The winners of the Maybelline Color Sensational Giveway are Darrell G. of South Holland, IL and Stephanie H. of Burlington, MA. Congrats to our winners, and thank you to everyone who entered. Happy Holidays, and stay tuned for more giveaways, promotions, and sales at Fashion Pulse Daily!

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• John Frieda Root Awakening

I pretty much stay in the realm of  haircare products that are for volume or color-treated hair, so at first the new John Frieda Root Awakening shampoo, conditioner, and detangling spray were definitely outside of my comfort zone. For the sake of good beauty journalism I tried them out anyways, and was quite pleased with the results. I was greeted with a sweet mint aroma upon opening the bottle, and upon completion of all three products, my hair appeared to have the same oomph that volumizing shampoos give, with the luster of color-treated hair products. An added bonus: gone were my obnoxious flyaways, without weighing down my baby-thin hair.

• Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick

Although it won’t actually hit shelves until later this summer, I’ve been using Maybelline’s new color sensational lipstick and lipgloss in “Barely There” exclusively.  The rich pigments give me the right dash of color, and unlike a great many lipsticks out there, it actually dose moisturize (read: I have not had any “dry lip” issues whatsoever).  Although I prefer the pale pinks, there are 48 lipstick colors to choose from, in a cool packaging that’s reminiscent of an NYC skyscraper.

• Givenchy Prisme Again! Compact Powder Quartet

Stuck inside at the office all summer? We know the feeling! That’s why this new Givenchy Prisme Again! Compact Powder Quartet in Sun Mango ($43, at Sephora.com) rounds out our list for summer beauty must-haves. If you’re not as pale as me, try the Sun Cinnamon shade, and between the two, I’m pretty sure you’ll love the transparent matte texture to give yourself a touch of all-over sun kissed appeal.

• Avon NailWear Pro Nail Enamel in Venus

It costs only $5 , but does the duty of polish triple its price. That’s right, I put it to a rigorous test — wore it to work for three days, did house cleaning, tugged at my cuticles, and guess what? It still looks like I have a fresh manicure! Amazing- and you can’t really beat this slick gold shade that will shimmer even better against suntanned skin.

• Solerra Sunless Silk, Sunless Tanning Lotion

Sometimes it pays to spend a little more, especially on a product that could go terribly wrong and make it obvious that you didn’t spend a lot on it. FPD feels that way about self-tanners; when you’ve found the perfect one,  you should stick to it, even if it means you need to scrounge elsewhere.  We’ve tested and approve of the ($24.99, Drugstore.com)

Not to abuse the word, but the Maybelline Color Sensational Launch last night was just that — sensational! Held in a penthouse amongst the galleries far far west in Chelsea, the lovely fete was an intimate gathering of industry folk and customers to learn about and celebrate the new color lipstick line, Color Sensational, which is broken into four color categories (plum, natural, pink, and red) amongst vanity sets (see pics) and includes 48 lipsticks, 12 lip glosses, and lip liners. Shortly I will be trying out the shades, and reporting on the longevity and new pigment saturation technology that Maybelline is executing in this new line.

The big surprise of the night was a guest performance by film and stage legend Bernadette Peters, who certainly dazzled the crowd, and found ways to incorporate the new lipstick line into her song set. All in all, it was a wonderful evening full of excitement and enthusiasm for the global launch of Color Sensational.

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