my love affair with target is longstanding and well-documented.  but i all-too-frequently neglect their beauty section in favor of cheap fashion finds.  considering their impressive resume of beauty collaborations - boots, sonia kashuk, napoleon perdis are just a few - i should really change my outlook.  so when i recently got wind of a few fun new target goodies, i thought it was a perfect opportunity to show off their “other half”.

i’ve been testing a couple of hair brushes from target’s collaboration with umberto beverly hills, and i have to admit, it’s love.  the round brush (made of a mix of nylon bristles for lift and boar bristles for shine) is amazingly light, and lets me style my hair so much faster than my old boar bristle version.  and the flat banana brush - one i wasn’t even sure i’d use - does a flawless job of smoothing and shining.  i’ve been using it constantly since it arrived, and find myself barely reaching for my usual myriad shine products.  best of all, they’re about $10 each…a deal so good, i may just have to buy a few of those banana brushes to hand out to friends!

and, for those of you who - like me - are perpetually in search of the ultimate red nail polish (or who are just serious target devotees), look no further than l’oreal’s new limited edition shade, “target red”.  designed to match the classic bullseye logo, it is the truest shade of red i’ve come across, and it’s absolutely perfect for holiday pedicures - especially at just $4.  available in store only, sadly…but then, i’m always looking for an excuse for a target run!

so, what’s your favorite beauty buy at target?

nothing like a little chat about cleanser to really get you revved up, i know.  the truth is, a good cleanser is essential, but thoroughly un-fun to shop for, so i thought i’d let you all know about the new sensitive cleansing bar from suki ($10.95) that’s keeping my face squeaky clean and quite happy.

made from lemongrass and shea butter, this is basically the bar equivalent of my all-time favorite cleanser, suki’s lemongrass scrub.  truly, there’s nothing like it in a morning shower - it’s like my version of getting zest-fully clean. 

normally, i’m not a fan of bar soaps in any form…and, truth be told, i do fervently wish this was a liquid.  but ever since i interviewed kara peterson, the skin guru at clarins a few months back, and she told me that the best way to damage your skin was to use a scrub daily (oops), this bar has become my morning cleanser of choice.  i’ve cut back on my morning scrub to about twice a week.

you can pick up any of the fantastic products from suki at their website or at most whole foods stores.

if you haven’t already done your part by buying something pink, i’m throwing you a bone.  the moment i tried a pair of anastasia tweezers, all of my others went out the window (okay, into the trash…i’m not looking for a lawsuit).  they are incredibly precise, incredibly strong, and just really the perfect tool for the job.  you can pick up this girly-girl version from nordstrom for a very reasonable $33 - your BCA purchase will be complete, and your conscience will be clear.  if that feels like a lot for tweezers, well honestly, when was the last time you replaced yours?  and was the result nearly as cute?  exactly.  plus, 50% of the price goes to charity…so really, they’re only $15 tweezers and $15 of good karma.

while you’re at it, snag anastasia’s fab new brow duality ($23).  one side is a shimmer highlighter (which i actually use as an eyeliner/shadow hybrid) and the other is a matte highlighter (which i use under my brows and on the inside corners of my eyes).  it’s my newest staple in my traveling makeup bag, and literally goes with me everywhere.  seriously, a must-try.

the moment the weather turns cool, i start craving warm, comforting scents like cinnamon, clove and winter fruits.  short of keeping an oven full of pie at all times, my best shot for maintaining those classic fall scents in my home is via candle.  so, i’ve taken it upon myself to run an exhaustive test, and i’ve come up with my list of favorites for this fall season.

the new joya collection at barneys has my undivided attention.  i haven’t stopped burning their fantastic candles since they arrived.  they’ve collaborated with one of my favorite ceramic artists, sarah cihat, to develop candles that smell amazing, last forever, and are housed in truly gorgeous containers.  my personal favorite is the pomegranate white pepper ($48), which has the deep sweetness of pomegranate, but the snap of white pepper, ginger and cardamom keeps it from being too cloying. 

i know it’s a second pomegranate scent, but the pomegranate noir from jo malone ($65) is so different,  they’re both worth loving.  in the jo malone version, the pomegranate is more prominent, probably because of the raspberry notes in the background.  but by adding patchouli and frankincense, this turns into a much more complex fragrance.  overall, if you’re after a true pomegranate, i’d go with the jo malone…but if you’re after just a generally light sweet scent with a hint of spice, the joya is for you.

i have to admit to some work bias here, but honestly, pacifica’s tibetan mountain temple ($20) is my hands-down favorite for homey, spicy scents this season.  it’s not intended as a holiday candle, but the scents of ginger, orange and vetiver combine to make this as comforting as a scent can be.  i can’t get enough!  archipelago’s gingered grapefruit ($24) is another great option, but the grapefruit makes this one much sharper - a great candle for day to keep you awake, where the pacifica is a night-only burn for me…it just makes me cozy, warm and relaxed.

