A.G.E. Eye Complex by Skinceuticals is a rich formula designed to dramatically improve severe signs of aging around the eyes. Although it’s for more mature skin, I thought I’d give it a test drive anyway.

The Skinceuticals website says that “immediately, optical diffusers improve radiance and minimize the appearance of dark circles and capillaries,” and within 4-12 weeks, “a complex of flavonoids and synergistic peptides strengthens blood vessel walls, improves lymphatic drainage, and eliminates hemoglobin’s colored end-products to dramatically improve dark circles and puffiness. By twelve weeks and beyond, blueberry extract interrupts the formation of advanced glycation end-products (A.G.E.) and Proxylane restores water and nutrient content to the dermal epidermal junction (D.E.J.) to increase skin elasticity and thickness for dramatic improvement of wrinkles and crow’s feet.”

Just so you guys know… I don’t have crow’s feet yet.  But I do want to stay young-looking and the skin around my eyes tends to get really dry.  A.G.E. Eye Complex is intensely moisturizing and definitely helped with puffiness and dark circles.  I have sensitive skin and this did not irritate the delicate skin around my eyes.

The holiday party season is just around the corner and the Estee Lauder Holiday 2009 Ultimate Red Color Collection is here.  This collection contains an array of beautiful winter colors, shimmer powder, reds, purples, and lipsticks in  sexy deep colors.

Seeing the collection has gotten me excited for all of the upcoming holiday parties and weddings I will be attending this season.  It’s made me think I’ll need some sexy red satin peep toe pumps.

For the Face:

• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Powder

For Eyes:

• Limited Edition Gel Eyeliner in Black
• Limited Edition TurboLash All Effects Motion Mascara in Gold
• Limited Edition Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Gold Opulence
• Limited Edition Signature Eyeshadow Quad in Lavish Plum

For Lips:

• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Gold
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Simply Red
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Cranberry
• Limited Edition Signature Lipstick in Blackberry
• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Gold
• Limited Edition Opulent Shimmer Gloss in Cranberry

Nail Color:

• Limited Edition Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Burgundy
• Limited Edition Pure Color Nail Lacquer in Gold

The look in Ultimate Red:

The look in Lavish Plum:

I’ve already been playing with some colors from the collection.  I HAD to have the shimmer powder.  It works well on your face but also looks great with evening wear if you just brush it lightly on your shoulders and décolletage.

My favorite for eyes was the eyeshadow quad in Lavish Plum!  The colors had such a dramatic impact but were easy to apply and I got a great going-out look (lately I’ve been attending a ton of bachelorette parties!).
My husband loved the Simply Red lipstick.  I have full lips, so I tend to shy away from colors that aren’t neutral, but this was so fun for a nighttime look – perfect for ANY party!

When I was a little girl, I was occasionally so lucky that my mom and my aunt would bring me along for a shopping trip.  Sometimes we’d go through the cosmetics department of a major department store – most often Macy’s – and I would be mesmerized by the array of colors, the testers on display, each shade varying slightly from the last: a painter’s palette.  It was delightful.  There was one brand that had these little eyeshadow samples on pieces of paper covered in plastic you could peel back.  I remember my mom admonishing me when I sought to have one in every color.  I was too young for make up but not too young to play.  I wanted to possess every beautiful shade.

I have always  liked to color and paint, work in charcoal or oil pastels, and always loved fashion.  It came as no surprise that I love makeup.  Now that I am old enough to not play with my mom’s makeup, I like the peruse stores in search of an array of beautiful colors to play with: a cosmetics-obsessed Goldilocks looking for the perfect shade, the perfect application, the perfect shopping environment.  I LOVE both department store and drug store makeup (I’m no snob), but sometimes the department store feels wrong.  Samples and testers abound, but the  employees are TOO helpful and I just want to browse, to take in the colors and breathe in the scents.  The drugstore employees are often not specialists, and the lack of testers and samples has left me with a cabinet full of duds.

So, I guess it’s no surprise that on my way home last night – after a hectic day at work – I stopped at Sephora.  I was feeling dejected, and knowing the hubby would be home late, I needed to shop.  I needed the perfect pick-me-up and today it wasn’t new shoes (just got some) or sweaters (the closet’s overcrowded).  It was new COLOR for my face.  That is what I needed.   I like the more laid-back sales approach there, and the rows of eye candy lined up by brand, then application, then shade.

