I was walkin' through a department store the other day, forcing myself not to look at all the cute summer shoes on clearance, when a girl at the Lancome counter said, "Oh my god. Your skin is GLOWING. It looks soooooo good - what are you wearing?!" I was caught a little off guard. I mean, isn't she supposed to be selling me products?!

Lately, I've been getting compliments on my skin left and right. At first I was a bit perplexed. It's not as if I used to have gnarly acne and all of a sudden my skin cleared up. It was lookin' the same as usual: easy, breezy, beautiful. But then it hit me -  I had switched up my makeup products, forsaking the blush/bronzer duo  I've been using since last October for theBalm's Big Mama Palette ($32). Isn't it mindblowing how a simple product change can get you out of a beauty rut you didn't even know you were in?

Whenever I'd see the Balm at Sephora I would automatically think "lip balm" and write it off, probably because of their name. But due to their uber-cute packaging and my new interest in all things cutely packaged, I took a closer look. The Balm's Big Mama Palette contains 3 of their best selling products: Bahama Mama (bronzer), Sexy Mama (powder), and Hot Mama (blush/shadow). Obviously, you can buy all three on their own, but the Big Mama Palette allows you to try all of them without making a commitment.

Now, I'm not the biggest fan of bronzer: I'm the one person in LA who doesn't want to look darker. I'm perfectly happy keeping my skin the color it is, although I'm always down for contouring (especially in the cleavage area). But Bahama Mama, a paraben-free matte bronzer, looked really really DARK, and I was hesitant to use it. I tried it out anyway,, since it was there and I was there, and hey! It actually applies very sheer. It looks great mixed with the Hot Mama, especially for contouring, and blends really well. I now use it under my jawline to add some definition since that's where I lack it, and to give my skin some extra pizzazz.

The palette also holds an anti-shine translucent powder, Sexy Mama, which boasts "tiny oil-asborbing spheres" and a soft matte finish. Okay, so... I haven't worn powder since like.... Well, EVER. And I didn't expect to use or like this part of the palette - but the powder is so sheer that I have to double-check my kabuki brush to make sure it's actually distributing the product on my face! It simply soaks up your shine and gives you more of an even complexion, which, hello, is my entire reason for living. Definitely going to have to buy the bigger version of this, for those "no makeup" makeup days.
 

Let me tell you a secret: I loooove blush. It's usually the only thing I wear on my face, and it's the only thing I absolutely won't leave the house without wearing. I'm a fan of the slightly shimmery nude pinks that mimic the "afterglow" look - you know what I mean! Hot Mama is a pinky peach shadow/blush/highlighter that seriously rocks my world. The color is similar to Nars "Orgasm," but with less shimmer and doesn't leave my pores all clogged up (Nars contains mineral oil, a known comedogenic). It works great as an eyeshadow for a sheer pop of color that makes you appear more awake, but I dig it so much more as a blush because it amps up that "afterglow" look I mentioned earlier, making me look radiant and ready to take on the day (and leading cosmetics counter girls to compliment me). I already bought the bigger version of it, especially since people love it on me - of course, I just tell them it's natural.