It’s that middle season where swimwear is slowly just starting to hit the racks. And so comes images of warm, bronzed makeup and beach hair. While these looks are more typical of Summer collections, the Lorac Unzipped Collection makes it their own for Spring 2012.

A refreshing break from the cool pastels of many Spring beauty products, Lorac’s Unzipped Collection will easily carry you over to Summer. Check out some of our picks!

Lorac Unzipped Shimmer & Matte Eye Shadow Palette ($40 US): Create flattering neutral eye looks with the help of these ten rich eyeshadows and the included mini Behind the Scenes Eye Primer. This set is exclusive to Sephora and promises to be a popular item in any makeup stash.

Lorac Lips with Benefits Lip Gloss ($18 US): As good for your lips as they are pretty, these glosses are meant to hydrate and nourish lips with Acai Berry, Pomegranate Extract, and Vitamin E and C. The Crème Brule fragrance and the high shine finish in a variety of colors invite reapplication.

Lorac Tantalizer Highlighter & Matte Bronzer Duo ($32 US): This huge compact takes the guesswork out and makes touch-ups wherever easy. The convenience of a dark contouring shade and shimmery highlight hue guarantees cheekbones that pop! Apply sheerly or layer for more intensity to vary your look.

Lorac Unzipped: The Nude Collection ($34 US): This Ulta exclusive set shows you how to get the look Lorac created for Spring, complete with products for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. Color wise, the bronzy eye quad, peachy gloss, and plum blush would look especially fabulous on ladies with warm undertones.

Which Spring collections have you bought from so far? Are you more into Spring or Summer hues?

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Last week I was really excited to write about the Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 and Treat & Conceal Eye & Face. Well this week it doesn’t stop, because now I have a giveaway to share with you!

If you like the sound of weightless sheer coverage in a super multi-tasking tinted moisturizer or a smooth, wildly pigmented concealer, then be sure to enter our giveaway for the two products mentioned above for a chance to win this $84 value prize!

Simply type in your name and email address into the box above. The contest runs from now until Monday February 13th at 11:59PM PST. A winner will then be chosen and contacted by us for their mailing address and shade choice.

By entering this giveaway you agree that The Daily Cookie may share your information with the brand or brand representatives for prize fulfillment purposes only.

This contest is only open to U.S. residents.

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This giveaway is sponsored by Miracle Skin Transformer.

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to take better care of my skin. Now that I’m a month down the road I’ve noticed that the less makeup I wear, the nicer the quality of my skin becomes. My face makeup routine varies daily, but lately I’ve been trying to pare down the quantity of products I use to a minimum.

Two items that have been helping me in that department are the Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 in Light ($48 US) and the Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal Eye & Face in Light ($36 US). With these two I can sometimes skip a few steps like priming, powdering, or moisturizing.

The Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 is designed to do five things: hydrate, prime, enhance, mattify, and protect. That’s a lot to promise, but I find that this tinted moisturizer type product lives up to its claim. I have a combination oily skin type that finds this relatively moisturizing, though on some afternoons I wish it had stronger oil-controlling properties.

I never feel the need to prime underneath since the Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 has a velvety primer-like texture that glides over pores. This makes it a great pick for mature skin types since it won’t emphasize fine lines. The coverage is light-medium, but feels weightless. I like to use a stippling brush for medium coverage.

The packaging of the Miracle Skin Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal Eye & Face does look strange, but it’s just a long cap and squeeze applicator. The really strange thing about this concealer is its texture, a whipped soufflé-like cream. It’s fantastically pigmented, reminding me of the Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer, and the interesting consistency helps it glide on the skin too, thanks to silicone.

When I’m having an extra good skin day, I just dot this on trouble spots and brush on a powder (My current favorite is MAC Careblend Pressed Powder!) for natural coverage. Although the Miracle Skin Transformer Treat & Conceal Eye & Face says that it’s meant for under the eyes, I didn’t think it blended well there, emphasizing the area even more.

Interestingly, I have both of these products in the shade Light, but the concealer is much more yellow and lighter than the Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 which has a considerably deeper tone.

What does your foundation routine look like at the moment? Have you kept up your beauty resolutions?

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This review contains sample products sent for consideration by PR. We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

There must be a higher power in my life because I was just thinking to myself how I needed a new foundation that would give me that fresh flawless look 24/7 after getting a facial last Saturday.

And today, just like clockwork, Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow new liquid foundation from Benefit enters my life. I cannot wait to try it out!

Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow will be available on counters and in boutiques beginning March 2012 for $34 US. Stay tuned for our official review!

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This review contains sample products sent for consideration by PR. We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.

A mini bag is mainly for emergency necessities like cash, but we all throw in a gloss or powder in there anyways. Now reverse the situation. Imagine a bag that is designed for makeup rather than the essentials.

That’s exactly what you get with the Tarte Puttin’ On the Glitz Color Collection & Clutch ($48 US). This metallic silver case comes with three interchangeable palettes that snap inside and an easy-to-reapply gloss for worry free touch ups. Card slots and a long chain strap keep things organized.

Immediately you get the sense that Nine-to-Five is a warm earthy palette. The nature-inspired colors are such a pretty way to ground thick, cozy sweaters and nude lips. The shadows are insanely pigmented and smooth to the touch.

The Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Avenue Princess offers a sheer sun kissed glow. There are traces of faint gold sparkles, but they never look unnatural and help keep the skin from looking muddy or too flat.

Very girly and rosy, A Walk in the Park is classically appropriate and the colors seem cooler than Nine-to-Five. The top four eye shadows are metallic and grittier than Tarte’s shimmer or matte formulas so careful patting is a must to prevent fall-out.

Tarte’s Amazonian Clay Blushes are a favorite of mine for their velvety, rich colors. Darling is a lovely hue that has enough blue tones to illuminate dull skin, similar to the way blue-toned reds brighten less-than-white teeth.

Girls’ Night Out is the palette you’ll want to insert into the clutch bag for edgier or smokier looks. The purple-black smoky eye is an interesting take and the shadows coordinate well together thanks to the variety in finishes and hues.

In dark lighting shimmer does wonders for opening up your features. The Tarte Amazonian Clay Shimmer Powder in Champagne has a soft, golden sheen that counteracts the cool-toned depth of the dark eyes.

The PureOptic Lip Gloss is Tarte’s relatively new gloss formula. The click-style applicator, usually messy and imprecise, actually performs and offers a burst of minty scented gloss with one click. This mauve pink is sheer, offering no more than a pink-tinted clear shine.

What do you think of Tarte’s bag plus makeup approach? How much makeup can you fit in a small clutch?

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This review contains sample products sent for consideration by PR.   We do not do paid or guarantee reviews. For more information, please read our Editorial & Content Disclosure.