One of the most beautiful things is our great country, the United States of America. And on today as we celebrate this special day, let us not forget those who have fought for us and to keep our nation free. 

The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key 

O! say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming.
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

O! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: 'In God is our trust.'
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Summer makeup needs to be as easy as possible, right? Especially when you are wanting to get out and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. No one wants to be in front of the mirror perfecting their face. And that includes moi!

As bronzing is key for most of us, making the application beautiful and simple is key. Sephora's Bronzing Essentials can do just this. 

Two multi-tasking products, plus the perfect brush to apply, with a perfect sized vinyl case to carry in your handbag or beach tote. The tri-color bronzing powder brick highlights you skin from cheeks and eyes to shoulders and even your décolletage. Brush it on all together with the great brush, or use the colors separately with an eyeshadow brush. Still easy, but possibly better for night when you want a more defined look. The shimmery peach-pink lipgloss is shiny, sweet, and a perfect color to go along with the bronzed face.

Personally, I need to add tinted moisturizer, my concealer/highlighter, and mascara but then I am done. I have it down to just about three minutes. Yes - Summer glowing, easy as 1, 2, 3.

Shop at Sephora for this great kit, which is just $30.

In my effort to only use lip products with SPF, I dug into my lipstick jar to find this beauty. In WATERMELON!

If there is one thing that I know, if the shade name is Watermelon, then it is perfect for me. How did this slip through my fingers and not make it onto thy lips before now? 

Seriously, Prescriptives Incredible Sheer Lipcolor ($17.50) is a wonderful lip product, one that I have used in the past.  Because of the color find, I think this lipcolor is making it's way up higher on my favorites list. Watermelon is the pefect watermelon pink shade that looks beautiful on it's own, or even more pretty when used over a bronze or gold lipstick. With the added power of sun protection to boot!

This finding is having me get on over to my favorite beauty websites and just search Watermelon to see what else I can find.  For this beauty though, you will need to get on over to a Prescriptives counter or shop at Prescriptives.com

A new brand of self-tanner that I was introduced to this year has quickly become one of my favorites. Since Clarins did away with my favorite body milk - discontinued YEARS ago - I had yet to find another milk that was so smooth. Until now. Aqua Tan Self Tanning Milk is what I have been looking for.

Not only does the Self Tanning Milk smoothe on and absorb quickly, it is enriched with some good for you ingredients. DHA, not matter how much I love it for it's faux-tan abilities, really dries out the skin. So ingredients that work with the DHA, not play with the pH balance of it, while being gentle and keeping the moisture in, is what is really make me love this even more.

This self-tanner is enriched with White Tea, Cucumber and Green Tea Extracts, along with it's exclusive Sacred Spring Water. The scent is nice and light - fresh almost. It does not mask the DHA smell, but rather blends with it. Really, the DHA smell is so faint and practically vanishes as the milk dries. It does take a good ten to fifteen minutes to feel totally dry (because it is so moisturizing) after applying, so take time before dressing. But once dried, there is no need to worry about staining.

Every time I have used this I have been blessed with a beautiful, streak free tan. Not a deep dark tan, but after six hours, I get a very natural looking color. Not too golden or not too olive. It is actually a perfect color for me. Though I only use this on my legs, I would not hesitate to use it anywhere else on my body, that is, if I were not such a fanatic about my other self-tanning products that work so well for me on my arms, chest or face.

I have only found this readily available online, so your best bet is to shop their site. And if you are tempted to buy anything else form the line, try the Gentle Purifying Gelee, to use in the shower or bath prior to application - it leaves my skin smooth with no harsh abrasives. 

Do you think this looks at all, well - good?

ColorOn Eye Envy just made it's way to the Sephora website and will available at select stores later in the month. I ask why. Like a tattoo that you rub on, except it is specially designed eyeshadow. Who would have thought it? And who would have thought that Sephora would fall for such a gimmick. I just do not understand any of it.

First, I don't see the need for fancy looking zebra stripes on my eyes - or anyone's for that matter. And I cannot imagine that it is easy to get both eyes looking identical. There has got to be a lot of trial and error involved in making the application process and perfecting of the look.  That to me sounds like money down the drain. Forget the fact that everyone has different sized eyes and eyelids. It is not like you can cut them out and still expect them to look nice. What else - hmmm. Look at the different color combinations available. They are just not wearable.

I hate to be harsh, but I trust the beauty authority of Sephora. There is a reason why they are trusted. I cannot believe that they are behind this brand.

What do you think?