becca

“Becca invites you — ”

Me?

“Excuse me?”

I just want to make sure I understand you correctly.

“Yes, you. Becca invites you to dream of distant — ”

Just me?

“Really now? Come on, we’re talking about everyone. It’s just a marketing thing.”

Oh, okay… Sorry. I get it now. Please, continue.

“Right. Fine. Becca invites you to dream of distant shores and unguarded temptation with — ”

What you do mean, ‘unguarded’?

“What…?”

You said ‘unguarded’.

“Yes. And?”

What do you mean? Do you mean like no lifeguard on duty?

“…”

Do you have a lifeguard?

“You can’t be serious… Is this some kind of joke? Am I on Punk’d right now?”

* * *

I can almost feel the sun on my face when I gaze at the promo poster for the Becca Balearic Love Collection… That smokey eye, those rich layers of violet, bronze and plum, and that shimmer in the middle of the lid? Gorgeous! It’s one of the most intriguing collections I’ve seen this season so far.

Named after the Balearic Islands, a Mediterranean archipelago off the Eastern coast of Spain, the eight-piece collection for eyes, lips, cheeks and nails evokes a more grownup beachy vibe to me, a little bit naughty and mysterious, and not the well-trodden beach theme often characterized by lighthearted surfer girls chasing waves.

Balearic Love’s smokey eyes, bronzed, sculpted cheeks and nude pink lips would look right at home on you at that beachside café at sunset, where, instead of reading your Ibiza guidebook and sending your fiancée a text to tell him that you miss him, you’re stealing glances at the handsome stranger sitting across the way.

I just started exploring the collection last weekend, but I’ve already fallen for the dual-ended Line and Define Pencil in Cabrera ($23).

It’s a super soft, smooth liner with a metallic bronze pencil on one end and a deep violet brown on the other, and I love how messy and undone both shades look smudged along my lash lines.

One of the things I love about Becca is their nuanced approach to color. Take Cabrera’s darker tip, for instance. On my skin, it subtly flashes from deep brown to purple, which gives it a little kick that boring old brown liners lack.

And the finish? From some angles, the shimmer’s unmistakable, but from others, I swear it looks like a matte.

Honestly, if it were available as a single liner, I’d stockpile enough sticks to last me through the next few lifetimes. I love the mix of purple, brown and gold, and I think it really pops on brown, hazel and green eyes.

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