This week I'm pleased to share Kristen's newest makeup report. Also, for more new reviews by our entire team of Panelists, be sure to check CosmeticConnection.com under the "Product Reviews" section. Enjoy!

Estee Lauder Pure Color Eyeshadows ($20 each)
These shadows go on really smooth, sheer, silky and are very easy to apply, which I like in an eyeshadow. My favorite of the bunch is the Mint Ice, which is a minty light green color. I was quite surprised that I liked it as much as I did, but it's not matte and boring and gives a nice brightness to my eyes. I don't think I'll be wearing it everyday, but I like it nonetheless. Ivory Box is your basic white for highlighting. And my least favorite is Blue Sphere. I just don't like wearing your basic blue on my eyes. All in all, the quality of these eyeshadows are quite nice. They are practically goof-proof because they blend on your eyes without fuss. With the exception of Ivory Box, these are definitely not everyday normal colors. I'd suggest checking out the additional colors at an Estee Lauder counter near you.

Estee Lauder Perfectionist Correcting Serum for Lines/Wrinkles ($52 for one ounce)
When I first heard about this serum, I thought to myself, "Why does Estee Lauder need another product like Idealist?" It looks just like Idealist. It smells just like Idealist. I wondered if it was the same product that had some cosmetic surgery on the label. Since Idealist is a skincare staple of mine, I figured I'd receive the same results and benefits from it thinking that the products were pretty much the same. I was wrong.

I immediately felt a difference in application. This stuff is a bit heavier on my skin than Idealist. Idealist just melts into my skin making it feel like velvet immediately upon application. This stuff, while it did make my skin soft, I felt like it just didn't settle into my skin. I even reduced the amount the next time I used it and it still did the same thing. Then it happened. After two days of using it, I noticed some breakouts. Thinking it was due to other things, I continued to use the Perfectionist serum. My breakouts got worse. I will admit to using a few other new products sporadically during that time, so I had to eliminate all new stuff and try again. My face got better, so I went after the serum again. Again, after a couple of days, I saw the same little breakouts on my chin and around my mouth. I think that it was a bit greasier than what my skin was used to.

I will say in Estee Lauder's defense that I've had success with every skincare product from them, but not this. Maybe someone with drier and more mature skin than mine might appreciate this better, but if you're a young gal, go for the Idealist.

Girl Actik
(pronounced like galactic, but with "girl" instead of "gal")
I've never heard of this line before and since I'm always up for trying new things, I was delighted to try a few products from this line. I received the Sparkle Liner ($20), Celebrity Gel ($14), and High Tinted Gloss for lips ($10). The Sparkle Liner has a pretty clever concept. It comes as a set of two products. One is called g.s. formula base. It's a thick, solid cream-like product. It reminds me of Smashbox's cream liners. First, you apply this brown stuff with the flat brush and just place it along your lash line. It's not designed to blend. Then you take the brush and dip it into the second product, which is a small round pot full of gold sparkles. Pat off the excess, then apply the glitters to where you applied the cream liner base. Since the base is kind of gooey in texture, the sparkles grab onto it. As a glitter wearer, this is a pretty darned neat idea. After a long night of dancing, my sparkly gold lined eyes still were intact. The only thing I don't care for is the color of the base. I don't like wearing brown liner on my eyes. However, if you check out the website at girlactik.com, you will find a whole bunch of neat colors. I definitely love this concept and will be purchasing other colors from the set, particularly one with a black base.

The Celebrity Gel is a thick brown-based gel that has gold sparkles in it. This is a nice product and goes on incredibly soft. It's perfect for applying to shoulders, arms, cleavage, or anywhere on your body you want some gold sparkles. I actually applied the residual left on my hands to my hair. It only comes in this one color scheme, but it's nice. I usually don't care for creams that have glitter in it, but this product is definitely a keeper. Oh, and did I mention how nice it smells? It has a beautiful clean scent to it.

