Beauty: Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion

I never would have found out about this little treasure of a beauty product had I not gotten a trial-sized version of it from Sephora on one shopping trip. You apply a little on your lids before applying eyeshadow, let it dry for a few seconds, and then apply your shadow over it. Colors appear richer and shadow stays put longer as the powder has something to cling to rather than just dry skin. A little goes a long way; definitely one of my must-haves!

Available at www.sephora.com $15

Photo: www.sephora.com

On Newsstands Now: InStyle's Annual Best Beauty Buys Issue

InStyle magazine has come a long way since its first issue debuted thirteen years ago with Barbara Streisand on the cover. The earlier issues were wafer-thin, no thicker than a weekly tabloid, and now advertising has quadrupled the popular publication’s size. The initial focus of covering celebrities at home has broadened to include style, clothing, entertaining, and an annual issue on the best beauty buys that I look forward to and is currently on the newsstands. I take comfort in the fact that it doesn’t change too drastically from year to year; its consistency lends a bit of credibility to the list for me. My personal favorites: Armani foundation and Cle de Peau’s concealer. It is always a fun read, and particularly helpful if one needs some assistance navigating through the endless choices at the drugstore and department store cosmetic counters.

Photo: InStyle.com

MAC’s Whirl Lipliner: An Alternative to the Old Spice

I know a lot of you out there are fans of perennial favorite, MAC’s Spice lip liner, but did you know that it’s changed over the years? I first picked up the pencil at the age of 19 after reading how Michelle Pfeiffer used it with a layer of Clinique’s Black Honey Semi-Lipstick over it; a formula that worked perfectly for my fair skin. I finally reached the tail-end of a five-year old pencil (not as gross as it sounds—initially lost, but found at a later point) and went to buy another one, only to discover it didn’t look as good on me anymore. Was it time? Did my lips change coloring to render the pigment peachy and pasty versus the light and pinky brown I had gotten used to? Well, on a recent visit to my local MAC counter I told the cosmetician of my plight, and that’s when she let me in on a little secret: Spice had changed—in fact, it used to be more of a “pinky brown.” WHAT?!? Why on earth would they even toy with perfection? Well, she didn’t know the answer, but she had a recommendation for an alternative: MACs Whirl—a more pinky version of Spice. While it’s not quite exactly like the old Spice, it’s closer than the newer version of Spice which is a bit more pasty on me. Go ahead, give it a Whirl—(sorry, I coudn't resist. It’s the latte kicking in.)

www.gloss.com