stinging. Back it went. It doesn't seem to have any particularly irritating ingredients, since Paula is such an advocate for non-irritating products, so my skin's reaction was very surprising.

Completely Emollient Moisturizer, Normal to Dry Skin ($10.95 for 4 ounce jar)
I was tempted to send this cream back, too, because it is much richer than I expected, but I decided to save it for winter when my skin really dries out. The second ingredient is sweet almond oil, so it has a very emollient feel. You only need a small amount for your whole face, and it's gentle enough to use around the eyes.

1% Beta Hydroxy Acid Solution ($12.95 for 4 ounces)
I finally found a winner with this beta hydroxy lotion. I have been able to use this lotion instead of my prescription acne medication - yay! - and have been almost completely pimple-free for over a month. This is my favorite of all the Paula's Choice products I've tried. As with most of her products, you only need a small amount of this for your whole face (or the area you want to treat). I was relieved after my discomfort with the cleanser and toner that I had no adverse reaction to this lotion at all.

All Day Cover Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF30, Normal to Oily/Combination Skin ($11.95 for 6 ounces)
This sunscreen has great broad spectrum protection (Octyl Methoxycinnamate 7.5%, Benzophenone-3 5%, Octyl Salicylate 5%, Avobenzone 3%), but I would not call it non-greasy. I had a feeling it would feel a little greasy, which is why I ordered the "normal-to-oily" version even though my skin is not at all oily. If you are careful to use the smallest pea-sized amount, you can avoid an overly greasy feeling.

For more information on Paula's Choice products, the website is at http://www.cosmeticscop.com