Beautybaby is holding a beauty poll. I am looking for everyone’s favorite lipstick colors. Send me your favorite lipstick colors, brand and shade, all prices. If you are feeling forthcoming, send me your hair and skin tone as well. I am interested in what shades everyone is loving right now. My favorites right now: MAC Hue and Wuss lipsticks. Both are pale pinks, Hue a bit more neutral and Wuss a bit shimmery.

I believe that I may have stumbled upon the antidote to the Bare Minerals short term wear situation. It is called Prime Time, and of course I learned about it on QVC the other night. Prime Time is a foundation primer from Bare Escentuals. An eyelid version also exists, which I quickly snapped up. Yesterday was my first Prime Time test run. I worked in the office all day, which is an excellent test for my foundation. By the end of the day, the BE foundation was still going strong, as was the BE shadow which usually only lasts about 45 minutes on my eyelid without the primer. I think that I am thrilled with the new primer situation. I am going to be paying close attention to my skin because primers have a tendency to break me out.

I am totally guilty of watching QVC when they are featuring beauty products. How can a beauty addict not watch? The makeup companies bring in their top makeup artists/salespeople to help pitch the products and, while talking price and value, they impart terrific makeup tips and do fun makeovers while you watch. I am especially guilty of tuning in to the Bare Escentuals show. First of all, I am amazed at what the company has done in regard to revolutionizing the world of foundation. I love to listen to the numbers of kits and cases that literally fly off the “shelves” of QVC in mere minutes. (250,000 makeup kits were sold during yesterday’s show.) But mainly I get a thrill out of watching the makeovers and revisiting the “swirl, tap, and buff” technique made famous by the brand. While it is true that I have tried it over and over again and promptly retire it to my makeup drawer because it just does not last on my skin, after watching one of the QVC segments, I am easily tempted to give it another try. I am also one of those people who is too embarrassed to order form QVC, so I take mental notes on what I saw that I liked, knowing that I can go buy it from Sephora the next day. It looks like I am falling into the same old pattern. I pulled out my BE kit today and applied it this morning– and I am just dying to hit Sephora today for one of the new BE eye kits they featured last night.

Maybelline makes 2 products that consistently win rave reviews among consumers and makeup artists alike. One of them is Great Lash mascara, that inky lash lengthener that is the most popular mascara on the market. I always have at least one tube of Great Lash in my makeup wardrobe in addition to probably 3 others that I use depending on the effect I want. The other product from Maybelline that has secured its place in makeup history is their Concealer Stick. Rich and creamy, long wearing, and the perfect shade “medium” for my skin, I am a HUGE fan of this product. I recently read a tip in Allure that one should choose a concealer shade that is a bit darker than their foundation and/or powder choice to sort of shade and shadow the region you want to conceal. Believe me this works. Especially around the eyes and on any blemishes. I fully understand the cult status of these Maybelline classics.

One thing I took away from the Fall 2007 collections was the importance of liquid liner. At many shows, including Versace and Louis Vuitton, a dark, painted eye defined the Fall ‘07 make-up look. I have been experimenting with this look as of late- sans the upsweeping brushstroke as shown on the runways, and I am excited about the prospects of this highly defined eye. No shadow, minimal lipstick and a simple, clean black line is always elegant. Try it tomorrow!

I have tried several of the mineral make-up brands on the market. I started with Bare Escentuals and really loved the concept. I can remember being thrilled at how smooth and bronzed my skin looked. I can also remember sitting in the make-up chair amazed, just staring at my skin in the mirror. I snapped up as much as I could and immediately convinced my mom to buy the entire line as well. (She loves make-up too!) My complaint with the product line was that is had zero staying power. With my oily skin, I need a product that lasts. I also tried Everyday Minerals after reading rave reviews on MakeupAlley.com. I was very diappointed in the the shade range and colors I selected. The powders appeared pale and cakey. (The line is incredibly inexpensive so I didn’t feel that guilty when I immediately put them out to pasture.) I have just recently purchased the full line of L’Oreal mineral products in the Bare Naturelle line. I have to admit to loving them. They have a terrific shade range and go on smoothly. They also last. Granted these are not long wear products and not intended to be, but they wear very well.