While the fashion magazines are hyping up the latest $40+ "must-have" foundation and face creams that cost more than a used car, most of us are more interested in great makeup at a reasonable price. I admit that I have some favorites in the $20, $30, and higher brands, but you really don't *have* to spend that kind of money to look great. Here are a few things I've tried recently in the pursuit of well-priced beauty.

Facewear Cosmetics
Founder and artist Monika Boecker created Facewear eye shadows and lip colors to look the same on your skin as they do in the pot, so you don't have to worry about a lipgloss that looks great in the container turning a weird shade on your lips. The pots are also stackable so you can take multiple shades with you easily. The line is small but growing and can currently be found on beauty.com.

Wet/Dry Lid Stuff ($12.50 each)
All the Facewear eyeshadows (Lid Stuff) can be used wet or dry and as shadow, liner or brow color. There are 13 colors total and two textures, matte and frost. I tried Afro (a matte dark brown that looks great as liner), Foil (a light silver frost), and Shag (a light coral frost with a hint of gold, perfect for the new spring coral trend). Afro is a really basic color, but Foil and Shag are fun non-neutrals that I didn't think I would like, but I do. I never choose warm shades like coral, but Shag, used sparingly on my cool-toned skin, has a nice warmth and subtle shimmer that I could see myself wearing for spring. All the colors wear well with little to no creasing or fading, and they have a nice amount of pigment so you don't have to apply 3 or 4 layers to get the color you want. What you see in the pot is what you get on your skin.

Lip Stuff ($12.50)
Again, what you see is what you get with these glosses. If you find that most lipsticks you try look great in the tube but completely different on your lips, you'll find these colors refreshingly true. Lip Stuff has a watermelon flavor and comes three textures: luster, semi gloss, and high gloss. I tried Bikini luster (champagne beige), Nothing semi gloss (pearly white), and Potion semi gloss (sheer berry). Bikini is too light for me, but Nothing is great for layering over regular lipstick, and Potion is a great berry shade that is sheer and looks great by itself. The only thing I'm not crazy about is the watermelon flavor; I like that there is a flavor rather than just a scent, but the watermelon makes me feel like I'm 13 and chewing Bubblicious bubble gum! I'd rather taste something more "grown-up" like citrus or vanilla...

Lip Pencil ($8)
I often skip lip liner even when I know I should use it because most are so dry and crumbly. These have less wax so they are really smooth and creamy. They don't drag when you put them on, you can easily fill in your lips with them if you want to use the liner as lipcolor with a gloss on top, and they have a nice matte finish that doesn't smear or feather. I got 153 (berry brown) and 214 (chocolate brown), and I definitely plan on using them with my favorite lipsticks.

Facewear also makes glitter gels ($10) and a small collection of brushes (all around $12) that I plan on reviewing on Cosmetic Connection in the future.

Jerome Alexander All In One Natural Mineral Face Powder
($19.95, comes with stick foundation)
If you hesitate to wear foundation because it takes too much time or effort, or if you have sensitive or breakout-prone skin that reacts to most liquid or cream makeup, loose mineral powders like this one from Jerome Alexander are a great alternative. In the loose mineral makeup category, there are several brands to choose from, and they all have roughly the same ingredients in a slightly different order:

Bare Minerals from Bare Escentuals: mica, iron oxides, micronized titanium dioxide, bismuth oxychloride
Jerome Alexander: mica, bismuth oxychloride, titanium dioxide and iron oxides
La Bella Donna: micronized titanium dioxide, bismuth oxychloride, zinc oxide, iron oxide
Youngblood: titanium dioxide, bismuth oxychloride, mica, iron oxides

For most people, these are ingredients that don't clog pores or irritate sensitive skin. I've tried several brands myself, including Youngblood, La Bella Donna, Origins, and Philosophy, and I like Jerome Alexander the best. It has very little shine, does not cake or settle into fine lines, and I think it feels the lightest on my skin. Surprisingly, I also found the best color match for me with JA - and it comes in only three colors (light, medium and dark). I can apply it with a loose powder brush for soft, light to medium coverage, and use the enclosed sponge to add a little extra to areas that need more attention. All in all, this is a great product at a great price.

You can find Jerome Alexander products online on the Home Shopping Network. You can also find this foundation for around $10 on occasion at firstauction.com, which is where I got mine.

Almay One Coat Light & Easy Makeup (around $12)
Every time a new foundation comes out, I feel compelled to run out and try it! This new stick from Almay comes in a lipstick-type tube like most stick foundations, but it has a sponge on the cap (more like an eraser head) for blending. I found it to be both clever and useless. If it wasn't so rigid, it could have been handy, but it's really not suitable for blending.

The foundation itself has a lightweight texture with sheer coverage that might be nice for someone who doesn't need much makeup, but I found the coverage to be too thin for me. One Coat also contains both isopropyl isostearate (3rd ingredient) and isocetyl stearate (7th ingredient) which are major acne causing ingredients. Between the useless sponge, the lack of good coverage, and the possibility of pimples (I only wore the makeup a few times to avoid a crop of new pimples on my finally decent-looking skin), I did not hesitate to return this makeup to the store for a refund.