That’s when the Sephora Brand caught my eye, followed by the $5 price tag next to some twenty or so shades of eyeliner, lined up by color like a rainbow.  It was Sephora Brand Nano Eyeliner,  a highly pigmented eye pencil, and it was pulling me in like gravity.  It goes on nice and smooth and (so far) has lasted me all day.   And how often do you see eyeliners in beautiful colors like this  – and only $5?!  I was stoked.   I ended up going home with a Glitter Black, a Glitter Brown, an Iced Brown, a Pure Beige, a Kaki Green, a Silver Green, a Gri Gri, a Lagoon, a Blue Jean, and a Wild Spirit – and yes – definitely a wild spirit.  It was like standing in front of those paper samples with tiny bits of eyeshadow on them.  A little reckless abandon, but I’m definitely young enough to play.

Halloween is here and you might be going to some costume parties.  Even if you’re going as something as simple as the um, ahem, “sexy” vampire, elaborate makeup will likely play a role in your costume.

Some of us have sensitive skin, and some of us don’t, but with costume makeup, it’s best to be super careful in any case – especially with your kids.  Before you put your makeup and your costume on, take heed, you could be asking for a rash or infection!
Here are some simple things to avoid having this put a damper on your Halloween:

• Always do a test patch, even if you think you do not have any allergies.  Some makeup and adhesives contain chemicals you may not have come into contact before.  This can cause a reaction as simple as redness or far worse: a scabby patch of contact dermatitis or even a chemical burn.
• Latex is a common allergy!  Be careful when using masks as part of your Halloween costume.  Let your skin breathe a bit by removing the mask if you can.  Remember that even the simplest masks that slip on over your head will require you to wash your face after.  Latex in slip on masks, glue on masks, or certain Halloween makeup should also always be tested first!
• Be careful when applying makeup if you have a scab, open cut, or a blemish.  You can cause an infection with certain makeup if it gets into any open area.
• You may need to glue on those fake eyebrows, but be sure it will come off easily without removing hair or skin!
• Remember to be careful around your eyes!  Even if a Halloween makeup claims it is safe for your whole face, it may be very dangerous if you get it in your eyes.  You might want to try using your regular makeup if you can (say if you’re going as a cat or a sexy vampire?  That black eyeliner you already have will be useful!
• Avoid SHARING your makeup.  Most of us know this is a no-no anyway – but on Halloween you may figure you’re just using it once so it will be okay.  Not true!  You can get an eye or fungal skin infection even from someone who doesn’t appear to have either.
• Now, the hardest part of taking care of your skin might to be remember not to overdo it with alcohol and junk food!  Remember to stay hydrated!  Salty foods and alcohol and dry out your skin, so celebrate, but drink some water throughout.
• REMOVE your makeup.  You may be ready to pass out, but removing your makeup and letting your skin breathe is essential to preventing post-Halloween breakouts!  Use a gentle makeup remover that is intended for your whole face (or wherever you have makeup) and that is safe for use around your eyes.  In many cases face and eye makeup removers have different components, so keep that in mind.

Have a Happy Halloween!

Get Extra Long Lashes!

It’s no secret that COVERGIRL’s LashBlast is my favorite mascara, but now they have even improved it! I already love it because it makes my lashes super thick, but now I get extra length out of it! I hope I don’t stop traffic by batting my long, thick lashes….

COVERGIRL’s new LashBlast Length Mascara creates expertly defined, beautifully separated lashes. The long brush provides more control, plus special product reservoirs at the top of each bristle grasp even the tiniest lashes to lengthen them by up to 80%. The clump-free formula contains nylon fibers, the same material used in expensive lash extensions, to extend your lashes without flaking, smudging or smearing.

You have to see it to believe it! Try on COVERGIRL’s new LashBlast Length Mascara in Daily Makeover’s virtual Makeover Studio now.

Throughout October, Origins will donate $35,000 to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation from sales of Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief sold in North America. This contribution supports the research dedicated to preventing breast cancer and finding a cure in our lifetime.

I decided to give Origins’ Peace of Mind® On-the-spot relief a try.  It’s October, Fashion Week is wrapped up for us New Yorkers, but I’ve got work deadlines, school deadlines, and I am planning my best friend’s bridal shower.  All that stress adds up!

