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Happy Friday and Happy June from the Cosmetic Connection!

The good, the bad, and the ugly - we encounter everything from overpriced creams to mascara to die for at the cosmetic counters. This week, I share with you some good cosmetic finds, and a few that aren't worth the package they come in.

I've always have a great time at my local Trish McEvoy counter at Saks Fifth Avenue here in downtown Portland, Oregon. The counter manager and the artists are friendly, creative, and seem truly interested in teaching women about cosmetics and skin care, not just selling products. When I got a call that they were doing an event with a regional makeup artist, I made an appointment and knew I was in for a relaxing hour of makeup fun.

The artist, who was also a facialist, cleansed my face with their Essential Cleanser ($37.00 for 8 ounces), then applied a thin layer of their Glycolic Lotion ($37.00 for 2 ounces) mixed with their Light Moisturizer ($37.00 for 2 ounces). While the products felt okay on my skin, I could help noticing that the ingredients in the $37 Essential Cleanser are identical to those in Cetaphil, a popular gentle skin cleanser that runs about $7 for 16 ounces at most drugstores! The Glycolic Lotion was nice enough, but not worth $37. Philosophy's The Damage Is Done, Alpha Hydrox, Avon Anew, or Neutrogena Healthy Skin could all do the job just as well for a lot less money. The same goes for the Light Moisturizer - nothing special or unique. Remember, I'm not just talking about cost, I'm talking about value. I want to feel like I got what I paid for, and not that I just spent $111 on skin care that is completely ordinary.

The one thing I absolutely loved from my afternoon at the Trish counter was their Natural Tint Foundation Oil-Free ($35.00). Unlike most oil-free foundations I've tried, like Bobbi Brown oil-free and Laura Mercier oil-free, this one from Trish is very fluid, not thick, and spreads very easily without caking or drying too quickly. The coverage is enough to hide what you want to hide without looking or feeling like a mask. If you've got oily, normal-to-oily, acne prone, or even combination skin (oily T-zone, normal cheeks), this is a great foundation choice.

Since I am always looking for a gentle, thorough cleanser, I decided to revisit my local Shiseido counter to see what was new and interesting. When I was a teenager, I used Shiseido's Pureness line for oily skin, but over the years, I was naturally drawn to many other lines and Shiseido quickly became just a memory!

After talking to the skin care consultant, we determined my skin is Normal Combination, for which they recommend the Vital Perfection line of products. I took the plunge and bought the Cleansing Foam ($22.50) and Facial Cleansing Brush ($19.50), skipping the overpriced and unnecessary $30 Balancing Softener "toner" and slew of moisturizers I knew I didn't need. I wasn't even sure if the Facial Cleansing Brush would make much difference over the cleanser alone, but after two weeks of daily use, my blackhead prone areas (chin, nose, and forehead) are actually clearer and smoother. The daily use of the brush is enough gentle exfoliation to remove some of the blackheads and help keep them from coming back. Hooray!

The cleanser itself works well to remove most makeup and daily grime (definitely use a separate gentle eye makeup remover, though), and it leaves the skin feeling clean and smooth. It also contains tiny blue antibacterial beads that are great for acne-prone skin because they help stop bacteria from spreading to other unaffected areas of your face. This cleanser is really for someone who is either altogether oily or at least has a fairly oily T-zone and normal cheeks; if you are dry anywhere, your skin probably won't like this product.

Another good product I've found this week for someone with oily, normal-to-oily, or combination skin is Prescriptives Insulation Anti-Oxidant Vitamin Cream SPF 15 ($40.00). You get all the anti-oxidant vitamin and sun protection benefits you need in one extremely lightweight cream that feels great on the skin. The featherlight texture means quick absorption with no greasy residue or oily feeling - perfect for summer!

Speaking of perfect for summer, Lancome's new body moisturizer, Re-Source Drenching Body Spray ($25.00), is a great new alternative to heavy body lotions. A quick spray moisturizes and cools the skin, leaving behind a terrific light floral fragrance. Perfect after a shower or bath, or after being out in the sun all day to relieve sun-tired skin.

The Makeup Diva is In! Do you love that sun-kissed look but hate what the sun can do to your skin? Self-tanners are a great option, but they can seem complicated to apply. This week the Diva reveals her personal application secrets to the perfect safe "tan". Don't miss it!

For the next two weeks, instead of the regular Cosmetic Report, I am pleased to share with you my experiences as an event makeup artist here in Portland with Bobbi Brown Essentials and Philosophy Cosmetics. You'll get a behind the scenes peek at what really goes on behind the counter when you get your makeup done. Stay tuned!

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