Hello, friends. I’m sorry I’m late with my monthly favorites — March was crazy busy and April is shaping up to be more of the same. Work is speeding up and I have several writing projects to complete before my husband and I head out for  Ft. Lauderdale and on to Jamaica on the 23rd. We do the commuter thing — he works in Texas and I work in South Carolina — so it will be nice to be together for some relaxation and adventure.

Let’s get down to what was big in my world of beauty, fashion, television and music in March. First, the fashion trend I’m loving: lace and pastels. Of course, lace must be worn in moderation lest one cross into Little Bo Peep territory, and pastels aren’t for everyone. I just happen to have the coloring that works with pastels so I’m going to enjoy the trend while it lasts.

Now, let’s talk makeup. The big news in the beauty world was, of course, the launch of the latest Too Faced palette: Sweet Peach. I was out of the country when it hit stores and returned to find it was sold out everywhere. I finally found it at my local Ulta and I’m so glad I did. It smells like one of my two favorite fruits (peaches, of course) and features 18 pretty shades ranging from light (White Peach) to dark (Talk Derby to Me). Mixed in with the peach tones are a nice green, a black, a burgundy and some nice browns and golds to use as transition colors and highlights. If you can find a Sweet Peach Palette, grab it. The Too Faced site is out of them and I understand there are no plans to restock. It’s also currently out of stock online at Ulta and Sephora, but keep checking — and also check your local brick-and-mortar stores. It’s a limited edition palette, so don’t hesitate for too long. And now, on to my other cosmetic favorites:

• Vitabath Body Wash — I love these sulfate- and paraben-free washes that are infused with antioxidant-rich elements such as acai, goji, pomegranate, green tea and coffee. They also contain skin-conditioning nutrients such as Vitamin A, B3, C , E and B5. And the scents? Incredible! My favorite is Pomegranate & Blood Orange, which I just repurchased along with several other scents. Vitabath Body Wash isn’t expensive, either. A  12-ounce bottle is $7.99 at Ulta and there’s a sale going on now: buy two and get one free.
• Schwing Black Liquid Eyeliner by The Balm — I always have a couple of spare, unopened boxes of this inky black eyeliner that makes it super-easy to create a sharp wing. I usually buy mine at HauteLook.com, where they can be had fairly regularly for a considerable discount.
• Bobbi Brown Shimmer Blush in Pink Sugar — Quite simply, a pretty, rosy pink with a little (but not too much) shimmer. It’s not glittery in any way and looks great on sun-warmed skin.
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Gleam — Make those cheekbones — and anywhere else you want to highlight — glow with four pretty shades ranging from golden to peach to tan. Again, especially nice when you have a summer glow.
• Giorgio Armani Maestro Liquid Summer — I am a burner (the last time I had a real tan was when I left California after ninth grade). Fortunately, I can fake it with this pretty bronzer. Sometimes I apply it to my full face, but I most often use it to contour my cheeks, forehead and jawline.
• Bobbi Brown Art Stick in Dusty Pink — This is a gorgeous, creamy, muted pink lipstick that works perfectly on my fair skin. It makes my lips look plump and pretty and the chubby-pencil applicator makes it easy to both line and fill in your pout. I have several other Art Sticks and they’re all nice. Surprisingly, at least to me, Hot Orange is one of my go-tos in the summertime.
• Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme in Clara — The Le Marc Lip Creme formula is hands down my favorite. Quite frankly, it makes my lips look prettier, poutier and puffier than any other. Clara is gorgeous: a bright, sunny, not-quite-fuchsia to die for.
• Dr. Jart Liftra Contour Fixer — I tried this on a whim and fell in love. I use it as a setting spray and it really does firm my skin. I plan to purchase the Dr. Jart contour cream and roller tool to see if I can get even better results.
• Red Cherry lashes — These wispy wonders are my favorites. They’re inexpensive on amazon.com and easy to apply due to their thin, flexible band.

I smell wonderful! 

When the seasons change, my scents change with them. It’s already warm in South Carolina — my roses are starting to bloom — so that means it’s time for summer perfumes. Here is my current top three (although I’m yearning to add Dolce & Gabbana’s new Rosa Excelsa to the lineup):

• Bobbi Brown Beach — Yep, it smells just like a day at the beach with its blend of jasmine, sea spray and mandarin. I use both the eu de parfum and the sultry, sexy body oil.
• Escada Agua Del Sol — Beachy, but not a literal beach scent like the Bobbi Brown. It’s more like a warm, tropical island with its notes of mandarin, apricot nectar and sandalwood.
• Jo Malone Orange Blossom — A few years ago, my husband and I visited Italy when the orange trees were in bloom. I’d never smelled anything so delicious and never have since. This scent is the closest I’ve come to that experience, thanks to its primary notes of clementine flower, orange blossom and water-lily.

This and that …

I thought I’d close out my March favorites with a few odds and ends I’ve been loving. First, there’s my cherry iPhone case. I earlier mentioned that I have two favorite fruits — peach is one, cherries are the other. And watermelon. I love watermelon. Anyway, I don’t spend a lot on iPhone cases because I like to switch them out. My cherries case is adorable and I paid like $8 for it on Amazon.

I also watched a couple of good movies this month. One was “Spotlight.” As a former reporter, I very much like movies set in newsrooms and this one was extremely realistic. My other favorite was “Brooklyn,” which features Saoirse Ronan as an Irish girl immigrating to 1950s New York. It’s a sweet love story and one worth watching.

On the television side, I’ve just watched the first two episodes of the new Starz series, “The Girlfriend Experiment.” It stars Elvis’ granddaughter, Riley Keough, as a law student/call girl. Don’t watch this one with kids around because it is very, very explicit. And hot. Very, very hot. So hot it will make you feel hot. The new season of AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead” starts tonight, after a heart-wrenching cliffhanger on last week’s season-ending episode of “The Walking Dead.” I’m also hooked on the History Channel’s “Vikings” and can’t wait until the new season of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” begins on the 24th.

Lastly, let’s talk music. I bought a new, yellow Fiat in November and it came with a year of Sirius FM. I spend a lot of time on the “70s on 7” channel. When I pull out my iPod, these are the songs I’ve been gravitating to:

“Stone Cold” — This is a heartbreaker from Demi Lovato. Super powerful.

“Marvin Gaye” — This is a sexy-fun one by Charlie Puth with a guest appearance from Meghan Trainer.

“Like I’m Gonna Lose You” — Meghan Trainer again, this time with John Legend.

“This Old Heart of Mine” — Going old school with Rod Stewart and Ron Isley — one of my all-time favorites.

“Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy” — South Carolina in the summer calls for what’s known as “Beach Music” and shagging on the sand. (It’s a dance, not a sex act!) Other Beach Music favorites include “Carolina Girls” (of course) by General Johnson and the Chairman of the Board and Barry White’s “My First, My Last, My Everything.” 

“When a Man Loves a Woman” by Percy Sledge. One of the truly great, heartfelt love songs. A classic.

“Silver Springs” by Fleetwood Mac. Again, a beautiful love song, albeit a sad one. This is my favorite Fleetwood Mac song. It was intended for the “Rumours” album but was held back at the last minute, so it’s probably a paean to the doomed Stevie Nicks-Lindsey Buckingham love story. I’m a romantic, so I like to think there’s still love there. Well, both have said publicly they still love one another, so there’s that.