One Splurge of a Bronzer

I was 14 when I bought my first lipstick. It was Twig by MAC Cosmetics. That mauve bullet cost $14, and I can still recall how I reached into my wallet and happily handed over what I then (and now) believe to be a lot of cash for a lipstick. But it was worth it; I wanted it so badly. I know what it is to covet something, save for it and finally buy it with your hard-earned paycheck. No matter how much you love the item, it hurts to spend sometimes. So I bring up this bronzer with trepidation; but I must, because it is that good.

Armani Cosmetics makes some of the most beautiful beauty products around, and their formulations are top-notch (try their foundation sometime—to die for!). But it’s their Sienna Minerals Bronzing Palette (giorgioarmanibeauty-usa.com) that now has me swooning. The powder is the color of a dirty sunset, a mosaic of brown, rust and burnt yellow. And when you sweep a brush over the shades and dust over your face, no one will ever believe your butt didn’t just step off a plane from the Caribbean! The glow comes with a price of $65. I know—ouch! But it is transformative, and a must-covet for summer.