Bien Fait, Target

August 28, 5:09 PMBaltimore Beauty ExaminerArika Casebolt

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           Jk Jemma Kidd Stain/Flush/Blush Concentrate

How much do I love Target? My idea of a perfect afternoon is  a few solid hours of unfettered Browsing with a capital B.

There truly exists an American love affair with this gargantuan retail mecca. According to Target.com, ninety-six percent of people recognize the Target bullseye logo, beating out the Nike swoosh and the Apple apple. Their advertising is slick and stylish, yet warm and inclusive, and the songs they use for their lush tv ads get stuck in your head. They must be doing something  right.

When I'm once again ambulatory for extended periods of time, I am so there. One of the activities I am most looking forward to is accompanying my pal Juliette, our lovely Food Examiner, and her two gorgeous little daughters on afternoon errands. Usually we head out to Towson and visit the one on Putty Hill Avenue. I could linger in those aisles for days. Lucky for me and my bank account, the ladies get restless around the one-hour mark, and I reluctantly exit, looking back wistfully once more. "Until next time, amour", I whisper melodramatically as the automatic door slides  shut in my face.

 Now there is even more reason to fuel my anticipation. You may have noticed that, during the last ten years, Target has made great effort toward the democratization of style. It has become de rigueur for some of the world's greatest interior , accessories and fashion designers (Rogan Gregory, Devi Kroell, and Bliss mastermind Marcia Kilgore, to name just a few) to  partner with the megachain in offering affordable interpretations of their designs for us non-multimillionaire-celebrity types. I am thrilled to report that now, my beloved Target has added to their impressive roster three great new cosmetics lines. All three were created by fantastic makeup artists; Austrailian Napoleon Perdis gives us NP Set, One of the Swedish Strand sisters presents Pixi by Petra, and my favorite, JK Jemma Kidd.

Kidd, a former model and assistant to the makeup virtuoso Mary Greenwell, really gets it right. I'm a devotee of her successful Jemma Kidd Makeup School  line because of innovative formulas and impeccable textures, and JK Jemma Kidd does not disappoint.  Her Stain/Flush/Blush Concentrate in Masquerade has a luxurious silky texture, perfect sheer color and works on lips and cheeks. At $17, the effect is just as stunning as similar products from her much pricier high-end line, available at Neiman Marcus. Kidd's Mannequin Skin Complexion Enhancer, at $24, is equal to or better than any shimmery primer/tinted moisturizer I've tried, at a much lower cost.

I have yet to sample the NP Set and Pixi by Petra goodies, but you know I will. Perdis is known for creating flawless complexions, so I'm particularly drawn to his NP Set Memory Foundation, a light liquid foundation that also contains seaweed extract and vitamins C and E. It goes for $30, which is 33% less cake than it schmancy counterpart, Napoleon Perdis Minimal Makeup, available at Sephora and NapoleonPerdis.com. I shall of course report back to you with my verdicts. The things I do for you people...