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We firmly believe that certain products are best bought as sets (think eyeshadow duos, gloss palettes), but we never really ventured into blush/bronzer sets….until now! How cool is Hourglass Cosmetics’ new Illume Créme-to-Powder Bronzer Due?! Encased in their signature swivel compact, this new pair includes both a bronzer to add a little healthy color and a blush for a rosy glow.  We naturally gravitated towards the bronzer first, but couldn’t resist giving our cheeks a little extra flirt with the blush. It’s the best of both worlds.


As always, Hourglass is  free of parabens, phthalates and sulfates. $40, Available in May online at Sephora.

Ok, so we JUST wrote about Votre Vu the other day, but the products are so great that we’re mentioning them again. This time, we can’t stop raving about Duetto.

Duetto is an awesome two-in-one product— one part luxe lip balm to one part rich hand cream.

The balm is light yet deeply nourishing, and makes your lips super soft. It’s made from coconut oil, shea butter and beeswax, protects with UV filters, and is lightly flavored with coconut. Yum! There’s also a mini-mirror in the lid for easy application.

The hand cream is a concentrated version of their wildly popular Tarte D’Amande body cream, which smells like almond pie and gives you the softest hands ever. Seriously, like silk. The richly moisturizing formula is made of sunflower, grapeseed, and jojoba, combined with aloe to soothe and UV filters for ultimate in anti-aging protection.

The coolest part (as if you weren’t sold already) is the genius packaging. The double lid design allows you to nourish lips and hands with little effort. Flip the top portion for lips, and the middle for hands.

Duetto is so amazing that we need two at all times- one on the nightstand, and one in our bag. We are officially addicted!

Move over Mario Badescu Drying Lotion.

Votre Vu Au Revoir works to minimize the inflammation caused by pimples and other skin irritants while keeping the affected area clean and free of harmful bacteria. Salicylic acid is anti-inflammatory, disinfecting agent that works to restore the skin’s surface, normalizing the production of sebum and keeping breakouts at bay. Healing camphor provides unmatched properties to purify and disinfect the skin, while the anti-bacterial ingredients tighten pores, allowing your skin’s surface to take on a completely new appearance - uniform, clean and matte. Together, the ingredients combine to keep your skin flawless.

In the same vein as Badescu’s potion, the instructions say to dip a clean cotton swab straight down into the powdery base, being careful not to shake or mix the ingredients. Kind of like a cool, blemish fighting game of Operation!

$19, VotreVu.com

This may sound a little greedy, but we occasionally come across a drugstore find so great, we’re hesitant to share. But we love you so much we couldn’t hold out! For $5.99, Psssssst Instant Spray Shampoo is the perfect way to skip shampoo - or two - and still look like you stepped right out of a blow out. And trust us, we’ve tried our share of instant shampoos and this one is by far the best bang for your buck.

It smells good too. $5.99 at drugstore.com

Illamasqua Illuminator is a mulitipurpose highlighter with intense color that highlights and enhances wherever it’s applied. You can use it on cheek bones or on any other part of your body where you want to draw attention.

The range includes: Fondle- a hot pink with gold shimmer (similar to NARS Orgasm) Glimmer- a warm golden tan, Halcyon - an ivory pearl, Odyssey - a white pearl, and Poised - a cool candy pink.

We tried it in Odyssey, and it gave us a perfect pearl glow, almost as if we were glowing from within. It goes on wet but dries quickly, leaving a high-shine, reflective finish that lasts all night, and applies easily with fingers, brush, or sponge. (Be sure to blend quickly, as this does dry lightning fast!)

Verdict? We’re in love, and will be rushing to Sephora to try all the other shades!

$18, at Sephora.