Two beauty products I am dying to try right now are the new Stila Summer Eye Shadow Palette and the Erase Paste from Benefit. The eye shadow compact has six gorgeous, perfect-for-the-beach tones that would be beautiful day or night. I adore Stila’s shadows for their great pigmentation and lasting formula. I currently use Stila’s Kitten shadow everyday as a base color. I also am a big fan of Benefit’s classic concealer, Bo-ing, so I am curious to see how this one differs. The description says it is brightening, I am wondering if that is the only difference? I plan on picking up these two new products on my next Sephora jaunt (and we know those are pretty frequent!) Look for reviews in the future and let me know if you’ve already tried either one!

I have heard rave reviews of Tarte’s Cheek Stains over the years but never gave them a try because I was content with my Stila Rouge Pots. I ran out of the Stila last week and made a run to Sephora to get another, only to find they didn’t carry it at my store anymore! I browsed around, remembered the love for the Cheek Stains and bought the new Full Blossom shade. The packaging is super convenient and the product is a blendable stick that is very easy to apply to your cheeks with a sponge or your fingers. Full Blossom is a blend of two Cheek Stain colors and looks like a very natural pink flush when on your skin. It is made with natural minerals and is preservative free. Also, the natural fragrance is because the product is full of antioxidants from a blend of goji, acai, maracuja, acerola and pomegranate fruits. I highly recommend the Tarte Cheek Stains and plan on making this my new staple for cheek color. I’m so happy that I gave it a try!

I was sent the Pregnancy Gift Box Set by Belli Cosmetics and I couldn’t be happier! One of the things that is so overwhelming during your first pregnancy is knowing what is safe and what is not. Belli products are recommended #1 by OB/GYNs because they have strict safety standards. They are allergy tested, free of synthetic dyes and paraben preservatives, feature natural organic ingredients whenever possible, and are not tested on animals. Even better, Belli is the only company in the world that performs teratology screening of their formulas to help protect against birth defects. Their founding physcian, Dr. Rubin, sits on the board at OTIS, the leading organization in preventing birth defects. Also, Belli’s customer service is amazing and they answer any question you may have about their ingredients. The set includes a belly oil, body lotion, foot cream, body scrub, and body wash in an adorable lavender fabric gift box. I have been very impressed with the products so far, especially the Elasticity Belly Oil and All Day Moisture Body Lotion. The belly oil has been wonderful at stopping the itchy belly that is common throughout pregnancy and it also protects against stretch marks over time. And the lotion is so silky smooth during application! It blends easily and moisturizes without being too cakey or sticky. Overall, I have enjoyed using every one of the Belli products in the gift set, it would be a perfect gift for any expectant mom!

I’ve found my new must have bronzer! If you like a little highlighting action on your temples or if you are pasty white like me (and need a product to make you look not quite as dead) then this is the one! My previous everyday bronzer was Stila Sun, which is good, but I felt like it was a little too orange and not as natural looking as I wanted. Benefit’s Hoola is the perfect realistic tan shade, not too dark, not too orange and super easy to blend. It also comes with a mini brush if you need it but I’ve just been using my normal bronzer brush with great results. Hoola is available at Benefit’s website for $28 or at many department stores and Sephora. Give it a try!

I just spied the new, online only Stila Eye Set available at Sephora’s website. It’s over an $80 value for a mere $39 and includes three fab eye shadows in Champagne, Latte and Coin, a Major Lash Mascara in Black, a Kajal Eye Liner in Bronze and a sharpener. Plus, it’s all wrapped up in a cute faux suede bag. I just might have to order it to review! I am seriously in need of new shadows, mine are sad little chunks of product that are quickly disappearing.

I got the Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes liner in Mat Black with a deluxe sample from Sephora and decided to try it out when my staple eyeliner (Revlon Colorstay) was running low. Pros: It goes on very easily for a pencil, when you drag it across your lash line, it feels creamy- not dry like some pencils do. Also, it is waterproof and lasted the whole day without smudging. Cons: The black color was very muted, almost a charcoal gray instead, so I was not very happy with the pigmentation. Also, I have a pet peeve of sharpening liners and I prefer the Revlon Colorstay because it is a twist up liner that I don’t have to sharpen every day. Bottom line: It’s a good pencil liner but not as good on my eyes as Revlon’s. Plus at double the price of my go-to liner, it’s definitely not worth a change for me!

