Split Screen ($24)
I'm one of those girls who usually just can't bother with the whole lip color routine. Instead, I find myself opting for the ease of a quick dab of tinted gloss on my way into my office each morning. Don't get me wrong, I love the way that my lips look when I've put the time and effort into them, I just don't do it often. I hate heavy, gooey-feeling lipstick - I don't feel "natural" or comfortable at all wearing it, and the color always seems to end up smeared on my front teeth somehow (gross!). Plus, I tend to forget to check and touch-up my lipstick regularly during the day, which leads to yucky, half-stained lips. Not the look that I'm going for. But stop the presses - I've found a new product by Smashbox Cosmetics that may just make a lip color believer out of me yet!

This awesome new product is appropriately called Split Screen, as it is a double-sided little lip color wonder. One side is a semi-matte, invisible feel lipstick, and the other side of the wand contains a coordinating lip liner. Before trying Split Screen, I read the description on Smashbox's website, and I must admit, I was skeptical. As soon as I got my hands on one, though, my doubts were laid to rest. I tried Split Screen in Darkroom, which is a really beautiful warm red shade, and Focus, which is sort of a sandy-mauve. Both colors look great with my skin tone. There are a total of four different Split Screen shades, all of which are very versatile and would work for just about anyone. The thing that most impressed me about Split Screen was the lipstick formula. The semi-matte colors are deep and rich, but the feel truly is "invisible," which I would have never believed if I hadn't experienced it for myself. My lips aren't sticky or gooey, but they also don't end up dried out halfway through my day. Split Screen feels just as natural, if not more so, then most of my lip glosses. The liner is nice, too - it goes on smoothly without any skips or pulling, and coordinates perfectly with the lipstick shades. All of this wrapped up in Smashbox's signature sophisticated matte black packaging. Split Screen is definitely a winner in my book!

You can check out the Split Screen colors and pick one up for yourself at Smashbox's website, smashbox.com.

review: 4/03

Eyelights eye shadows
These were the first products that I've tried from the Smashbox line, and I love them! Each trio of shadows contains three awesome colors - FLASH is a shimmering warm trio of a dusty beige, a not-so-classic rose, and an olive-ish green; while STROBE is a cool trio of deep, metallic violet, sky blue/grey, and light rose shadows. While I think that the colors in FLASH compliment my complexion better, all of the colors are so pretty that I use both trios regularly. The lightest shade in each compact is perfectly suited to be swept across the entire lid, and the other two colors make super accents. These sets take all of the guess work out of perfectly matched eye shadows, too! To top it off, I found that the shadows wear well all day without fading or creasing. $32.00 a piece for eye shadow is a bit steep for my budget, so I know that eventually I'll have to choose between the two color schemes when it comes time to replenish my supply. But in the meantime, I'm enjoying both of these shimmery trios.