Thanks so much to everyone who emailed me positively about the Cosmetic Connection site re-design. We are having a great One Year Anniversary and thought the site could use a bit of a face lift! In the spirit of celebration, The Cosmetic Report is taking its first vacation next week. You can get your weekly dose of cosmetic reviews on the Cosmetic Connection website, then meet us back here on November 7th for another great issue of The Cosmetic Report.

Wandering the aisles of my local Fred Meyer supermarket this week, looking for new and interesting products, I found L'Oreal's new Feel Perfecte concealer and pressed powder (around $9.99 each). I'm not a big fan of L'Oreal's Feel Perfecte foundation (so-so color selection, slightly greasy feel), but the new concealer and pressed powder are pretty nice. For any redness or spots you want to cover, the Feel Perfecte concealer gives a nice, smooth finish that blends well to look natural enough to use alone without foundation. The only downside is that the coverage isn't quite opaque enough if you have very dark undereye circles (I like Maybelline Great Wear concealer, Stila Eye concealer, or Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick better for dark circles).

I liked the texture of the Feel Perfecte powder - very smooth and silky, not chalky, but the color selection leaves a lot to be desired. The whopping three colors (light, medium, and dark) can't possibly give every women a perfect match for her skin; I tried the "light" and it was way too dark for me. If one of the colors works for you, great! This is a nice soft powder you can use alone or over foundation.

Before heading for the check-out line with my L'Oreal Feel Perfecte goodies, I spotted a new eye shadow from Aziza and decided to give it a try, too. Single Step Eyeshadow (around $6) is a cream to powder formula that comes in a tube with a sponge applicator. Unlike some cream shadows I've tried that can be a little dry (Smashbox, Chanel), Aziza's is creamy and blends easily without tugging on your eyelid. Just apply across the lid and blend with your finger. It sets within seconds to a smooth powder that won't crease or fade until you take it off. Single Step comes in a nice selection of colors in neutrals, golds, and pinks to suit anyone's taste and skin tone ("topaz" is my personal favorite).

I have been searching for what feels like forever for a shampoo that doesn't dry out my hair. Some have come close and are fine for everyday, but when my hair is feeling really dry and frazzled, nothing has worked to rescue it - until now. During my usual weekly visits to my local Nordstrom (they know me by name now), I discovered a new conditioning shampoo from Origins that actually works! Called The Last Straw ($12.50), this cream shampoo is so thick Origins packaged it in a jar rather than a bottle. The orange and apricot fragrance (from essential oils) is heavenly, but even better is how soft and smooth it made my hair. If your hair is "dyed, dried or fried" (as Origins so cleverly puts it), this shampoo is for you.

It's Beauty Pack time again here at Cosmetic Connection! Congratulations to October's lucky winners... Nitza Tello of San Francisco, California, and Jenifer Russo of Roseville, California! November could be your lucky month to win a customized Beauty Pack of cosmetic and skin care samples. All you have to do is enter (one entry per person, please)!

The Makeup Diva is In! Cream shadows are a great time saver, if they would only stay put! Learn a few handy tricks to making your eyeshadow last longer from the Queen of Eyeshadow, Miss Diva herself. Don't miss it!