for something really different, i’ve been obsessively sniffing the new agadir candle from tocca ($36) since it arrived.  it smells exactly like sweet pipe tobacco, a scent i’ve always secretly loved, especially when the air outside is crisp.  the particular beauty of this scent (besides the gorgeous trademark tocca packaging) is that this is a scent your other half can’t pass up…it’s as manly as a candle gets.

what’s your favorite cold-weather scent?

i’m something of a concealer connoisseur (the alliteration was totally unintentional, i swear).  but when this cute little camouflage canister (there i go again!) showed up in my mailbox, i was skeptical.  i was convinced there was no way the little bubble of pink powder inside could actually do any serious heavy-lifting. and so, it was stashed in the “try someday…maybe” pile.

thank goodness i came across it last week and was bored enough to give it a try.  the stuff works like gangbusters!  honestly…it’s covering my dark circles better than any liquid, cream or other concealer in my makeup bag right now (and trust me, it’s a big, very overstuffed, makeup bag), all while being as invisible to the untrained eye as its darling little packaging would have you believe.

all of my other concealers are in storage now…there to remain until future notice.  i can’t give a much better endorsement than that.  pick it up at benefit for $32.

and ps…have you entered this week’s fab giveaway yet?  honestly…seriously glam goods up for grabs in exchange for approximately 10 seconds of effort.  what’s taking you so long?  

nothing sells me on a product quite like walking into work on 2 hours of sleep, only to have my boss tell me that my skin looks “like porcelain”.  seriously?

it can only be explained by one thing:  this was my first day testing chanel’s vitalumiere foundation.  i’ve always been adverse to a full-strength foundation, but given a recent birthday, i thought it was time to reconsider.  and, after my first day, i’m officially a convert.  chanel’s formula provides just enough coverage to hide imperfections without making you look “made up.”  it definitely minimizes my fine lines, and i love the bright, dewy finish it provides.  plus, the formula is very light, and glides right on, which is a must for me - if i’m going to wear foundation, it has to be as foolproof to apply as moisturizer, which this definitely is.

pick it up at your neighborhood chanel counter, or online - it’s the best $52 you’ll spend on cosmetics this month, without a doubt.

happy breast cancer awareness month, dear readers.  no doubt you’ve been seeing BCA-related products everywhere already…like christmas, it starts earlier every year.  nonetheless, the official “BCA month” is october.  and in celebration, i like to pick a product or two to purchase that i’d love to have but otherwise might not splurge on.  after all, it’s for charity!

my cosmetic splurge of choice will be darphin’s predermine corrective wrinkle serum, available at my favorite source for all things beauty:  bluemercury.  this might be the closest i’ve ever seen to botox in a bottle…the stuff is simply amazing.  at $205, it’s a luxury i’d normally have to forego…but this month, $20 of every purchase goes to the breast cancer research foundation.  that justifies it completely.  of course, if you’re looking for a little less splurge, i’m always looking for an excuse to buy a gorgeous candle, and red flower’s wares top my list.  this month, every purchase of their gorgeously floral japanese peony candle ($34) includes a donation to the breast cancer awareness foundation.

fashion choices are tougher, as the options are practically endless.  i’ve been after these celeb-designed tees at shopbop since they were introduced.  sure, i’d normally balk at spending $88 on a t-shirt, but when 50% of the purchase price goes to charity, it’s practically my social obligation to buy one, don’t you think?  i’m especially loving sophia bush’s version, which boasts a perfectly retro, wonder woman-inspired graphic.  or, if you’re looking for a more serious splurge, coach has released a limited-edition watch for the occasion, complete with a sleek updated face and a fuschia-hued snakeskin band that has me all aflutter.  sure, it’s $398, but when you factor in the $100 donation they’re making to the breast cancer research foundation, it’s suddenly much easier to justify.

and, whether you’re a supporter or a survivor, erin condren’s sweet personalized notecards come in three ultra-girly designs perfect for impromptu notes of all varieties.  you get 20 cards, envelopes and address labels for $40, and half the proceeds go to sponsoring women participating in various BCA-related fundraisers.  these would be an amazing gift to a survivor, or just a great way to show your support for the cause.

or, if you’d rather see 100% of that money go to a BCA charity, just go the old-fashioned route and send a donation.  there are dozens of wonderful organizations out there, not to mention the millions of people participating in awareness events across the country and looking for sponsors.  a dear friend of mine walks the 3-day avon walk for breast cancer every year…i admire her more than i can say, and i show my support with my checkbook.  if you don’t know someone who’s participating, i can’t recommend my friend’s team highly enough!

