If you and your brushes like having lots of room to play in, it’s time to get tantalized. This over-sized TANtalizer pan from LORAC ($32) is downright HUGE!

It combines a bronzer and highlighter in one gargantuan compact, which I went a little overboard with the first time I used, swiping my brush back and forth, back and forth, whee!

I assumed I was picking up too much product, based on how pigmented the shimmery champagne pink highlighter and warm matte brown bronzer look in the pan, but when I swept the highlighter along my upper cheekbones and along my jawline, what I saw was a nice surprise.

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It must’ve been my second or third year in college. I was studying at the library one afternoon and went to take a bathroom break.

When I walked into the ladies’ room, I saw a girl crying at the sink. And these weren’t dainty little sniffles, either. They were primal, hit-you-in-the-gut kind of sobs that happen when your future has taken an unexpectedly sh*tty detour.

She looked at me, and I remembered that I had some tissue in my purse, so I took them out and offered them to her.

And then we hugged.

She clutched me tightly and cried in my arms for 10 minutes, barely saying a word. I just held onto her, and over and over again told her that she was going to be okay.

When she finished crying, I wet some paper towels with cold water to make an improv compress for her eyes, which was something my mom used to do when I was little.

As she began to regain her composure, we hugged again, and even though I didn’t know her name or what had happened, I tried to comfort her, to reassure her that she was strong enough, and she was going to get through it. And then I left to give her some privacy.

I never saw her after that, and to this day I wonder what happened to her, and if things turned out alright.

That was many years ago, but something about the LORAC Unzipped palette ($40) brought the memory back.

Some people will probably see this palette of 10 powder shadows and think of Urban Decay Naked, Naked 2 and the many spinoffs they inspired.

I can certainly see why, but — maybe it’s because of shade names like Unconditional, Uncensored and Unspoken — this palette also reminds me of that day, and days like it, when strangers unexpectedly walk in to find us emotionally stripped, unzipped and raw.

If I should ever find myself sobbing at the sink in a public restroom, I wonder if anyone out there would offer me a shoulder to cry on and maybe a few comforting words.

I hope so…

Swatches from the left: Undercover, Unbelievable, Unattainable, Unconditional and Unbridled

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Wearing LORAC Lips With Benefits in Josh

How’s about a creamy hybrid lipstick/gloss with the texture of a $27 Dior Crème de Gloss and a price like a MAC Cremesheen Glass ($18.50)?

And then, what if we take 50 cents off the price and make it an even $18?

Tada! Say hello to LORAC’s new Lips With Benefits, a line of shiny, non-sticky lipglosses that feel like heaven on my lips. They combine the medium-coverage lipstick look of a Dior Crème De Gloss with the feel of a non-stick gloss, all wrapped up in zebra stripes (so cute!).

LORAC even infused them with antioxidants, namely açaí berry, pomegranate extract, and vitamins C and E, and added a strong brown sugar scent that I like. Officially, it’s described as a sweet crème brûlée. Not too sweet or artificial, the scent lingers on my lips for a good 20 minutes.

So far I’ve played with two of the colors from the line, fresh pink Josh and rosy brown Chuck, and this is kinda weird: earlier tonight I saw that Sephora.com only lists four colors total — Josh, Nick (a light pink shimmer), Alex (a berry) and Mark (a neutral peach). Chuck is not one of them.

Hmm… I’m not sure why, but I’m hoping that Chuck makes an appearance soon because I think he’s a fabulous “your lips but better” shade.

LORAC Lips With Benefits in Chuck (top) and Josh (bottom)

Josh (left) and Chuck (right)

Wearing Lips With Benefits in Chuck

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