Just in time for spring, the June 2010 issue of Women’s Health Magazine will report the winners of their 4th annual Beauty Awards. Featuring both reader’s and editor’s picks by category (hair, face, body, and makeup), I had the privilege of joining the publication for the announcement of their winners and received an advanced copy of the magazine.

So who won? Here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorite editor’s picks:

• Best Budge-proof Eye Shadow – Tarte Lock & Roll Eyeshadow in Burnt Bronze
• Best Sheer Cheek Color – NARS Cadacques Multiple Tint
• Best Foundation – Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
• Best Self-Tanner – Clarins Self-Tanning Instant Gel
• Best Mascara – CoverGirl Lash Blast Volume
• Best Dry Shampoo – Umberto Beverly Hills Dry Clean Dry Shampoo
• Best OTC Treatment for Uneven Skin Pigmentation – Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector

I have to say this event was a lot of fun. Women’s Health Magazine featured all the winners by category and I greatly enjoyed reading about each product and having the opportunity to talk makeup with Women’s Health Beauty Director Molly Nover-Baker and Associate Beauty Editor Alexis Farah and answering the infamous question of ‘what do you think?’ Honestly, I was impressed for a number of reasons, mainly because I thought it was very original.

I was happy to see of the products I had tried, all of them were in my top five for that category (if not my favorite), and pleasantly surprised that I hadn’t tried the majority of the winners. There was great mix of mass and prestige brands across all categories and price points. They didn’t choose a lot of the ‘classic winners’, which while deserving, it’s always nice to learn about some unsung heroes who are just as worthy. In fact, I noticed a healthy assortment of new products that launched within the past year that have been on my radar won. Of course we all have our favorite products and brands we’d love to see make the charts, but it’s difficult to be so opinionated when there really are so many spectacular products on the market right now. So while I can’t judge what I haven’t tried based on the assortment of winners, I’m very intrigued and excited to try their recommendations. This is especially true for the Best Product for Curly Hair winner of whom Alexis raved about –however you’ll have to pick up the issue for that winner (I’ve spoiled enough of the surprise).

The complete list of winners is available in the June 2010 issue Women’s Health Magazine hitting newsstands on May 25th. For more information visit WomensHealthMag.com

Be-cheek my heart! Given my addiction to pink blushes and bronzers, when I came across Sue Devitt’s new Hydrating Marine Minerals Destination Eye & Cheek Palette in Solomon Islands, it was love at first site.  A perfect gradation of pink to gold, the hues can be blended together for a variety of looks which you can customize to create your perfect shade.  I greatly appreciate that since I love to mix and match or for back of a better term – play.

My personal preference is to use the light pink as a highlighter under my eyebrow while applying the more bronze shade across my face and the sheerer pink on my cheekbone for a perfect sun kissed look.  Apply with a brush and the colors blend very naturally and evenly onto skin.  The colors are sheerer then they appear in the picture, which really allows you to build your desired shade for a stronger pigment. And best of all it’s incredibly compact and portable and incredibly convenient for any girl that’s on the go.

Price: $37.50.  For more information visit www.suedevittbeauty.com

Affiliation: This product was given to Pretty Connected by a company representative.  Pretty Connected was under no obligation to write this review.

If you’re looking for a gift for a makeup maven, or are one yourself, don’t miss out on these two limited edition palettes. From beginners to pros, if you’ve ever asked yourself, ‘I wonder if I can pull off wearing…,’ here’s your chance to find out. These two sets can be mixed and matched to create endless looks. So much fun! Lets face it, not every color is going to look great on you, but that’s half the battle when experimenting to find your perfect look. Once you’ve figured out your best looks, you can go back for the full size versions feeling more confident.

Sephora Brand’s Ultimate Blockbuster

Set Includes:

• How-to Guide
• 3 qty Blushes
• 60 qty lip glosses
• 2 qty Lip liners
• 3 qty Eyeliners
• 6 qty Cream Eyeliners
• 84 qty Eyeshadows
• 6 qty Matte Eyeshadows
• 6 qty Sparkling Eyeshadows
• Double-ended eyeshadow applicator/ eyeliner brush
• Double-ended sponge-tipped applicator
• Lip brush
• Powder brush

Price: $48 ($400 value)

Tarte Treasure Chest

Set Includes:

• 16 qty Full-Sized Shimmering  Eyeshadows
• 16 qty Full-Sized Matte Eyeshadows
• 16 qty Lipglosses
• Mineral Powder Bronzer In Park Ave Princess
• Pink Luminizer
• 4 qty Powder Blushes

Price: $52 ($686 value)

A combination of all new colors and best sellers, these products have all been dermatologist tested and does not containparabens, petro-chemicals, phthalates, sulfates, GMOs, Triclosans, preservatives, gluten, talc, glycols, MEA/DEA/TEA, and formaldehyde donors.

Compact and beautifully packaged, this bejeweled kit, which includes a mirror that folds to be amazingly compact.  I’m slightly enamored.

For More information on both sets visit Sephora.com

*My flash decided to censor my stuffed bra. Top by Nicole Romano, Blue Jean Denim Leggings by Mark. (worked great for stuffing my behind!), Shoes by Jeffrey Campbell

Oh Kim, why did we think Karaoke as a good idea?

