Happy October from the Cosmetic Connection!

For Part Two of our Drugstore Extravaganza series, this week I road tested two long lasting products that really lived up to their promises.

Amazing Lasting (around $8 at drugstores), the new oil-free, long wearing foundation from Almay, worked so well at lasting all day that I almost couldn't get it off! If you've tried Revlon ColorStay, L'Oreal Colour Endure, or any of the other long wearing foundations, you'll know what I mean -when it sets, it's for good! You have to blend quickly or it streaks, and you need a fairly potent cleanser to remove it completely. It finally took a cotton pad soaked in eye makeup remover, plus a regular cleanser and toner, to cut through it. If you have oily skin or an oily T-zone that shines through most foundations, this one from Almay just might be your answer. It controls oil yet feels comfortable, without caking, clumping, or turning colors. Amazing Lasting also doesn't smear in humid weather, and it won't come off on your clothes. If you have very dry skin, you may experience some tightness as the day wears on, but for normal, slightly oily, or combination skin that needs a long wearing, medium coverage foundation, Almay's Amazing Lasting is a good choice.

Maybelline has finally joined Origins, Clinique, Prestige, Lord & Berry, and L'Oreal (to name a few) with their new Lip Express lipstick and liner in one (around $3.99 at drugstores and supermarkets). Just like the others, Lip Express comes packaged like a thick pencil lipliner that can be used as both liner and color. I choose "Rocket Ruby", a beautiful true red, from a collection of about a dozen colors and tested it through countless Diet Cokes, afternoon snacks, and cups of coffee to see if it would stick around. The formula is creamy like regular lipstick, but demi-matte like a long wearing formula. Even after eating or drinking, I still had a nice stain of color on my lips that didn't crumble or crack. I would choose Lip Express over those dry long-wearing lipsticks any day!

Over the past few weeks I've enjoyed reviewing bath and body products so well that this week I couldn't resist trying Kneipp's Sparkling Herbal Bath (around $1.99 at drugstores and supermarkets) in "melissa - relaxing formula" (one of several fragrances). If you've ever dreamed of having a mini-jacuzzi right in your own tub, this is it! This effervescent tablet combines a bubbling and fizzing action (great for sore muscles) with a tantalizing citrus-mint fragrance. This a bath experience you'll want to make time for!

Fall is definitely settling in here in the Pacific Northwest, so I have begun my search, as I do every year, for a good fall/winter cleanser. The cooler weather, almost constant rain, and overall environmental assault on my skin always make it drier and more sensitive. I decided after my disappointment with Bath & Body Works Creamy Cleanser (from the new "Face" line) that I would try their Foaming Wash ($8 for 6 ounces) instead. Bath & Body Works is great about returning anything that doesn't work for your skin, so I knew I was covered if it was too drying. Well, the bad news is, I did return it! For someone with dry skin, cleansers that foam or lather can be too stripping and drying, as this one was for me. The good news is, this is an effective cleanser that works best for normal, combination, or even oily skin. If you haven't visited Bath & Body Works lately, this new line is simple, reasonably priced, and worth a look.

Ever since my trip to New York City in February, I have used and enjoyed products from a little boutique in SoHo called Face Stockholm. Theirs was the first bottle of liquid foundation I have ever finished, and their "joy" eyeshadow is a permanent fixture in my eye makeup collection. When I learned they introduced a line of skin care, I thought, what better place than Face to find a good fall/winter cleanser? Since I don't have a Face store or counter near me, I took a chance on ordering over the phone. After talking about my skin type with a salesperson at Face for several minutes, I decided on the Aloe Cleansing Lotion ($18 for 8 ounces) for "normal, sensitive, dry, or youth skin" (whatever "youth" skin means...).

About two weeks later, my package arrived and I was eager to try my new cleanser. The product packaging is simple, and the ingredient list short. The first thing I noticed as I opened the bottle was how strong the lavender oil fragrance was, even though it's near the end of the ingredient list. Lavender and rosemary oils have an almost astringent property that really aren't beneficial to dry or sensitive skin. I really wanted to like this cleanser, since I've liked many other Face Stockholm products, but it didn't do a very good job of removing my makeup, and it left a strange filmy feeling on my skin, like some sort of coating was left behind in the rinse cycle. Not my idea of clean!

The Makeup Diva is In! Makeup sponge or fingertips: which is better for applying foundation? Miss Diva enlightens us with her take on both. Don't miss it!

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