We are overwhelmed with cool cosmetics around here, with tons of new reviews on the way, so let's not delay! This week, in addition to a great new nail polish find and a cool new cheek color, I am so excited to finally have a review of Max Factor's hugely anticipated Lipfinity lip color. I hope you can find some near you and experience it for yourself.

Enjoy!

Max Factor Lipfinity (around $12)
Since I first heard about Lipfinity and the technology that it's based on, I have been counting the days until it was available in the US (it has been in the UK and Germany for several months). What's so special about yet another long-wearing, transfer-resistant lipcolor? Lipfinity is a two part system consisting of a tube of liquid lip color and a tube of solid, clear lip gloss. The liquid color component has the new PermaTone color bond complex that creates a semi-permanent, flexible mesh of pigment that bonds to the lips. Because of the mesh's flexibility, it's not supposed to flake off or crack like many other long-wearing brands. The gloss stick can be applied as often as you like to maintain a moist feel and shiny finish.

I visited the Lipfinity site several times to get a sense of the colors. They have a basic tool that recommends colors based on pale (cool), olive (warm) or dark skin tones, so I noted the ones I liked best on the "pale" model. Of course when I finally found Lipfinity at my local Longs Drugs, I couldn't remember what colors I had picked! I took a chance and bought 30 Cool (actually one I had picked on the site) and 110 Passionate; the other I chose from lipfinity.com was 120, my next purchase at the drugstore :).

I tried both colors for several days each and learned a few things about how best to apply and wear Lipfinity. First, you have to paint it evenly on clean, dry lips, and not too thick. Thankfully it's not too thick, runny or goopy so getting it even isn't too difficult. I also like that you can angle the applicator to line your lips. Second, Lipfinity performs best when it stays moist, so I highly recommend regular use of the enclosed lip gloss stick; when I didn't use it, the color faded faster. Yes, I found that the color does wear off, starting from the inside of the lips and moving out. Most of the time it just faded, but I did have a few instances of actual little blobs coming off, and again they were mostly from the inside of my lips. I think I might have put too much color there, so when it came in contact with saliva or a beverage, it balled up a bit. If you follow my suggestions of even, thin application and regular use of the gloss, it definitely wears better. The strangest thing I found was that it stayed on through foods like pepperoni pizza or grilled cheese sandwich (no napkin smudges at all), but wore off on my yogurt spoon. Go figure.

If you've thought about the Lipfinity concept like I have, you may wonder why it's so great if you still have to apply something frequently. Why not just use regular lipstick, right? Even though I am still working on getting the color to last in full all day, I like that the color is set and I don't have to think about it. Swiping on a little gloss is much faster and easier than fussing with lipstick, lip liner and a mirror, making sure your lips are filled in just right every time. With Lipfinity, you do it once and then just add a little clear gloss now and then. No mirror or coordination is required. This is why I will continue to use it even if it does wear off a bit; I still have most of my color by 5 or 6pm.

You can learn more and see colors swatches at Lipfinity.com.

Lorac Sheer Wash ($24)
The latest addition to my collection of Lorac spring goodies is her new Sheer Wash lip and cheek tint. Cream and gel blush seem to be all the rage now, but this one is a little different; Sheer Wash is a liquid tint in a roller-ball bottle, like a roll-on deodorant. You simply roll on a bit of color and blend with your fingers. It looks intense at first but blends easily to a natural looking flush that lasts all day. I am amazed that something so seemingly thin and watery can deliver such a nice color and last so well. I really like this and will continue to use it, alternating with my other blush favorites Tarte Cheek Stain and Vincent Longo Faerie Creme. Sheer Wash is also great for oily or acne prone skin, since it's so weightless. You can choose from Ecstasy (wine), Emotion (raspberry), Magic (bronze) and Rapture (plum brown; the one I'm using), all at Lorac counters near you or at Sephora.com.

Girl Tools Nail Lacquer ($12.50 each, or $38.50 for kit)
I recently got this great kit from Girl Tools - three compatible shades of polish plus everything you need for a manicure and/or pedicure: toe separators, emery board, orange stick and pumice file. You also get a snappy set of instructions that have quirky sections like "Important Safety Instructions" and "Parts List" where the bottle is broken down into a parts diagram with the handle, brush and bottle all labeled. For a complete manicure, I also tried their opaque Primer (basecoat) and clear Varnish (topcoat). I thought all of the polishes performed great, lasted well over a week with no chips (and no touch-ups), and I also liked having all the tools I needed right there in one box. There are 21 colors to choose from, either as singles ($12.50) or grouped together in threesome kits ($38.50).

You can find out more at girltoolscosmetics.com.