The first week of the month and it’s already been crazy! There must be something in the air, because my world’s been full of drama, drama, drama. I hate drama. It’s exhausting, really, so let’s focus on something much more pleasant — and that’s this month’s favorite and flops. First, the good stuff:

• Cover FX Custom Infusion Drops — Skin care should be easy and I’m enjoying these concentrated drops that can be used alone or mixed with foundation. I prefer to do the latter because it turns my foundation into an easy, all-day treatment. There are four versions: camomile for calming, neroli for hydration, lemongrass for radiance and my personal choice, jasmine for anti-aging.
• Cover Girl TruBlend Blush — Spring is almost here and this marbled, baked formula will leave your cheeks glowing like a just-bloomed rose. Even better: The flush of long-lasting color is available at a drugstore price.
• Coloured Raine liquid lipstick in Classy — The formula goes on smoothly, opaquely and is surprisingly nondrying, but it’s the color that’s the selling point. It’s a cool lavender with just a hint of gray. Top it with Lorac’s Alter Ego lip gloss and people will admire your pout all day. I posted a pic on Facebook and even my boss wanted to know what I was wearing.
• Natasha Denona eye shadow palettes — Beauty bloggers are buzzing about this richly pigmented brand from Israel and rightly so. The shades are intense, blendable and oh-so-pretty. My favorite is palette No. 8, which features a blend of metallic and matte peaches, roses and browns.
• Artis Elite Oval 8 and Oval 6 brushes — These unusual, oval-shaped brushes are super-soft and densely packed. Because of that denseness, less product seeps into the synthetic bristles. That’s a money-saver in the end because you use less foundation and other liquid products. Ever noticed how much product goes down the drain when you wash your makeup brushes?

And now, the things I wasn’t wild about:

• Physician’s Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer — This came highly recommended but it didn’t work for me. It made me orangey like an Oompa Loompa, and I was using the lightest shade.
• MAC Retro Matte Liquid Lip Color — I love MAC’s “regular” lipsticks, particularly Velvet Teddy and MAC Red — but the liquid versions were a big bust for me. They weren’t as long lasting as, say, the Anastasia and Kat Von D liquid lippies and the application was patchy. Also, the nude I chose, Lady Be Good, was markedly orange-tinged.

That’s it, y’all. I hope your March is going well. Remember, brighter days are ahead and the spring flowers will soon be in bloom. Stop and smell the roses — and don’t let the drama-lovers get you down!