This Spring, get your green on with tarte. The natural beauty cosmetic queens are set to release five new shades of a best selling product: smooth operator™ ($36) natural oil-free tinted moisturizer with SPF 20.

Perfect for sensitive skin, this formula is hypoallergenic, oil-free, fragrance-free and vitamin-rich to keep skin hydrated. Use it in place of foundation and simplify your beauty regimen.

Tarte will also be adding two new shades to its provocateur™ ($30) natural mineral based pressed powder with SPF 8 line.

As always, these products are packed with the company’s super special blend of skinvigorating™ ingredients, things like vitamin A, vitamin E, and a mix of fruit and herb extracts that promise to soothe and smooth. Talk about complexion perfection!

Where To Find: tarte’s complexion shade extensions are available in February 2010 at: tarte.com, Sephora, sephora.com, beauty.com, dermstore.com, QVC.com, Henri Bendel, and boutiques nationwide.

Looking for some playful colors to play up your peepers now? Check out tarte’s Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette. It comes with ten rich, crayola colored shades and a deluxe sample of Lifted™ Natural Eye Primer with Firmitol™. Did we mention it’s refillable? And how cute is the case?

And just in time for Valentine’s Day comes Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence™ Technology. Give your lips a pop of color with one of 6 peppermint infused shades ranging from bright pink to deep berry. Tarte says these slim sticks are clinically proven to increase lips’ moisture content by 6000%. We can’t wait to get our hands on one. (Or all six!)

Price: The Flower Child Natural Eyeshadow Palette is $44 on Sephora.com. The Natural Lip Stain with LipSurgence™ Technology is $24 on Sephora.com.

Cozy, chunky knits, fur trimmings, capes and full skirts are all top trends for the chilly months ahead. This year, some of our favorite designers (think Chloe, Galliano and Jean-Paul Gaultier) were truly inspired by Russian culture.

We’re loving the look. And that got us thinking: Why not pair it with some matching beauty booty? Guerlain’s Russian Beauty Colour Collection, From Moscow with Love, is packed with warm, bohemian inspired colors. Use the cosmetics to create shimmering eyes, healthy, glowing cheeks and sparkling lips. Take a look at what’s new:

Guerlain’s Russian Beauty Colour Collection: FALL 2009

Eyes and Lips Palette “Volga Princess” (LIMITED EDITION)
This palette looks like the perfect companion for on-the-go touch ups! Highlight eyes using the soft pink and delicate taupe eyeshadows. Accent your look with sparkling, rosy lips. Choose from two, rich colors.

Price: $69.00 on Nordstrom.com

Ombre Éclat 4 Shades Eye Shadow “Tsarina 406” (LIMITED EDITION)
The possibilities are endless with this Russian princess inspired palette. Create jewel toned, smoky eyes by combining the Faded orange, brick red and old rose shades. Get those peepers glowing!

Price: $56.00 on Nordstrom.com

Retractable Eye Pencil
Create some serious drama with Guerlain’s brand new eye pencil. It comes with a built-in-sharpener, which means we can stop digging through our makeup bag every time our liner chips! Available in three shades: Gold, Silver and Limited Edition Bohemian. (We are loving the trendy metallic hues. So 80’s glam!)

Price: $29.00 on Nordstrom.com

Radiant Blush “Russian Doll” (LIMITED EDITION)
Offset your eyes with understated cheeks. This liquid blush is a unique shade of sheer pink that promises to give you that “just pinched” glow. We’re loving that it promises to dry within seconds!

Price: $42.00 on Nordstrom.com

You can also find these this collection at select Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Bloomingdales and Bergdorf Goodman stores.

“Fall” into September with some brand new beauty goodies from tarte cosmetics. The brand’s new line is guaranteed to have primed…and ready for prime time!

Start your beauty routine with lifted natural eye primer with firmitol. The universal base locks shadow in place all day and boosts pigment payoff while Firmitol, the proprietary firming complex, helps tighten eyelids and the surrounding eye area to help give the affect of younger, smoother eyes naturally.

Price: $20 on tarte.com

Camouflage dark circle, puffiness, redness, fine lines and wrinles with dark circle defense natural undereye corrector. Get your eight hours of sleep in a compact!

Price: $32 on tarte.com

Glam up your peepers with the femme fatale refillable natural eye palette. We’re loving the deep jewel tones. Pop out the recyclable eyeshadow pans when you’re done and throw in your favorite color du jour!

Price: $44 on tarte.com

Pair your glamazon eyes with a natural, flushed cheek. Green siren natural wax cheek stain in golden apricot is a universally flattering hue and is loaded with beauty boosting botanicals.

Price: $30 on tarte.com

Give your pout a kiss of color with reduce: 24/7 natural lip sheer with SPF 15 (sheer coral peach sheen) and you’re ready for your close up!

Price: $14 on sephora.com

Looking for a multi-tasking kit? Try the natural beauty complexion collection. It’s exclusive to Sephora and comes packed with 7 of tarte’s best selling skin-perfecting favorites…think primer, anti-aging foundation, and mineral powder. Available in fair, light, medium, and deep shades.

