JC Penney's is a good quality store and I frequent it a lot - for housewares, linens and sometimes even clothes (depends on the store). But I usually don't buy makeup there since they don't carry the higher end cosmetic lines. But, they do sell Ultima II. In the late 80's, I had my first experience with Ultima II products. While I frowned upon their skincare line, I enjoyed all of those neutral "nakeds" that they offered in their makeup collection.

This trip to Ultima II was quite surprising - pleasantly so. I approached the two salesgirls at the counter and told them I had an appointment for a makeover. They were in their early '20's - ah, fresh budding makeup artists. They actually worked well together as a team. After successfully removing my eye makeup and foundation with Ultima II's eye makeup remover and a product called Going Going Gone, it was time to try their new skincare line. Going Going Gone is a makeup remover but I noticed she had to use it several times to get a minimal amount of makeup and a dusting of powder off my face.

The new Vital Radiance series incorporates beta-hydroxy acids, a step up from its sister alpha hydroxy acid, which supposedly leaves the skin brighter and very moist. But before applying that to my face, I inquired about the serum I saw on display. A vitamin enriched product, Booster Shot is just that - it boosts the skin, leaving it more smoothed-out and softened to diminish lines. Worn under the moisturizer, it's a perfect product for keeping skin protected from east coast winters. Booster Shot is not part of the Vital Radiance series. It is a product of the Interactives skincare and is not a new product to Ultima II, but what a find it is!

Once my skin was set for makeup, the Wonderwear line of Ultima II took over. I had tried the Wonderwear foundation before and really liked it. They liked 2 Neutral on me as Neutral Warm was too yellow and Neutral Cool was too pink. They used Wonderwear concealer under my eyes over Vital Radiance eye cream and Brighten Up Tighten Up eye cream. I love using two eye creams - I am 43 and have no wrinkles around the eyes and I really believe that it is because I've used eye creams since I was 25. The combination of the two creams left the eye area soft and moist even after six hours. The canvas was ready and the second sales person decided she would do my eyes. My features are dark, which means I can wear almost any colors. They really took the time to see what colors would look best on me. They also offered me some Valentine red hot hearts, so there we were, all munching on these candy hearts as I was being made beautiful! You would not find this in Saks!

A mix of a few light shadows followed by Wonder Bronze/Wonder Pearl were used on my eyes lined in grey liner. I like a thick line on my upper lid since I have a lot of lid to work with. Nakeds cheek color #5 was applied and gave my cheeks a warm rosy brown glow. The look was pulled together with the new Beautiful Nutrient Lipcolor in Beyond Bordeaux. This is a nice conditioning lipstick rich in moisture and actually good for your lips.

Because I am such a sucker for a good deal, I decided to try the cleanser and toner for dry skin. The duet was being sold as a special for $16.50 for two full size containers. The shadows, lipstick and blush went together so well, I decided to buy them, too. My favorite purchase was the Booster Shot and the Vital Radiance moisturizer with SPF 15. I was hesitant about the Interactives cleanser and toner duo because the cleanser contains mineral oil. I will try the skincare for a full week, so if any of you are curious as to how it cared for my skin, or if I had any reactions, feel free to email me after a few weeks. As a bonus, the girls gave me a free Wonderwear lipstick in a beautiful plum color. The Wonderwear lipsticks are the long lasting type and it went on very creamy and smooth. I felt that I got a good value for the money I spent:

• Interactives Cleansing Cream and Toner (limited offer) $16.50
• Interactives Booster Shot $28.50
• Vital Radiance Skin Perfecting Lotion $22.50
• Nakeds Cheek Color $16.50
• Wonderwear Eye Color $15.50
• Beautiful Nutrient Lip Color $13.50