Origins has it right – it can definitely feel sometimes that the world is closing in on you and your head feels a size too small (mine does right now).  I applied Peace of Mind® to the back of my neck and right behind my ears where I felt some pressure.  Origin’s recommends applying just two dabs on the back of your neck, temples and earlobes.

It tingles a bit, and I definitely felt a relief of pressure and tension.  I did this right before bed and Zzzzzzz….

The best part is know that buying this product benefits the The Breast Cancer Research Foundation!  How’s that for a little relief?

To learn more about giving back and about The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, please visit http://www.esteelauder.com/pinkribbon/.  You can also donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation via the widget on the right side of our site.  Each person who donates gets entered into our Think Pink Giveaway.

Here’s one for the guys, Payot Homme has a great new line of men’s skincare and shaving products.  Payot-Paris, started back in 1927 by Dr. Nadia Payot, turned aesthetics into a scientific discipline using original skincare formulas; and their new men’s collection Payot Optimale is luxurious skincare at its best which continues that tradition. For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out a new regimen for my shaving routine and I must say my skin has been refreshingly smooth.

The Payot Optimale Effective Shaving gel hydrates my skin as I shave, and it lets my razor just glide across my skin without irritating it or causing razor bumps. I usually shave my 5′o clock (or sometimes 11′o clock) shadow right after a shower to lessen any irritation and soften my face. When I shave with a regular shaving cream, without prepping my skin, the end result can be itchy and bothersome. However, when I used the Effective Shaving gel, it’s as if my skin was prepped and softened the moment I lathered it onto my face! Thanks to the protective vitamin E, PP, B5 from liquorice and moisturizing agents, it left me with a soothing refreshing feeling.

Of course I had to follow it up with the Payot Optimale Soothing After Shave for complete calming and repairing.  Then to top off my new regiment, I used the Payot Optimale Energizing Care which is a moisturizing gel that I know absolutely every guy will get addicted to slapping this onto their face in the morning, or even mid-day at work (it can get dehydrating sitting in that office).  It’s a great pick-me-up because it’s enriched with caffeine and cocoa that just wakes up your skin. Even the sleek black packaging is perfect in easy to use tubes which guys just love. I was overall very satisfied with their new men’s skincare collection(my editors know how tough it is to get me to adopt a new regimen) and excited to try some of the other Optimale products such as:

• Deep Cleansing Gel
• Regenerating Care
• Refreshing Eye Contour Care

Ladies, I invite you to tell your guy about Payot Optimale if you want your man feeling smooth. I know he’ll thank you for it (just before you thank him)!

Check out more of Payot-Paris luxury skincare collections at payot.com.

Last Friday Purple Lab hosted an intimate Breast Cancer Awareness event at NYC’s members-only Norwood Club. The night was positively perfect; guests were treated to a scrumptious tea service (I love Harney and Sons tea – so classy!) and got to listen to Geralyn Lucas read passages from her amazing book: Why I Wore Lipstick: To My Mastectomy. It would be an understatement to say that Geralyn was inspiring. Her story is one that everyone should read and if you haven’t heard of it yet – go buy (or borrow) her book. Seriously.

Also, Purple Lab’s creatrix Karen Robinovitz presented one of the best products I’ve seen in years: SWAC (Sealed with a Cure) lip-gloss. Before I get into the amazing story behind this lip-gloss, lets’ talk about how great it feels to wear it. The lip-gloss goes on smooth and silky without being sticky. But don’t think its one of those non-sticky lipglosses that goes on like water and lasts about 20 minutes; this gloss stays on for hours. The color is a shimmering pale pink so you can literally wear it anytime, anywhere and it’s scented with a hint vanilla so it smells delicious.

Now to the great back-story: a portion of the proceeds from each SWAC lip-gloss sold goes to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation. “The Triple Negative what?” you ask yourself? Yeah, I had no idea what it was before last week either. Turns out it’s an extremely aggressive form of cancer that affects younger woman. Sounds like something you should be aware of right? The lip-gloss color itself is named ‘Nancy’, in honor of Nancy Block-Zenna who lost her fight with triple negative breast cancer two and a half years after her diagnosis.

Thank you Karen Robinovitz for creating such a great product with such an important cause!

For more information on triple negative breast cancer, please go to www.tnbcfoundation.org.