With so many new brands available to us in drugstores, department stores, boutiques and online, it's easy to get caught up in new names and packaging, and forget about all of the familiar brands. This week I am pleased to offer an update to my Prescriptives reviews with a look at some new things, including a limited edition lipstick special for October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Enjoy!

Exact Matchstick ($37)
When I was looking back through our database of reviews at the last time I reviewed this foundation, I was surprised to see it's been almost 5 years (the original review was December 5, 1997)! I can't believe this makeup has been around that long, considering how often lines discontinue formulas to bring in new ones. I'm glad Prescriptives has realized that Exact Matchstick is a keeper. I've enjoyed reacquainting myself with its smooth texture, natural coverage, and simple application. I also got a great new tip from the salesperson at the Prescriptives counter: stroke the stick directly onto your face, but blend it out with a foundation brush, rather than fingers or a sponge. Your ability to work it into your face and get the coverage you want is much easier than with fingers, and you can use less product than if you blended with a sponge (which always seems to soak up all the foundation). You can also use the brush directly on the stick to pick up a little more color for extra coverage on a spot or two. Exact Matchstick has a demi-matte finish, so it works for most skin types (dry skins just moisturize well right before you put the foundation on), and it comes in nine warm shades and four cool shades that cover the spectrum from very light to dark. I use warm cream myself, which is considered their lightest warm shade (but is not overly pale).

Camouflage Kit ($27)
Since I picked up this new concealer kit, I don't go a day without it. This is the kind of concealer/powder set I've been dreaming about for years! You get two complementary shades, a pressed powder, a small powder brush, and a small fan brush for applying the concealers, all in a thin mirrored compact. There are six shade sets to choose from, names level one through six, with one, two and three for light and medium skin tones, and four, five and six for tan and dark complexions. I use level one, and again, like Exact Matchstick, it's considered the lightest but if you are very, very pale, it will probably still be too dark.

Aside from the great packaging and usefulness of the two shades of concealer, which by the way are skin friendly and safe for the acne-prone (yay!), the real selling point is the concealer texture. It combines all the right elements of coverage, smoothness, blendability, and staying power so you can use it on dark circles, blemishes, broken red capillaries, as an eyeshadow base - you name it, it covers it. I like to lightly dab the tips of the brush bristles into the concealer (rather than swiping the side of the brush across, like you would for an eye shadow or a powder blush) because you get just the right amount (start with a little, add more if you need to) and it blends out seamlessly. A dab of powder on the concealed area and the coverage lasts at least 8 hours. For all that you are getting, I think $27 is a bargain for this terrific little kit.

Mystick ($25)
I prefer cream blush, so when I decided to try one from Prescriptives, I chose the Mystick stick blush. The packaging is almost identical to Exact Matchstick, but Mystick comes in just four shades (one for each color grouping). Since I tend to stick to the Blue/Red color family, I picked Racy, the blue/red shade. Boy, it is racy! I think I'll have to save this one for an evening out, because even the smallest dab blended out to almost nothing is still too bright for everyday wear on my fair complexion. On medium and darker skin tones, it would be a beautiful cherry red flush. I wish Prescriptives had a few more choices in each color grouping, because while I like the smooth texture and easy blendability, more shades sure would be nice.

False Eyelashes ($17.50)
I was wary of trying this mascara because the idea of false eyelashes scares me - they always seem to look for over the top. Would I really want a mascara to do that to my own lashes? Thankfully, the name is a bit of an exaggeration. While Falsh Eyelashes does build quite a bit of length (dramatic, but not spidery), and does a nice job of thickening, it's still manageable for daytime wear. I like that the full brush deposits just the right amount of color without being overly wet or gloppy. I don't normally spend more than $7 on mascara, but this one is enough of a treat that I could see myself buying it again.

Limited Edition Incredible Lipcolor ($17.50)
I try not to be one to say, "Gee, I can't wait until my kids grow up so I can...", but in the case of lipstick, I do look forward to the day that I can wear a favorite shade without having it smeared all over my kids' faces. With my youngest still wanting to be held all the time, anything beyond a lightly tinted gloss is a recipe for a mess. That said, during those rare occasions when I am away from my children, lipstick is a nice treat that makes me feel dressed up. I selected this lipstick because it's part of Prescriptives' Breast Cancer Awareness efforts, and it happens to come in two pretty shades, Camellia, a vibrant blue-pink, and Cameo, a salmon pink. I chose Camellia, and while I wouldn't choose such a notice-me shade for everyday, it is a nice pop of color for evening. The lipstick texture is smooth with a demi-matte finish that lasts for about 4 hours without touch-ups. I don't think I would choose this shade again, but from the regular collection of Incredible Lipcolor, there are some very nice, and more neutral shades.

You can find these and many more Prescriptives products at department stores like Nordstrom, May Company stores like Robinsons-May, Lord & Taylor, Meier & Frank, and Foley's, and online at Gloss.com. Outside North America, Prescriptives is only sold in the U.K., Australia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Harrods in London can take mail order requests; their number is 011-441-71730-1234.

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!