A few months ago I had a peek at a new seasonal makeup collection that I was just dying to write about, but I decided to bide my time. Why tempt you if you couldn't get your hands on the products? Well, the months passed, the collection hit stores, I had to go away for work and then came home and promptly broke my wrist. So you still haven't heard my take on the stuff. Bah.

Well, here it is: The Body Shop Hot Tropics Collection. As we've talked about before, The Body Shop revamped its cosmetic line last year and the results were terrific. A green eyeshadow and a nude cream blush quickly became part of my repertoire.

The limited edition Hot Tropics collection continues the impressive run. It's bright but sheer, summery, glowy and gorgeous. Kudos to The Body Shop for going in a more adventurous and exciting direction with the makeup! Here's a rundown of the collection:

Flower Eye Color. These compacts boast pretty patterns that rival even the Chantecaille butterfly shadows. You know I'm a sucker for a rich blue shadow, so I've been wetting the dark shade in Havana Blues (shown in the picture), and using it as a liner. If you want something lighter, pick up La Cruz Aqua Peach - a pale aqua background with a peach flower.

Pearly Lip & Cheek Stain. Shiny! Shimmery! Long lasting! Smells like fruit! What's not to love? I'd actually characterize these as more shimmery than pearly (the Vincent Longo Pearlessence stain is my new standard for pearly stains), but who cares about semantics when the colors are so pretty? Another plus - you can apply as many layers as you like, for deeper color, without cracking or "gumminess." My pick: Buenos Aires Rose.

Crystal Sparkle Gloss. While these are sheer, they pack a sparkly punch - pretty substantial bits of iridescent glitter. They're best on their own or layered over a NON-SHIMMER lipcolor. Like the aforementioned stains, these also have a fab scent! And they're packed in squeeze tubes, similar to Juicy Tubes. Acapulco Golden Pink is my pick for summer.

Duo Glow. Best product in the collection for sure. The bottom compartment houses a shimmery loose powder perfect for highlighting cheekbones or dusting on top of blush, while the top flips up to reveal a mirror and a pan of coordinating cream highlighter - excellent for browbones, inner corners, and...that spot between the nose and upper lip, the name of which continually escapes me.

I also spoke with Body Shop celebrity makeup artist Chase Aston about what to keep in your desk to take your face from the office to happy hour, business dinner, a date...so keep a lookout for that!