Shiseido has the most sublime brush set. They are so soft and apply so well that they are almost good for stress relief. (Like Peanuts Linus with his blanket) Most importantly, the brush hairs are designed to give excellent application. The prices are comparable to most better lines. Sold individually you can customize your own set. When you purchase better brushes, it is an investment. And good quality brushes will last for years. See my article on brushes and tools. Shiseido The Makeup Spring 2002 collection designed by Makeup Artist Tom Pecheux is designed with true femininity in mind using soft colors for cheeks, eyes and lips and defining the lashes with black liquid liner and mascara. I like their idea of a waterproof matte liquid eyeliner $20. The blushes are creamy with a great wand-like applicator and no matter which of the 4 shades you pick, they go on mistake-proof $27. The eyeshadow duos in 6 shades like Taffeta Taupe, Lilac Haze, and Pomona Lime $25 have enough color and depth to give you several different looks. If you like a neutral lip, get the Mocha Glaze Lip Gloss or for a little more color Grape Glace $19. There's nail lacquer to compliment the look. Start your makeup with my favorite Pre-makeup cream and follow through with their new Hydro-Liquid Compact, suitable for all skin types for a flawless complexion. Finish the look with their Divine Luminizing Color Powder.

Maybelline has a wonderful collection this spring including my new found love Lash Discovery Mini Brush Mascara, at first I wasn't sure, thought, oh, yeah, another mascara hype, but NO, this works! My lashes like my hair are thin, this mini wand makes them MAXI full and the mascara doesn't smear, clump or flake. The Colours in Maybelline Spring line are luscious lilacs, peachy pinks and crisp white. There's Crystal Glitter pencils in 6 shades, a new concealer, cool effects blush, more Wet Shine Lipsticks, and nail polish. All in the Preppy mode. Stylish!

Bobbi Brown shimmer all over glow for face and body in limited edition $25 is a hint of sheen and a little color. Use it on your cheeks, shoulders, eyes, temples ... Anywhere you want a little more color or shimmer. I like Cocoa Berry for my fair skin to give it an all-over bronze glow. The soft pink shimmer is lovely on cheekbones, eye lids and shoulders. Sparkledust for eyes $20, in four shades can be used alone or layered with your favorite eyeshadow. In a decent sized sprinkle top jar, it's easy to get a large powder brush in the cap or top and apply. For warmth and shimmer, check out Violet! Blemish Cover Stick $20 specifically for troublesome blemishes where you want oil free coverage and help in the healing process. You get to decide the amount of coverage with Oil Free Finish Compact Foundation $38. - comes packed with 2 sponges for a natural or polished effect. There is new skin care coming from Bobbi, so check my skin care page for hint, hint ... Intensive skin supplement coming in April!!

Joey New York has some new innovative products this spring. Pure Pores Pore Tightener and Filler Serum. $28 A gel that is applied before makeup that blocks foundation from getting into the pores. Foundation looks better, and stays on longer. Pure Pores Liquid Powder Foundation $35 and Pure Pores Finishing Powder $26 assist in keeping a smooth velvety finish on your face throughout the day. Also from Joey NY is Opti-Bright Lipstick Swirl, Opti-Brite Lip Pencil and Opti-Brite Lip Shine. Don't ask me how, but these products are touted to make teeth brighter with "blue botanicals". Other new products this Spring are State of the Arch, $28 a brow kit, a 3 piece Chiseled Cheeks kit, and an eyeshadow trio kit that lifts, and contours. Check the web site for other products. I'd like to try like their answer to "Botox" for lines and wrinkle plumping ... Line up, $40!

If you log on now to RocketCity Cosmetics you can not only find some really fun makeup but they are offering a 10% off special. Products like Alien Eyeshadow Trio $15 No Way Milky Way, Bang, Solar Slammin a little compact with a lot of punch and hints of metallic for cheeks and eyes, $13.50. Zimmer Glimmer Shimmers, Wish Upon a Star $14 Galactic Gloss in Astro $8 The products come nicely packaged and the web site is designed well.

Give your lips that just pinched look with Stiletto (red) Lip Gloss and my new favorite blush Samba Cheek Color (sheer red with gold flecks) by Paula Dorf Cosmetics. This blush looks too bright in the pan, but goes on so sheer and beautiful. It's definitely a collectable in your spring makeup!! Add Swing Eye Color Glimmer (soft peach) to the lid, and cheekbone. Add a little of the samba to just above the crease near the brow bone for a little extra color and top it off with liner (dark or soft pink) and Blackberry (deep purple) Mascara. Hold out for the most beautiful Berry Bronzer coming to counters in May. Wow, what a look! P.S. There are several new lipsticks since January and available this March - Check out Candy (icy Pink)$15-$18 At department stores or online.

In Stores coming March 1 is BeneFit She Shells six shades of lip and eye colors in keepsake shells. $18 and Sketching Pencils $15 ... super soft, super long, and super silky lip and eye pencils in 6 shades to collect available online only in February.

Tired of sugary drops and chews but want fresh breath? Here's a new idea. Supersmile FRESH BREATH in single packet that fits nicely in your tiniest evening bag. Plus you get the added benefit of whiter teeth, alcohol and sugar-free! Check out the web site or call 1 800 784-SMILE 24pack of the mouth rinse is $14 and a pack of 60 retails for $26

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Clarins Spring and Summer looks are beautifully colorful with shimmer of Auburn, Green and Cool Blue. There are 3 shades of lipstick, eyeliner pencils in indigo, brown and bronze green and the most beautiful bronzer I've seen in a lush red compact in it's own velvety bag. It's so delicate looking and sheer to apply - yet it all works.

