Thank you so much to all of you who sent me your recommendations for the best eye makeup remover. After last week's disaster with Clinique Rinse-off Eye Makeup Remover, I really appreciated your suggestions for a product that works without stinging or burning. I am pleased to report that I found one that works great!

After trying several skin care products from Lancome, like Galatee Douceur cleanser, Tonique Douceur toner, Bienfait Total SPF 15 lotion, and Primordiale (regular and for the eyes), and liking almost all of them, I felt comfortable following the recommendation of several readers to try Lancome's Tendercils Gel Eye Makeup Remover ($16.50). After trying it just a few times, all I can say is - WOW, is this a great product!

I just can't say enough good things about this eye makeup remover! It has no perfume-y fragrance, you only need a tiny dab on your finger (no cotton required) to get all your eye makeup off, it feels as gentle as water, it's not oily, it doesn't cloud your vision (important for contact lens wearers), and most importantly, it doesn't burn or sting at all! I wasn't sure about the gel formula at first, but I really liked it better than traditional liquids; you can put a dab of the gel on your finger, then work it in a back and forth motion through each individual lash, and across the rest of your eye lid, and that's it! The $16.50 price tag may be more than you think you want to spend (just like I felt about the remover from Clarins), but Tendercil's 2.5 ounce tube should easily last 6 months to a year.

While standing at the Lancome display, choosing from Lancome's different eye makeup removers, I couldn't help noticing that Lancome makes a tinted moisturizer -just what I had been looking for! While regular foundations and even powder-based versions work well, when summer comes, I really want a minimalist makeup look that's fast and doesn't look like gloppy or powdery foundation all over my face. Lancome's Imanance Environmental Protection Tinted Creme SPF 15 ($27.00) is exactly what I would create if I had a cosmetic lab all to myself! Can I just say I love it! The texture is the best - lightweight and easy to apply with clean fingers (no sponges required!), and the coverage is much better (but still natural looking and feeling) than I thought I would get with a tinted moisturizer. Imanance comes in a no-mess tube in both a regular and an oil-free formula; I opted for the regular, but if you have oily skin, you'll like the oil-free better. The color selection isn't as vast as most foundation colors, but there is a good range of light to dark shades.

Over the past few months, I've had great fun re-introducing myself to Avon. Many of us still have childhood memories of Mom or Grandma using Avon lipstick or hand cream, but Avon is trying, and I think succeeding, to break that image with products that are accessible and enticing to a younger generation. After perusing the Avon catalog and the Avon web site, I was really intrigued by one of their newer products called Lighten Up Undereye Treatment ($14.50). Using anti-oxidant vitamins like E, A, and C, and a whole host of fancy-sounding ingredients, Lighten Up is supposed to actually make dark undereye circles less noticeable. So, does it really work?

After using Lighten Up faithfully every morning and night for 32 consecutive days, I can honestly say that yes, the darkest part of my dark circles has gotten lighter. It's not overly dramatic, but I definitely notice that I look more rested, and I need less concealer in that area. I can also honestly say that I did not change my lifestyle, I did not get more sleep, and I did not change my eating habits, which could have skewed the results. If you have chronic dark undereye circles that persist even after a good night's rest, Lighten Up just might make a difference. Even though my official testing period is over, I plan to continue using Lighten Up to see if it lightens any further, and because it's also a great moisturizing eye cream.

Avon's effort to attract a younger crowd is unmistakenably obvious in the color selection of a True Color Powder Eyeshadow Quad ($5.25) that I tried recently. Fun spring pastels like Vibrant Violet, Liberated Lilac, Spring Spirit, and Sparkle in Quad #233 are a great alternative to basic, and sometimes blah, browns and grays. Some people don't like multiple eye shadow colors in one compact for fear of never using them all, but I say have fun with it! I played with different combinations and found the smoothness and lasting power of the shadows to be fantastic. At under $6, you really can't beat the quality and selection of colors, with 14 different compacts in pinks, plums, peaches, and even basic browns to suit anyone's taste.

No makeup look is complete in my book without a little lipstick, so while sporting my pastel Avon eyes, I decided to try Avon's Perfect Wear Lip Color in Shimmer Pink ($6.00). What looked like a flattering light pink/fushia shade in the Avon catalog turned out to be a super light, frosty pearl pink that was much too light on my skin. Fortunately, a day at home turned into the perfect testing ground for the formula itself, even if the color wasn't perfect on me. Avon's Perfect Wear lipstick is like almost every other long-wearing lipstick out there - it really doesn't last all day. If you eat or drink anything that is acidic or oily, you're going to lose most of the color on your napkin. I really did like the wonderfully smooth texture, though. It was easy to apply, didn't bunch, cake, or crumble, and I could reapply without having to take it all off and start over. Of the many long-wearing lipsticks out there, Avon's Perfect Wear is a definite contender - if I could just choose a better color!

To keep things interesting, I always like to have some cosmetic item that I'm searching for, so after a not-so-hot color in Avon's lipstick, my quest for a better color was on! As the saying goes "Ask, and you shall receive", and that's exactly what happened with the gorgeous red color of BeautiControl's Color Freeze long-wearing lipstick in Siren ($5.00). I really liked the texture and wearability of Color Freeze just as much as Avon's Perfect Wear; also, since it was a darker color, it lasted a bit longer. If you love a true red lipstick, check this one out from BeautiControl.

For more information about Avon products, check out their website at http://www.avon.com. BeautiControl also has a website with information about their line at http://www.beauticontrol.com

The Makeup Diva is In! You do everything you can to take care of your skin, but there comes time when we all get the dreaded lines and wrinkles! Using a basic moisturizer alone might not do the trick. This week, The Diva offers her personal product pics for smoother, healthier skin. Don't miss it!