Before I forget, I have to tell you that the bath I was taking when I spotted the L.A.M.B. handbag was one of the best I have ever enjoyed because of the spectacular Ginger Float cream bubble bath from Origins. The botanical ginger meets light citrus scent was relaxing and just what my tired muscles needed. It smells so good (but not in an overpowering way) and leaves your skin silky smooth afterwards too. It was also kind of fun to put in the bath, you scoop out a handful of cream (or three depending how much bubbles you want) and let the running water gently wash it into the tub. I could have sat in there all day. And talking about it makes me want to take another bath. Now if only I could trade my mid size roman tub for a deep soaker, that would be perfect!

It’s Monday and I promised you big news right? Well, here it is. I’m going to be a mommy for the first time. Yep, I’m pregnant! I am overjoyed. Adrian and I have been trying for about 2 years and cannot wait to be parents. Even though I am scared out of my mind about everything going okay, I am looking forward to all the new experiences and challenges in the coming months. So far, I have all the typical pregnant lady symptoms and I adore my husband even more for putting up with me! I am so excited to share this news with all of you and keep you updated as I progress in my pregnancy. Swish-Style will not change at all, there may be a couple baby related posts but don’t worry, I won’t change this into a baby blog or anything. In fact, to celebrate my good news, I’m having a little giveaway contest for my readers! Leave a comment below and guess my due date (hint- it’s in the later summer months). Whoever posts with the closest guess first wins a package from me including Benefit’s Maybe Baby fragrance (a warm, flirty floral that I love) and the Thank You combo from Philosophy (two bath/shower/shampoo gels in Amazing Grace and Pure Grace- my fave body washes.) I’ll leave the contest open until January 9th. After that, I’ll email the winner and send the gift on its way! Thank you for all of your support, you’re the best!

It’s time for another mascara review at Swish-Style! It might seem like I try too many, but I think it’s an easy product to shop around with since there are so many formulations and brands. It’s also less noticeable than say a horrid shade of purple lipstick or too glittery eyeshadow so I’m not as afraid to experiment. A couple weeks ago I ordered the Fiberwig mascara from Sephora. I have heard a few positive things about it, like it is different than any other mascara you’ll try and it makes your lashes look like falsies. I don’t know if I completely agree with the last statement but I do agree that it is different than any other mascara I’ve applied. When you pull the wand out of the tube, you see all the little fibers and it looks a bit fuzzy. Sounds weird, but it went on smoothly and feels extremely light. It says that little tubes coat your individual lashes and I definitely can attest to that. It dries very fast and is drier than anything I’ve experienced on my eyes before. There is absolutely zero smudging and even if you rub your eyes, nothing comes off! It’s kinda strange actually. Taking it off is very different than typical mascaras. It easily comes off with just warm water, but it doesn’t smear off like most do. It comes off in little clumps, like the tubes of fibers just peel off your lashes and leave them completely clean. So my typical eye makeup remover did not work with Fiberwig but it was still a simple process to remove. I love the unique formulation of this product, the quick drying, extreme length it creates and the no smudge worries. However, it is not very thickening and that is something that I love in other mascaras such as Diorshow. I might just use both Fiberwig and Diorshow for awhile until I figure out what my favorite is. Or who knows, maybe I’ll try another again in a few months and start the decisions all over again!

In case you hadn’t yet noticed, be sure to enter the weekly Coutorture giveaway on the sidebar before the week ends! This weeks giveaway is from the new Origins Organics line which I am excited to try. I was sent the organic, reusable cotton tote in the mail as a promotion and I have already used it a few times shopping. It’s roomy, well constructed and useful for so many different things. The tote is included in the giveaway, along with two full size products. So get those entries in! I hope a Swish-Style reader wins!