Laura Geller Kiss and Bake Up Collection

Laura Geller had a sale last week, and I jumped right in to save 30%. Am I glad! I might not have ordered the Kiss and Bake Up Collection ($60) at full price because I wasn't sure the lip colors would work for me. They were intriguing, though, with their strips of color in one compact. When you're on the fence and undecided, a discount of 30% can push you right over into the order form!

The collection, which arrived quickly, is a great value - even at full price. Here is how Laura Geller describes Kiss and Bake Up.

My theory about all makeup is that you can wear any color as long as you’re balanced. That’s why, when I created my new Kiss and Bake Up Collection, I placed Dream Creams Lip Palette as the centerpiece. My Dream Creams Lip Palette was created to coordinate perfectly with each swirl of pigment in the new Blush-n-Brighten. Use the lip colors individually or blend two or more together. The combinations are endless, and your lips will always be in harmony with your cheeks. Due to the unique "chameleon" effect of my exclusive baked colors, this entire collection is like having customized makeup - with face, cheek, eye, and especially lip color designed especially for you.

The following products are included in this collection. I love the way the shades work together.

• Spackle Under Makeup Primer
• Balance-n-Bronze (available in Fair or Regular)
• Bronze-n-Brighten
• Blush-n-Brighten in Apricot Berry
  
• Eye Rimz in Bewitching Bronze, along with an Eye Rimz Brush
• Dream Creams Lip Palette in Apricot Berry, along with a Retractable Lip Brush
• Double-Ended Face and Cheek Brush

While I love the whole collection, I'll focus on a few favorites. Let's start with the Apricot Berry Lip Palette ($25). It has the most interesting spongy feel. It's creamy, but it's not a pot of cream. Does that make any sense? Instead, it's like four sponge cushions loaded with lip color. The colors range from sheer to pigmented and combine the coverage of lipstick with the shine of gloss. You can choose to wear each shade individually, wear several in layers, or sweep your fingertip or lip brush across all four colors to create whatever look you want. Nice! Now I want the palette in Berry. I need another sale - stat!

The Apricot Berry Blush-n-Brighten ($35), a shade created especially for this collection, is a softly shimmering blend of gilded beige, corals, and berry. The color-correcting pigments will blend beautifully with most skin tones, leaving a flushed radiance that's very flattering. Newly reformulated, this blush is free of mineral oil and parabens. It's loaded with anti-aging and antioxidant protection courtesy of white tea and Centella Asiatica (an interesting ingredient that has been found to heal wounds, stimulate collagen production, and have anti-inflammatory properties).

The Eye Rimz ($26) in Bewitching Bronze is a rich, deep brown that can be worn sheer or layered for a more intense eye. Laura Geller calls it a safe color because it looks right with whatever you wear. I'd have to agree. The swirl of copper warms up the eye, giving it a fresh brightness and sparkle, while relating perfectly to the coral undertones of the blusher and lip colors. The shadow can be worn wet or dry. I like it applied dry in one layer as a shadow and wet as a liner. Easy color coordination!

The collection includes Laura's famous Spackle ($25), the under makeup primer that contains aloe vera and other botanicals, along with the white tea and Centella Asiatica in the blush; some great, usable brushes; and Balance-n-Bronze ($35) in your choice of Fair or Regular. I ordered Fair, and I find it's a great finishing touch. Powder foundation (one half of the compact) isn't "my thing," but that side of the compact adds a pretty finish to my creamy foundation. When I swirl the colors together, the Balance-n-Bronze adds the perfect touch of warmth to my overly pale face.

Were you doing the math when you read about all the great products that come in this one $60 collection? The Spackle comes in a little jar and is not full-sized, but otherwise, you are getting over $120 worth of products before you count the brushes (I can't figure out why Laura says it's only a $100 value). This collection is a deal. What I got on sale was a steal!

Laura Geller has other great gift and value sets on her Web site and in her New York boutique. Check them out! She has a blog too. Her products are also sold on QVC, but I still haven't figured out how to get free shipping from QVC, and I'm spoiled. I would rather spend the money on makeup!

Photo courtesy of Laura Geller