Lastly, I tried the High Tinted Lip Gloss in Oh La La Red. It looks like your basic red, rosy color in the tube. The gloss is rather tacky and gooey, but it does stay on better than most glosses I've used. And it is one of the prettiest rosy shades. I fell in love with it immediately. I don't necessarily care for the tacky texture, but it's such a nice color, I've used it like crazy.

This was a great introduction to a line that I've never heard of until now. I will definitely be trying out some more of Girl Actik. Check them out at girlactik.com.

DHC Acerola Gel ($12.50)
The Acerola Gel is a gel moisturizer that you apply to your face after washing and before your normal moisturizer. I must say that I really liked this gel. It's loaded with goodies like Vitamin C and it goes on easy with no greasy feeling. It settled into my skin very well and after about 10 minutes, it made my face incredibly soft. I found that I didn't need a moisturizer on top of it because I don't suffer from chronic dry skin. It also made my makeup go on smooth, like a primer, because it made my face soft. I can't say that it "prevented future age spots" like it claimed, but it did feel refreshing on my skin and for $12.50, it's quite cheap compared to similar products from other brands.

DHC Liquid Makeup in Beige ($27)
I generally don't indulge in trying new foundations because my current favorite, Laura Mercier, has served me so well for so long. But, I have to admit that I was in a stage where I wanted to try something else, you know, just to see if I was missing anything. Since I liked the Acerola Gel, I was excited to try the foundation. It comes in an easy, squeeze-type bottle. The directions say to shake the bottle well and I realized why later. The foundation contains olive oil and if you don't shake it first, when you squeeze the bottle, the oil comes out first. This made me nervous since I don't need any more oil on my face and I was also afraid that it would cause breakouts. I can't say that I've used a foundation that contained olive oil. But, according to the website, this foundation is suited for all skin types and the oil is necessary for a satin-smooth feeling and easy application. Well, I did find this to be true. The foundation did glide on effortlessly and blended with ease. The color I chose, Beige, was a tad bit too dark for my skin, but it did end up finishing rather nicely. I must admit, I absolutely loved this foundation. It did what it promised to do: it was light on my face, easy to apply, provided the coverage my red face needed, and I didn't have to touch up during the workday. However, I must admit that it did cause a few breakouts on my face and I'm guessing it was the olive oil, although it's not considered a major comedogenic ingredient (rated 2 out of 5, with 5 being the worst). This was actually a foundation that I'd purchase and use daily, but since it caused breakouts, I must put it in the foundation graveyard. :( It is one of the best foundations I've used.

I don't consider myself as being someone with sensitive skin, so those of you who wish to give this foundation a try (and I hope you do), get some samples first. You can find the Acerola Gel and the Liquid Makeup on DHC's website at DHCcare.com.

L'Oreal Glass Shine
I chose the following colors from the selection: Taupe Luster, Honey Halo, Brown Beam, and Pink Iridescence. Since I love department store brands, but not particularly the price, I was pleased to find some good quality lip colors from L'Oreal. These lip colors are thicker than gloss, but not as solid. They come in a small tube that looks like aluminum foil. Taupe Luster is, you guessed it, a taupe shade and it very pretty. Perhaps my favorite of the bunch. Honey Halo is like a light frosty brown color that I didn't care too much for. I just don't like the frosty look. Brown Beam was my least favorite. It's definitely a brown chocolately color that is way too dark than what I care for. Pink Iridescence is a pretty, just hint of pink shade. Not really a color, but it provides a nice gleam to my lips. It's nice to wear alone or layered over something. I personally wear it alone because I don't like a lot of color on my lips. The textures are not the softest I've seen, but they do go on nice. With the exception of the Brown Beam shade, they don't last through eating so get used to reapplying. The thing that I really don't like about this product is not the quality, but what it's packaged in. Since the tube is a foil, when you squeeze it to get the product out, it doesn't reshape itself to normal. So after I've squeezed it a tiny bit, it still keeps coming out and wastes a whole lot. And it won't quit coming out until I put the cap back on it. Then when I reopen it later, it's all messy. It's a complete waste of product. For this reason, I'll enjoy what I have, but will not purchase any more from the selection.

Thanks, Kristen! I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!