This week I am pleased to feature some new reviews from our Panelist Judith. Judith, 55, lives in Washington, DC, where she works part time in the advertising department of a major newspaper, runs an online jewelry business, as well as a major mailing list and web site for art quilters on the WWW. A natural blonde until she reached her 40's, her dark blonde hair is cropped short and highlighted. She has brown eyes and sensitive/normal to dry fair skin with yellow undertones. Makeup concerns vary from season to season in Washington, as the weather goes from one extreme to the other. Judith prefers a liquid, cream or gel foundation with sheer to medium coverage and never leaves home without foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick. Her main skin care concerns are fine lines and uneven skin tones and she is always in search of a perfect new product! Have a question for Judith? Email her here.

Take it away, Judith!

Trish McEvoy Even Skin
Trish McEvoy's long awaited new foundation, Even Skin, is finally here and it was definitely worth the wait! A lightweight gel formula, it absolutely melts into the skin and can be as sheer as you like, or layered for more coverage. I'm really hooked on gel-based foundations and this is one of the best I have tried! Long-lasting, it wears well all day without creasing or settling into the lines around the mouth or eyes that many of us who are aging are developing.

Like many other newer foundations, Even Skin contains light reflective particles. These smooth the skin and give it a nice glow without being greasy or leaving your face shining like a mirror! I've now tried it in warm weather and cold weather, and it works equally well in both, although as with all of my foundations, I do need to wear moisturizer or a skin primer underneath.

In numbered shades from #1 through #8, #2 worked perfectly for me. The only negatives I could find for this great foundation are that it contains no SPF, that it's not in a pump bottle, which I prefer as being more sanitary to use, and that it's priced at $55 for a 1 oz. bottle. I'll get over those three facts, though, because I love this stuff and will definitely be including it in my holy grail of foundations list!

You can find Trish McEvoy products at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores, and online at Nordstrom.com.

Dior Capture Skin Care
As an aging older baby-boomer, I've noticed that every cosmetic company seems to be getting on the bandwagon and trying to help us with our aging concerns. Dior is no exception, as they introduce a new range of products called "Capture", which like many of the other products of this type claim to be based on marine biology, although sea algae appears pretty far down a long ingredient list and is definitely not the primary ingredient. Claiming to have what they call a two-patch system, the products are designed to smooth the skin in the short term and soften wrinkles with extended use.

Capture R60/80 Ultimate Wrinkle Creme
Capture R60/80 comes in two versions: Light and Fresh Texture, and Rich Texture. I opted for the former, thinking that it might be nice for a light moisturizer in Washington's hot and humid summer months. Unfortunately, when it arrived, it was bitter cold outside and my skin was pretty dry, so I probably should have tried the Rich Texture version. Be that as it may, this is a lovely, very light moisturizer which sinks right in and makes your skin feel divinely smooth. It would make a nice make up primer as it is, but it is to be used with other products, two of which I also tried. Packaged in a pearly gray jar with a pale peachy pink lid, this moisturizer comes in two sizes, 1 oz for $45 and 1.7 oz. for $70.

Capture XR 60/80 Extra Vital Restoring Serum
Capture XR 60/80 is the next step. Used morning and evening, it also contains a seaweed formulation which smoothes and tightens the skin, leaving it very soft but not at all greasy. Only a small amount is used and one bottle will last a good while. Again, available in two sizes in a pump dispenser, 1 oz for $55 and 1.7 oz for $75.

Capture R-Flash Instant Smoothing Fluid
Next we have the Instant Smoothing Fluid, which is to be used under makeup. Not unlike Estee Lauder's Perfectionist and Idealist, it smoothes the skin and makes a lovely base to your makeup, giving you a bit of glow without being shiny or greasy. A .5 oz pump dispenser is $50.

I had never tried any Dior skin care products before these and they did not disappoint. Elegantly packaged, I was very impressed with the results they produced and they look nice on the bathroom shelf, too! While I don't mind fragrance in my products, those of you who do have problems with scented products would probably not be satisfied with this range, because they are definitely scented. However, if you love Christian Dior's scents, you are in luck! I really liked these products and plan to try a couple more of the items in the Capture group.

The full Dior Capture range is available online at Sephora.com.

Happy Shopping!

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