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.

Lisa is in her early thirties, and hails from from Columbus, OH. She has very fair skin that tends to be "combination," with unexpected rages of sensitivity. Lisa's heritage is rather mixed - mostly Hungarian, with some Scottish and French mixed in with a dash of Native American. Her very fair skin tans like nobody's business, and produces a myriad of freckles, so she always wears plenty of sunscreen (Peter Thomas Roth Ultra-lite spf 30). Lisa has golden-green eyes, and mop-thick brown hair, which she keeps under control with Terax Conditioner. Lisa's main beauty concerns are puffy, sensitive, "circled" eyes, (which she remedies with Creme de La Mer applied at night, and Avon Lighten Up Plus in the daytime) and keeping her sensitive skin calm and clear.

Any makeup maven worth her (or his) salt knows that great tools make all the difference in personal grooming, facial care, and makeup application. While it is always fun to splurge, sometimes it just isn't possible; don't lament - the good news is that these tools come in all price ranges, so even those of us on tight budgets can look our best without breaking the bank!

I've been a cosmetic junkie since I first sat in my mother's bathroom, and watched her carefully apply classic red lipstick from a golden tube. I found this simple transformation utterly hypnotic, and have been hooked on makeup ever since. During my years of "makeup fan-dom" I've picked up some great tips and tricks of trade. Since we all know it is always nicer to share, the following reviews are dedicated to the tools behind the color, creams, and other concoctions, as well as some tips I've picked up here and there.

The first area I want to cover is makeup brushes, because really, they should be the cornerstone of your makeup collection. If you have a little bit of money to invest, spend it on the brushes, baby. Even the simplest drugstore item will look marvelous when applied with the right tools. Eyeshadows and lipstick will last far longer and powder and cream blush will look more smooth and even, and loose powder applied with a fluffy, soft powder brush will "set" your cosmetics, and absorb excess oils. Brushes truly make all the difference!

I had the pleasure of trying the new Pro Line Expert Makeup Brushes from Estee Lauder. There are a total of fourteen brushes in this collection, and prices range from $18.50 to $40 per brush. While this certainly isn't cheap, you really do get what you pay for when it comes to this line - not to mention they aren't nearly as expensive as brushes from lines like Bobbi Brown or Shiseido.

These brushes are truly lovely; they are very soft and have great "payoff" (a term used to describe both the amount of product a brush applies, and the way it distributes the product on your skin). The blue lacquered handles have a bit of weight to them, so they have a great sense of balance, too. These brushes are available online now, and will be at Estee Lauder counters nationwide in February.

Now, you might be thinking, "I'll need a second mortgage to buy 14 brushes!" Really, no one needs 14 brushes (now what you want might be another matter altogether). Everyone wears differing amounts and types of makeup, so start slowly, and expand as you see fit. The brushes I use most are: Powder Brush, Blush Brush, Finishing Brush (this "fan-shaped" brush is great for sweeping away any excess product, especially stray eyeshadow dust), Large Eyeshadow Brush, Small Eyeshadow Brush, two "slant" Eyeliner Brush (one to moisten and apply powder eyeshadow as eyeliner and one for filling in eyebrows) and a Lip Brush. I also have found that Estee Lauder's Concealer brush, used with Origins "Quick, Hide" Concealer is a miraculous fix to my dark undereye circles. I also like using their Foundation Brush with my cream blush, as it seems to fake a natural blush very well. Think about your own habits, and invest in the brushes that you will use the most.

If you are starting your brush collection from scratch, consider a set from Profaces. The quality is excellent (certainly comparable to any top brand), and their sets are very reasonably priced, not to mention, they take a lot of the guesswork out of picking the right ones. You can also find beautiful budget brushes from Target's Sonia Kashuk collection. In fact, she has some great, hard-to-find items like "Spooly" brushes (for eyebrow grooming) and metal eyelash combs (the BEST for un-clumping lashes, but use with care, as those tines are SHARP!).

Once you've made a brush investment, take care of them by washing them regularly with tepid water and mild shampoo - something simple like baby shampoo works well. If you need a quick clean, you can use a "spray and wipe" cleanser (I love the one from Jane Iredale - it even has citrus extracts to kill bacteria) or use a waterless makeup remover cloth (I like the ones from Olay for sensitive skin, as they leave very little residue). Keep in mind that this trick only works for "powder" brushes, since foundation and concealer brushes for cream or lotions need a real "washing" to remove those stubborn pigments. Also, be gentle when cleaning - don't mangle the hairs, as they will lose their shape and shed hairs. You want your brushes to last a long time once you've spent a chunk of cash on them!

Miscellaneous tools are just as important as brushes, and thankfully, usually aren't nearly as expensive. I raid my local CVS for basics like replacement puffs for powder compacts, new "square" sponges for cream foundation compacts, and other necessities. I adore their Upstage line, and can usually find anything I need.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to replace these items often (I do it once a month). As these items become little cesspools of oil and bacteria VERY quickly. Since they don't hold up particularly well to washing, just toss them. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, grosses me out more than being in the restroom of a swanky restaurant and seeing some diva whip out a Chanel powder compact and pat her nose with an obviously dirty, cakey sponge or puff. Shudder. These items are just too cheap not to replace them at the first sign of grime.

For eyebrow grooming, I head straight to Tweezerman for the best implements. They are perfectly aligned, and can grab the smallest of hairs. At about $18, they aren't the cheapest tweezers, but they are unquestionably the best. I don't even bother with the slant-tip ones - I go straight for the ultra-sharp pointed type, as they are almost surgical in their precision, and will remove the tiniest bit of stubble. But, PLEASE be careful because they are extraordinarily sharp! After time, any tweezers will get dull, and won't be as perfectly aligned, but Tweezerman will sharpen and re-align them for free, so keep the packaging, as it contains the address you need to send them back to for the service. Kudos to them!

Hopefully, you've enjoyed this set of "tool reviews," and have gleaned some good tricks and tips to add to your own beauty arsenal!

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!