I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you, the thousands of Cosmetic Report and Cosmetic Connection readers, for making Cosmetic Connection such a fun service to offer. Here's wishing you a peaceful and rewarding 1998!

If one of your New Year's Resolutions is to take better care of your skin, the new Age Block Daytime Defense Cream SPF15 ($12.50) with avobenzone (also called Parsol 1789) from Avon is a great new product find. Parsol 1789 is the only sunscreen ingredient that effectively protects your skin from both UVA and UVB sun rays. UVA rays actually penetrate deeper into your skin than UVB rays, creating skin damage like sun-induced wrinkles, brown spots, sagging and uneven skin tone. Age Block is a lightweight cream that absorbs quickly and leaves your skin lightly moisturized, making it great for most skin types (super oily skin may like a gel sunscreen better). For more information about Avon and Age Block, visit Avon online.

Have you ever bought an expensive cosmetic product on a whim, just to see what it was like? After reading several mentions of Vincent Longo's Water Canvas cream-to-powder foundation in a few women's magazine, I just couldn't resist trying it. Since there are no Vincent Longo counters near me, I called their toll free number (1-800-V2-LONGO) and ordered shade #2 (very similar to Prescriptives Warm Cream) for a whopping $70 ($45 for the foundation, $15 for the compact, and a flat $10 for shipping). You almost have to spend this much, because the foundation will actually evaporate without the special airtight compact. Unlike most cream-to-powder foundations, Water Canvas is 85% water, making it very lightweight on the skin. I can't believe I spent as much as I did for it, but I really do like it! Even on my dry skin, as long as I moisturize well, it looks smooth and natural. Longo tries to sell you a foundation primer gel to go under the foundation for an extra $45, but you really don't need it. If you have been searching unsuccessfully for a lightweight, "no makeup" foundation, Water Canvas just might be the answer (if you can afford the splurge).

Being the non-stop reviewer that I am, I'm always on the lookout for new, interesting, and truly effective products to further clutter my bathroom . I recently tried Kiehl's Protein Concentrate Herbal Shampoo for dry to normal hair ($11.95 for 8 ounces) and their Extra-Strength Conditioning Rinse ($15.95 for 8 ounces) to see if my dry hair could be improved. While the shampoo is nice, and concentrated so you only need a little, it's fairly basic and didn't do much to help my dryness. It's a great everyday shampoo for any hair type - just don't count on it to do more than clean your hair. My real relief came with the conditioning rinse. Chock full of lecithin, keratin, panthenol, and wheat germ oil, it smooths and softens so your hair feels like hair again, not straw! For more information on Kiehl's products, call 1-800-KIEHLS-1.

The Makeup Diva is In! Experimenting with your hair color can be fun, and it can be a disaster! This week, our resident Makeup Diva dabbles in hair color advice with some easy to use, no commitment hair color choices that are sure to perk up your 'do for 1998.

For those of you with oily skin, you're going to love this month's new Feature, "Skin Care for Oily Skin". Our newest Panelist, Alissa, offers her personal picks for effective cleansers, toners, and lotions that are just right for oily skin.

Calling all America Online subscribers! Bring your cosmetic questions to the Electra Real Chat room on January 5th at 11pm eastern and chat with me live online! From the best red lipstick to the latest in hair mascara, it's a great discussion and an open forum for your toughest beauty questions. Type keyword: electra and follow the links to Real Chat.