Welcome to the Cosmetic Report^™ newsletter. It's our goal to bring you unbiased information about cosmetic products and trends so you can make educated buying decisions. If you've been searching for straightforward beauty information and advice, you've found it here. The Cosmetic Connection Panel of reviewers are consumers just like you who face the same issues and challenges, and look to the beauty industry to help solve them.

Vicky is a 38 year old office manager who has always loved makeup and skincare products. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona where the dry climate and high summer temperatures make taking care of your skin and melt-proofing your makeup a challenge! Vicky has dark brown curly hair, dark brown eyes, and a medium/light olive complexion. Her skin is normal-to-oily (t-zone) with large pores and occasional breakouts. Her hair is fine, highlighted, on the dry side, and she regularly straightens it with a ceramic flat iron.

American Beauty Skin Care and Makeup
It isn't everyday that I get the chance to preview a new skincare and makeup line before it hits the stores. And when I found out that Estee Lauder makes it--woohoo!--that made it even better! I had read that Ashley Judd was chosen to be the spokesmodel for a new line by Estee Lauder called American Beauty, to be sold exclusively at Kohl's stores. I remember thinking they couldn't have picked a better person: smart, pretty, and down-to-earth, I think Ashley Judd is a great example of a modern woman. So it was with great pleasure that I dipped into the goody bag...

All of the packaging for American Beauty is white/clear containers with silver accents - very streamlined and modern looking.

The skincare line ranges from cleaners to moisturizers to masks and other "specialty" products. I tried the Moisture-Wise Continuous Hydrating Lotion in a 1.7 oz pump bottle. When I first squirted a dose on my fingers I immediately thought it was too runny and light to do much good, let alone "continuously moisturize" my skin! Even though I have oily skin, the fact that it I live in the desert and am almost 40 requires that my products hydrate but not feel heavy. So, while I liked the light feel of the lotion, I thought it wouldn't give me adequate moisture. Was I wrong! The lotion absorbed immediately and left a nice finish on my skin, but I also noticed that my skin felt comfortable all day long. The formula uses a time-release system to constantly deliver moisture to the skin. I like the anti-oxidants in the formula, but unfortunately there is no SPF. I was a little surprised at that, since just about all moisturizers have it at all price points.

The next products I tried were the Beauty Boost Overnight Radiance Cream and the Uplifting Firming Eye Cream. Both products are great stuff. The Radiance Cream had a light texture, absorbed easily, and my skin felt great in the morning, thanks to some wonderful ingredients like glucosamine (helps to shed dead skin cells), yeast extracts to even out skin tone, and shea butter (my favorite!). The eye cream was also very good, not too heavy or greasy, and it worked great under makeup. The formula is moisture-rich thanks to olive extracts and aloe vera. It's nice to know that it also helps to prevent collagen loss in this delicate area. I didn't really notice a firming or lifting effect, but the undereye area looked smooth all day.

The Spare Moment Moisture Mask is a special treat, but I made sure to avoid my t-zone with this one since I felt it's more for dry skins, and applied it to my throat as well. It is one of those masks that doesn't dry but looks like its absorbed into the skin. I can easily see using this item more in the winter months. This mask is packed with ingredients like sea protein (to help firm) and almond oil and rice bran oil to keep skin smooth.

On to the makeup! Lately I have tended to stay away from pressed/loose powders because I wasn't happy with the finish. Even the really good ones left a too "dry" finish. I was pleasantly surprised with the AB pressed powders, though! I tried the Perfect Lighting Line Smoothing Pressed Powder in Light both over foundation and over bare skin and it left the most beautiful finish, not the least bit dry or chalky looking, and the color was an exact match for my skintone. It's got those wonderful light-diffusing particles to make your skin look so smooth! The medium shade was a little too dark for me.

The Luxury for Lids Eyeshadow Duo compacts are equally lovely. They have great consistency and staying power; I was surprised at how very little creasing I had after 8 or 9 hours. The shades are also wearable and pretty, nothing too far "out there"! I tried the Double Cream duo and loved it - a cocoa color and a satiny cream color - so versatile, and it really brings out my eyes. The Plum Perfection duo is a pretty combination of violet and lilac, more for nighttime in my opinion, and the darker shade works great as an eyeliner.

The powder blushes also hit a high note; it must be their powder formulation, but no chalkiness at all. The colors are very pigmented, so a little goes a long way. I tried the Spiced Coral and the Sun Chic, both shimmery, bronze-y shades. These shades are perfect for reviving an end-of-summer tan; they brighten the face but are not frosty or glittery.

The AB line has two different lipstick formulas, a liquid lipcolor formula, and lip liners. The lipsticks I tried were the Luxury for Lips Moisture Rich lip color and the Enduring Beauty Longwear lip color. In my opinion, both formulas were very long-lasting; I got through lunch with some color still on my lips and when I re-applied there was no cakiness at all. The shades I tried were Honey Delight and Berry Crush in the Luxury formula. Both are pretty colors with a slight shimmer to them and a lot of color. The Country Dancer and Bronze Star shades in the Enduring formula are great for fall and winter - bronzy, brick shades that emphasize the lips.

The last item I consider a "treat" because you don't really need it, but it's fun to have! It is the Luminous Liquid All Over Face Glow - radiance in a bottle! When I opened these little gems I immediately thought of a Clinique product that is very similar. But the AB Face Glow is wonderful - a very light liquid to either wear alone or mixed into your foundation that gives skin a pretty satiny look, even on oily skins (the formula is oil-free). Both shades, Gold Glow and Copper Glow, are so pretty, I can definitely see myself using them all year-round. The trick is to use it sparingly and your skin will look gorgeous!

Since I knew that the American Beauty parent company is Estee Lauder, I couldn't help but compare the quality of the AB products to those of the EL products I am familiar with. I think AB products, especially the skincare, has a lot of the EL quality built into them for about half the price. Prices range from $12.50 for a cleanser to $27 for the night cream, and $12.50 for a lipstick to $16 for a foundation. It's a great line concept overall and the market they are trying to reach is one that has been needing attention for a long time: the gap between drugstore and department store.

The American Beauty line will debut in October 2004 at select Kohl's department stores across the country and a complete rollout is slated for fall 2005. You can visit americanbeautycosmetics.com for more information.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!