Look at those eyes! Ignore my hair (I was rained on)

Halloween is a fun time of year when you can really go outside your comfort zone and play dress up without any concern about looking too ridiculous or over-dressed.  This year, I decided to be Kim Kardashian.  It was very entertaining creating this costume considering it was my first ‘stuff my bra/butt experience.’  It also gave me an opportunity to test a lot of products.

Here’s a quick excerpt of the my Kim Kardashian look (more detailed review to come):

HAIR:

Redken Go Clean Shampoo and Finish Up Conditioner – Love it! This is part of Redken’s men’s line but it works really well on my hair.  Great lather, my hair comes out shiny and well, clean.  But yes, you’ll smell like a dude.  When men ask me for a list of products I recommend for them, this is always on the list (unless they have color treated hair).

Ken Paves Professional Styling Iron – Part of Ken Paves’ Travel line, is this lightweight straightener, which is fast becoming my everyday straightener – it’s that good.  Originally I was apprehensive about this product since I didn’t think ‘one heat setting fits all’ is viable for flat irons; however it gets very hot (up to 410 degrees F), which is what is really necessary for my curly hair.  Warning, if you generally use your flat iron on a low heat setting, this may not be the product for you.  Unless of course the heat settings automatically adjusts based on hair need, but either way there is no dial to manually control it.  I will investigate this further and report back.

Living Proof Straight Making No Frizz Styling Treatment - a great protective cream for when you’re using a flat iron or blow-drying your hair.  Helps fight frizz and only requires a small dollop to service your entire scalp.  It’s no wonder this line has been winning so many prestigious beauty awards!

Cutler Specialist Fly-Away Control Stick - This is my go to product for fly aways. Shaped like a deodorant stick, I just roll them over problematic areas and I’m all set for the entire evening.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume All-Out Hold Hairspray – This product fell a little flat.  It has great hold, but didn’t maintain the volume I was hoping for.

LIPS:

L’Oreal Infallible Plumping Lip Gloss in Plumped Pink and Plumped Red – It tingles a bit, and I definitely felt a little plumping action taking place, but having pretty full lips already, it wasn’t anything drastic or obvious to any of my friends.

The colors are great, and I like the sponge wand as an applicator. Plumped Pink is a frosty pink (very Kardashian), however I mixed it with Plumped Red (which is very me) to give the soft red shade you see in the photos.

The gloss gave a great, smooth finish without being too heavy or sticky.  They claim it last 6 hours, which may only be realistic if you’re planning on not eating or drinking the entire time, since it does come off on contact.  For a strong payoff, I would reapply every 1-2 hours, or in my case, it was every 30 minutes.  I had no choice…I was Kim Kardashian!

EYES:

Heidi Klum for Victoria’s Secret Makeup Eye Shadow Palette in Hidden Palace –I’m obsessed with this palette!  The colors mix so well with each other — all that’s required is a great blending brush and you can instantly create a wide array of beautiful looks.  Minus the eye pencil and mascara, my entire eye look is thanks to this amazing palette. (BTW, the photo does not do them justice!).  I received compliments all night.

L’Oreal HIP Eyeliner in Black Chrome – It goes on as a pencil but looks like liquid eyeliner, which is great for people like me who do not have a steady hand.  This pencil has amazing stay on power (even against my eye-makeup remover).  Just make sure you keep it sharpened!  Due to its rich crème formula, I can only use it about twice before it dulls.

Dior Show Mascara in Black 090– This is one of the most celebrated mascaras out there and for good reason.  A favorite of mine for years, it came down to, do I get fake lashes or Dior Show?  Great thickening and lengthening power, this mascara really helped complete my look.

FACE:

Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Heat Wave – This product blended really well into my foundation without being cakey or appearing to sit on the surface of my makeup.  This bronzer layers well and is capable of achieving the look from sun-kissed to deep bronzed, depending on what depth of shade you’re looking. Make sure when using bronzer (this applies to all brands), you’re using a good bronzing brush and your skin is fully prepped (whether using a primer or moisturizer), otherwise you could be missing out on the product’s best potential.

OTHER:

Lavanila the Healthy Deodorant in Vanilla Grapefruit - I’ve used many natural deodorants in my lifetime, and this is by far is the best.  Mainly because the others were generally messy and did not work well.  This easy to use stick, not only absorbed quickly into my skin, but also kept me dry all night.  The only issue is, I am not fond of the grapefruit/vanilla smell, which fortunately faded shortly after application.  Next time I’m going for the Vanilla Lavender scent!

Clarins Self Tanning Instant Gel – This is my staple body tanner (although it’s also safe for your face).  Shortly after my trip to the Dominican Republic, this product helped sustain my tan and give it a really rich and even bronzed tint.  The gel-like formula blends smoothly and evenly into my skin.

WHAT I’M WEARING -

Top by Nicole Romano

Blue Jean Denim Leggings by Mark. (worked great for stuffing my behind!)

Shoes by Jeffrey Campbell

Affiliation: The following beauty products were sent to me by a representative: L’Oreal, Ken Paves, Victoria’s Secret, Hard Candy, Lavanila, John Frieda.  I was under no obligation to review any of these products.