Copyright © 2003-04 Kleinman.com Inc. and Cosmetic Connection. All rights reserved.

Happy Friday and Happy May from the Cosmetic Connection! After a little penny pinching in last week's report, this week I bring you the flip side - beauty indulgences that are actually worth splurging on. Whether you want to try some of the new pastels for spring, or you just want to treat yourself to something luxurious, there is no shortage of expensive products to try!

When I think "expensive", I can't help but think of Chanel first. While there may be more costly lines out there, Chanel sticks in my mind as *the* luxury cosmetic line. The hot colors for spring are fresh pastels that are soft and wearable, and that's exactly what Chanel's new Satin Eye Colour creme shadow is about. Soft colors like Blue Organza and Satin Mint are in the moment and ready to wear, all for a decadent $30 a tube. I indulged in Satin Mint, a sheer seafoam green, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it goes with more neutral shades like beige and taupe. If you love Chanel and are dying for pastels, these cream shadows are soft, long lasting, and easy to use even if you never wear eye shadow.

After whetting my pastel appetite at Chanel, I made my way over to Smash Box to check out their new collection of cream eye shadows. Purple is my all-time favorite color, so when I spotted "Smashing Lilac", I knew I'd found my next indulgence. I must say, I love the color, but considering it's called "Creme Shadow", this shadow isn't really all that creamy. It was a bit difficult to apply, especially with my fingers rather than a brush, and it had a tendency to bunch up a bit. The color did set well and lasted all day without creasing, so maybe a drier texture isn't so bad after all. If you spot a great color like I did, it can be $18 well spent.

To complete my very hip pastel eyes, I decided for the first time ever to indulge in a department store mascara! Never in my life had I spent more than $5 for mascara until I surrendered $16 to the Bobbi Brown counter for a tube of their regular (not thickening) mascara in Black. This formula is so natural looking and clump-free, giving me nice long lashes without any annoying blobs and goo, that I could actually imagine buying this again! It didn't smear, it didn't flake, and it didn't rub off all day. Hooray!

With my eyes now looking their best, I decided something more neutral for my lips would make for a good contrast. I wanted something quick and easy, but creamy and long lasting. The latest color-plus-liner from Clinique caught my eye, and again I was drawn in by a particular color. This time it was "Vanilla Brownie", a soft chocolately brown shade of Clinique's new Chubby Stick lipstick crayon ($12.50). The Chubby Sticks also come in the usual brownish pinks and nude tones, but I have too many colors like those already! No matter what color you choose, Clinique's new Chubby Sticks are a great choice for creamy color in an easy to use stick.

With my spring color palette almost complete, I realized I need a good moisturizer to go under it all that will do everything I want it to in one easy step - moisturize the dry spots, control any excess oil, provide adequate sun protection, and maybe even exfoliate. In keeping with my search for luxury products, I marched right back to Chanel and found Day Lift Plus Multi-Hydroxy Refining Lotion SPF 8 (in both a regular and oil-free version). Thankfully, they had samples I could try first; shelling out $48.50 for a moisturizer I've never tried isn't indulgent, it's silly. I really liked both versions, but for everyday in the summer, I would chose the oil-free. It doesn't have quite as much sun protection as I like, but the texture is lightweight and it absorbs quickly. I can think of other lotions I like better than this (Lancome Bienfait Total SPF 15, Basis Face the Day Lotion SPF 15), but this is a nice product if you are a faithful Chanel user.

The one little luxury that I wasn't so thrilled with was Prescriptives All You Need Oil-Free Action Moisturizer ($32.50). I think the regular formula for normal skin would be better for my normal-to-oily/combination skin, because this oil-free version is really designed for a truly oily skin. It was great at controlling shine, but it doesn't deliver much moisture for any non-oily areas. The other strike against this product is the complete lack of sun protection. If you have oily skin and like a super lightweight gel-lotion for night (or for day if you get sun protection from another product), this All You Need doesn't quite live up to its name, but it's still a nice product.

Thanks to everyone for the flood of questions about sunscreens and self tanning products. Next week, The Cosmetic Report will be Sunshine Central, bringing you reviews of some popular sunscreens and self-tanners just in time for summer.

The Makeup Diva is In! I've gotten countless questions about eye shadow colors and eye makeup tricks, so this week, the Diva reveals a few secrets to color and technique that will take your eyes from ho-hum to wow! Don't miss it! The Makeup Diva is In!

SHOP

• Avon.com • Beauty.com • Beautydoor.com • Beautyhabit • Bliss Spa • boscia • Cosmetic Mall • drugstore.com • Fashion Magazines • Gloss.com • Lancôme • Profaces • Reflect.com • Renee Rouleau • Sephora.com • ULTA.com • ZIRH men's skin care

SPONSOR