Price: $54 on sephora.com

Listen up, CS readers! The Celebutante Sisters proudly introduce you to beauty guru Daniel Thompson. This buff knows his stuff. He’s been in the industry for years and has worked for famous retailers like Gucci Group, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté and L’Oréal Paris.
 He’s also a certified, advanced aesthetician and has launched his own line of mineral makeup called Daniel Thompson Beauty. Do you have questions for the expert? Send them along to the sisters! (kerri@celebutantesisters.com or andrea@celebutantesisters.com)

You can read more about Daniel below. First, check out the feature Healthy Tan: BUSTED! It’s a summer must!

Tara from Calgary asked:

Hi Dan, I have a question. I always wear sunscreen but I spend a lot of time outside. I do end up with a tan but never burn am I still getting sun damage?

The short answer is: yes.

The long answer goes like this – a burn is not the only indication of damage. A tan is actually the body’s defense response against UV damage. Quite simply when the skin gets darker the damage has already happened.

Burns are the most obvious sign of UV damage but much more is happening that you cannot see. UV light causes:

1. Increased production of elastase – an enzyme that destroys elastin and causes the skin to become thick, saggy and rough in texture

2. Mutation of cells – healthy skin cells are replaced by mutated ones that can lead to skin cancer

3. Development of hyperpigmentation – or age spots as they are often called. Areas of the skin that are so mutated the melanin is in overdrive

4. Loss of water – which can lead to an increase in bacterial infections

5. Depletion of collagen – which compromises the skin’s strength and regeneration capabilities

6. Depletion of Vitamin A – which in turn inhibits protein development and tissue regeneration

7. DNA mutation – actually causing the skin’s DNA to rewrite and develop in highly mutated states All of this damage happens whether you physically burn or not and all of this damage is irreversible. 10 minutes outside on a high UV index day is enough exposure to start the damage. A tan indicates the damage is already done. Even with sunscreen you should avoid direct UV exposure from 10 am – 4 pm everyday.

There is no such thing as a healthy tan.

About Daniel Thompson

Daniel Thompson started his career in 1993 working with top industry retailers such as Gucci Group, Yves Saint Laurent Beauté and L’Oréal Paris.
 As the spa industry grew, Daniel joined the Red Door Spa group of New York, becoming a certified advanced aesthetician in the Elizabeth Arden principles.


In 2003, he founded Thompson Consulting, specializing in business development, motivational workshops and retail growth for spas, paramedical clinics and major cosmetics corporations. He has consulted across Canada and lectured in New York, Oslo and Dubai.
 Daniel has served on the faculty at Elmcrest College and is recognized by the Ministry of Education of Ontario as a vocational instructor. Daniel was the creator and host of The One Minute Make Over, which was broadcast across Canada on the Standard Radio Network. He is also a contributing writer for Les Nouvelles Esthetiques (Canada), City Style and Living Magazine and the online author of Beauty: BUSTED! for yummymummyclub.ca

Daniel is a trusted media resource, and has appeared in: The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, The Financial Post, Lou Lou, Flare, Fashion, Hello, Holt Renfrew Trend Report, Wish, Elevate, Best Health and numerous local and niche publications.
 He has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, CityLine, Breakfast Television and many regional programs.

Most recently, Daniel has launched his own brand of mineral make-up – inspired by runways, created for women everywhere. Daniel Thompson Beauty is a truly Canadian collection that adheres to the high standards Daniel requires for cosmetics.

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics totally rocks our world. If you’ve ever stepped foot in Lush…it’s like being a kid in a candy store! Chunky, handmade soaps, fresh face masks, delectable bath treats, fizzy bath bombs and delicate dusting powders are just some of the all-natural, “lush-ous” goodies you can scoop up.

So…What’s the Lush experience all about? What hot, new products are hitting the shelves? Check out our interview with Brandi from the fabulous handmade cosmetics company, find out which celebs like to smooth, slather, and scrub with the products and then enter to win your own set of goodies to play with.

What is the mission at Lush?

A self-appointed cosmetic-deli, LUSH makes effective products out of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, the finest essential oils and ingredients that are ethically and sustainably procured from around the world. Since LUSH came on the scene 13 years ago, its philosophy has always been based on ethics and having the least impact on the environment while still producing effective and innovative beauty products. In doing so, LUSH products are 100% vegetarian, 74% vegan, 65% preservative-free, and 60% free of wasteful packaging with absolutely no animal testing being done on LUSH products or ingredients. These ethics are at the heart of the brand and will remain there with every new shop that opens globally.

Tell us about the Lush experience. What will cosmetics lovers encounter when they walk through the door?

Walking through the door at LUSH truly is a unique shopping experience. Soaps are piled high on Provençal-style wooden tables like strange and exotic cheeses, a myriad of bath bombs are presented like perfectly round apples and fresh face masks are served up from ice-filled fridges. Designed to resemble a friendly neighborhood deli, customers are encouraged to touch, smell and sort through products to find just the right one. The LUSH experience is all about having fun – with over half of our products sold unpackaged or “naked” customers are invited to interact with the products while in store.

Read the rest of our EXCLUSIVE interview and get the low down on the Lush giveaway by clicking “Read More.”