whatever you choose, just choose something this month…whether it’s big or small, it’s a step.

little beauty confession:  i hate mascara.  ever since benefit discontinued an old eggplant-hued mascara i adored, i have boycotted mascara in all its forms, and have instead resorted to a lash tint from neutrogena (which is quite lovely).  i honestly tried to get on board with at least 10 other formulas, and never found one i loved.  i could never keep it from being goopy and gluing my lashes together, and i either have to put up with a waterproof formula that i can never remove or a non-waterproof formula that does bad things for the already-impressive under-eye circles i’m constantly trying to avoid.  

so, how excited was i when benefit let me know they were debuting bad girl plum?!  well, as excited as a girl can get about mascara.  i know i’ve tried benefit’s original bad gal mascara at some point in the past, but i honestly don’t remember loving it as much as i do this time around.  i’m being completely serious when i say this is the absolute first time i’ve used a mascara that didn’t require me to then take a toothpick (or other similarly sharp instrument) to my lashes.  sharp object + eye area, before my morning caffeine?  no, thanks.

but the supersized brush on this product is fantastic - nary a clump to be found.  the formula isn’t rubbing off, but it washed off nicely.  and the plum color is a fantastic, soft shade that just sort of works, without anyone ever being able to say “hey, you’re wearing purple mascara!”.  

my only caution: if you do rub your eyes during the day, the result isn’t that sexy, smoldering smudged look…but more like “i’ve been weeping profusely for 3 hours”, due to the red pigments.  i don’t recommend it.

grab a supersized tube at benefit now.  i know i’ll be stockpiling like crazy, just in case…

i think i’ve finally realized i’m not 20 any more…and so, have been on a quest lately for a good, line-minimizing night cream.  the problem is that most creams are designed for skin with much bigger problems than i have.  they tend to be thick, overly oily, and have kind of a weird smell (this is after testing at least 10 versions from different brands).

so, when i tried clarins line prevention multi-active night cream, i was cautiously optimistic.  their line is always a favorite of mine, but after so much disappointment, i wasn’t about to get my hopes up.  

fortunately, they seem to be the only company that has realized women under 70 need night-time moisture as well.  their version is actually tailored for younger women (30s, specifically, but who’s counting…).  it’s silky soft, contains just the right amount of moisture to give me a nice, dewy glow that makes me feel better about my makeup-free-face, and has almost no scent at all.  jackpot!

as an added bonus - my skin is completely in love.  when i try to go a night without doing the evening skin routine (i know, i know…very bad), it rebels like it never has before.  and while my wrinkles haven’t vanished, the ones on my forehead have improved…and the rest don’t seem to be getting any worse.  which is really about all i can ask of a moisturizer, i think.

find it wherever clarins is sold, or on their website, for $72.  yes, it’s a lot.  but i’ve been using it daily for a month now, and honestly, i’ve barely made a dent in the jar.  i’m estimating it’s a six-month supply…so just call it $12/month for happy skin.

after talking about travel chic, i got to thinking about travel beauty.  airplane cabins are gross, germy places that also dry out your skin.  the number one thing you can do to stay beautiful is to keep hydrated. 

the day before you leave, drink lots of water - i absolutely love this new water from aquadeco.  i am freakishly picky about bottled water, and this one is my new favorite.  plus, the bottle is gorgeous - i’ve actually been using one as a bud vase at work!

another pre-travel beauty must is to keep away from salty foods and alcohol.  while it’s tempting to have that in-flight bloody mary, drinking water or tea will keep you looking fresh.  bring your own tea bags, too - mighty leaf tea is my favorite, i love the silk bags.  also, evian makes these adorable travel sized hydrating sprays, that will keep your makeup looking dewey and fresh - no one wants that cakey make-up face (just watch out for the people behind you when you spray!).

turn the cabin into your own mini spa by carrying luscious travel-sized hand creams. duwop’s hands 2 hair works as a styling creme for your locks as well as a hand cream, which is perfect for me because i get some serious fly-away hair while in flight! 

i like to keep my makeup to a minimum when i travel.  stila’s illuminating tinted moisturizer gives sheer coverage and a subtle shimmer to keep you looking fabulous, just in case you have a gorgeous seat mate!  for your lips, try to refrain from the usual lipstick, which can dry your lips out.  instead, try c.o. bigelow’s mentha lip tint in pink - it’s moisturizing and has a great minty sensation (also great for your breath!).  with a bare face, you can always duck into the ladies’ room when you land to freshen up - carry trish mcevoy’s ‘be prepared’ kit for sizes that will make it through security. 

finally the best beauty advice for any girl on the go:   relax, enjoy your trip and smile! 

what are your best travel beauty tips?