I had a lot of fun trying the products for this week's newsletter, so I hope you enjoy reading about them. Coming up in future issues I'll be talking about Philip B. hair care, SKINMARKET's new brown sugar bath products, and Bernadette Thompson nail polishes. Enjoy!

Linda Cantello Cosmetics
Ask anyone who works runway fashion shows or magazine photo shoots, and you'll learn that Linda Cantello is quite a well-known makeup artist who has used her knowledge and experience to create a polished makeup line for "regular" women like you and me. I'd heard good things about her Forget Foundation ($35), so I started with that in Shade 1. This is amazing stuff! If you like (or need) medium to full coverage but hate the feel of heavy makeup, you have to try this. One pump is more than enough for your whole face and the coverage is terrific. The lightweight fluid feels velvety but disappears into your skin, leaving it looking natural and glowing. I love the look and feel of Forget Foundation so much that most days I forget I have it on, literally - it looks and feels so much like I wish my skin actually looked that I almost forget I have to wash it off! The only downside is the small color selection - just four shades. I've found shade 1 to be a great match for me, even though it doesn't look like my "usual" shade, so perhaps there is a small choice of colors because each one works with a several skintones in the same range. Just an idea...

If just a bit of makeup is more your speed, Hint Tinted Moisturizer ($34) is a nice alternative to Forget Foundation. It has less coverage but can still even out your complexion, and it has a similar velvety feel that disappears into the skin. I like to put a pea-sized dab in my palm, rub my hands together, apply Hint to my whole face like moisturizer, then use my fingertips to smooth and blend it down. It gives the skin a nice demi-matte glow (less dewy than Forget), and it protects with SPF 15 sun protection.

Elastic Lash ($16) is another of my favorites from Linda Cantello. It has a nice full brush, long handle, and rich color that seems more like a gel than the dry, sometimes crumbly mascara I often find with other brands. One coat is perfect for defined, notice-me lashes.

I also tried Licks ($16.50) lip treatment in Juicy, Eye Shadow Powder ($17) in Bomb and Seamless Real Colour Blush ($20) in Lust. Licks is a fancy form of lip balm, with vitamin E and herbs like rose, ginger, lemongrass, green tea, cardamom and rosemary. Although the product comes in different shades, it looks clear on your lips. I am not sure, then, why there are shade choices, unless each one features a different herb. It's not obvious on the website... The Eye Shadow Powders are richly pigmented and long lasting. I was skeptical when I tried using mine, a deep charcoal gray shade, as a liquid liner (with a dampened liner brush) - it was thin and uneven - but thankfully it smoothed out on my lid and lasted all day without moving a bit.

My color choice of Seamless Real Colour Blush shows that sometimes you don't get what you expect when you choose a color online. What I thought would be a mauve-pink, like it appeared on my screen, ended up being a dark, coppery bronzer shade. It is so dark, there is no way I can try it on my fair skin. I hope to pass it on to a Panelist who can appreciate such a deep color.

I'd say I am very pleased with Linda Cantello cosmetics and would definitely recommend the Forget Foundation as a great introduction to the line. You can find Linda Cantello products online at TheArtOfBeauty.com or from Bergdorf Goodman by calling 1-800-558-1855.

Shu Uemura Skin Care
I can't believe it has taken me this long to review these products. I have been curious about Shu's Cleansing Beauty Oil ($40 for 8.4oz) for years, and after finally trying it, I love it! You can choose from Balancer for normal-to-dry skin, or Fresher for normal-to-oily skin. Both are mineral-oil based with jojoba, rosemary and wine yeast extracts, but Balancer adds corn oil and safflower oil to make it more moisturizing. I have dry skin and found either one worked fine for me.

Following the cleansing oil I tried both Moisture Lotion ($35 for 8.4oz) for dry skin and Refreshing Lotion ($35 for 8.4oz) for sensitive skin. These toners are alcohol free and feel soothing on the skin, but I think they are too expensive for what you are getting. If you feel like you need a toner, I'd say go with something more reasonably priced and spend a little more on a nice lipstick or perfume for the holidays :)

Since the cleansing oil is more for use at night to remove makeup, I opted for Massage Refiner ($30 for 2.2oz) for my morning routine. This gel-based scrub has small synthetic grains that feel like they are doing something without being too rough. I am very particular about scrubs, since I do use one every day and need to be careful about over-scrubbing. I really liked this one and plan to purchase a full size tube (I had just a few sample packets).

You can find Shu Uemura products at TheArtOfBeauty.com, Beauty.com and VisageBeauty.com.

DHC Skin Care
After trying and liking the cleansing oil from Shu Uemura, I remembered that DHC has a similar product that I guessed would probably be less than $40. I went to their site and found their olive-oil based Deep Cleansing Oil for a heck of a lot less - $22 for 6.7oz. I couldn't resist buying a bottle and now it's my new favorite fall/winter cleanser. When my skin is worn out and looking tired at the end of the day, this oil really lifts off all the makeup, rinses off surprisingly well, and leaves my face feeling clean and hydrated.

With my order I was invited to choose four samples, so I picked Baby Soap ($7.50 for full size) for my 3 month old. It's a clear, unscented bar with palm oil, honey and olive oil. It does a nice job on his delicate skin and I would definitely consider buying the full size bar. For myself, I got samples of Olive Virgin Oil ($36 for one ounce), Facial Scrub ($14 for 4.9oz) with apricot seed powder, and Mild Cleansing Cream ($14 for 4.9oz) mineral-oil based cream cleanser. I like feel of the Olive Virgin Oil - light and fast-absorbing - but I have to wonder, is this the same stuff I use to cook with? The only ingredient on the label is "olive oil"... I did not like the Facial Scrub as much as the Shu Uemura one; the apricot seed powder is a little rough, since the seeds can be uneven in texture and irritating to the skin. Compared to the cleansing oil, the Mild Cleansing Cream did nothing for me - it's fine if you are a die-hard cream cleanser fan, but it just doesn't rinse as cleanly as the oil, believe it or not.