Laura Mercier created The Romance Collection this spring with really pretty not too light, not too dark shades of rose for cheeks, lips and opalescent eyes. First I tried the new Bleu Marine Eye Liner, $20, applying it with a wet brush and smudging a little with my finger. I was truly surprised that it didn't move much or re-move like most liners or pencils and that's a GOOD THING because it means it will stay on during the day!. Next using a flat round brush, I pressed in Opal Pearl Loose Pearls Opalescent Powder $20 on my eye lids and shook a little into my hand to add with hair gel and slick back my hair. It looked really pretty adding some sparkle to pulled back hair. With my finger I applied Face Tint $20, a loose matte rose blush to the apples of my cheeks and a little to the brow bone and temple area. It was sheer and matte, (at this age, I'd rather a matte look ... It shows less wrinkles!) You can always add some of the Opal or Cameo Loose Pearls to cheek bones if you want to jazz up your look for evenings and special occasions. Next I used Marquise Lip Colour $18 to ruby up my lips with a sheer layer of color and added Crystal Lip Glacé $18 for the heck of it to get a really juicy come and kiss me look! Laura Mercier is a great cosmetic line by a great makeup artist who continues to grace us with her work in all the magazines. What better can you ask for then a makeup artist re-creating looks she puts on celebrities and models!

In limited edition A Walk In The Park Spring Collection from Clinique reflects the outdoors in colors representing the sky, green grass and blooming flowers. For eyes, lips and nails these striped palettes are sized perfectly for the handbag. Each palette has 3 shades to mix or use alone. From $12.50 - $16.50. After reading the list of goodies like wheat protein, Apple Extract and Macadamia nut oil, I tried Long Pretty Lashes Mascara. It went on smoothly, didn't clump, the wand is great and the mascara adheres to this woman's fine lashes. I didn't tear like I usually do as soon as I stepped out into Colorado's cold weather, my lashes really did look longer, and my eyes bigger even bluer (I used the black mascara) and at $12.50 this is a bargain! Available online and at department stores.

Spring definitely has arrived at Cover Girl with a collection taken from the eighties with a modern twist in wonderful greens, violets, berry, blue and tangerine. Eyes are the focus with EyeSlicks in Sheer Lime or Sheer Shiver $4.50. Apply over Professional Eye Enhancer Kit in Mauve Twinkle $2.70. The big news for eyes is Triple Aqua Stay Mascara $5.40 that thickens up to 300%. This waterproof mascara has a great brush that curls and separates the lashes to look 40% longer! There's new blush, lip liner, liquid lipsticks, and fun nail slicks to complete the collection, on counters in March ... So get some, or a lot. Of course there is always Outlast the 8 hour lip paint and gloss and shine combo. My only choice for lipstick . Why re-apply your lipstick when you can go all day right through lunch and even a gym class with luscious lips. I have 15 of the 26 shades!

In the tradition of innovative cosmetics comes Peacenik from M.A.C. Plenty to choose from, always fun! $12.50-$16.00 M.A.C. also has my new love, self sharpening - twist up Eye Brow pencils. The pencil is really thin with an always fine edge that gives extra thin, extra natural fill to your brow. My favorite shades are Spike and Fling, but I'd love to try Strut an auburn shade. $12.50

For sheer color in each stroke, use Afresco-Matic Pens from famed makeup artist, Vincent Longo. These eye hi-lighter and lip pens bring colour out to the tip with a click and stow easily in your purse. The always to the point tip makes application easy both on eyes and lips. These soft and sheer pens come in six lip and four highlighter eye shades, $25 For more Vincent Longo products log online or at Sephora.com

Rimmel London's Urban Romance consists of 4 Watercool shadows in clear tubes $2.97. These soft, sheer shimmery colors in silky beige, gold, pink and green, can be layered, or worn alone. If you have any puffiness or wrinkling in the eye area, only wear them on the eyelid. I love the new raspberry Lip gloss Urban Princess $3.97 and Lasting Finish Nail Polish $1.97 in 5 shades that seem to catch light and change color. Wear them sheer or layered for more color. Gee, at these prices ... Collect them! Available at Wal-Mart. Check out the whole line ... You'll be surprised!

Oh Boy! Max Factor has come out with 2 new products with PermaTone the ingredient we all love and adore that makes it's lip paint Lipfinity stay on no matter what! FaceFinity $9.80 in 9 shades and Lashfinity, Rich Black, Black/Brown $6.50. The prices are reasonable for so much product power.

Trucco by Sebastian re-invents the Girl Next Door with American Pop Spring Collection. This is a new look with Pink Lady Graphic Liquid Liner (Try it alone, or above black liner closest to lashes), Cherry Pie Rouge - a quad compact palette from snow white to pink to red (swoosh the brush around and see what you get), and Hanky Panky Sheer Lip Palette with six sheer shades to use or mix. There's more, so get to your favorite salon or check out Trucco online.

From Prescriptives, using the same technology as their Magic line, "the future of makeup", Traceless $32 uses the invisible colorwaves inside of light to neutralize imperfections and even all complexions for an undetectable finish. Also from Prescriptives is Incredible Lipcolor in 25 shades $17.50 and Lip Shine $16.50. These lipsticks have more pigment, wear and shine that Springs forth lipstick to an all new dimension.