What They Say: "Moisture-rich formula diminishes the look of undereye circles, shadows, puffs and fine lines—immediately and over time. Helps boost natural collagen production. De-puffs with calming botanicals. Even strengthens skin’s moisture barrier against common irritants."

Jen's Experience: I've used a lot of Clinique's moisturizers before with kind of mediocre results, but when I saw this new eye cream advertised in all the mags, I wanted to give this a whirl. I'm so glad I did. I was just hoping for a really nice thick moisturizer since my undereyes get the brunt of my dry facial skin. What I got was actually much more. This cream has perfectly complemented my Murad Eye Brightening Serum that I reviewed earlier this month to remove my dark circles. I have also been impressed with how much the fine lines under my eyes have improved. I barely need to use concealer anymore on most mornings, but this cream makes an excellent base to foundation and concealer. It keeps my undereyes moisturized without being greasy and making everything slip. I am truly impressed with this cream, and I recommend it to anyone with dry skin.

Retail Price: $27.50 (Clinique.com or department stores)

Rating:

What They Say: "Rapidly boosts skin's moisture level, restoring balance. To comfort, soften and smooth in a flash. Plump up fine dry lines. Oil-free. For all skin types. Use under or over makeup, or as a mask.

Use daily for immediate moisture boost, even over makeup. Pat over face and as spot treatment around mouth, neck, crow's feet. Use as a refreshing, moisture-intensive 5-minute mask. You may prefer to wipe skin with water-dampened 100% cotton ball before makeup application."

Jen's Experience: Last year I showed up at the Clinique counter with exceptionally dry skin. I bought several of their products in an effort to improve the situation, and as I was checking out, their representative suggested this product.

I use it when my skin is at its driest. I generally apply it in a thick layer before I go to sleep, hoping for a miracle when I wake. And, well, there's never been a miracle, I don't think, but I would definitely say I've seen some improvement. However, I've seen more drastic overnight change with other moisturizers, such as Neutrogena Advanced Solutions Skin Transforming Complex Nightly Renewal Cream.

Retail Price: $31.00 (Clinique.com)

Rating:

What They Say: "Firms dry skin as it rehydrates for greater comfort, improved elasticity. Triggers skin's ability to build and hold moisture."

My DeLush Downlow:  This was part of the solution to the great poison-ivy-right-before-the-wedding debacle.  I went to the Clinique counter to see if there was SOMETHING they could do to hide the mess in case all the moisturizers I was using didn't work.  I was impressed enough to keep on buying it, long after the dryness had dissipated.  It feels cool and applies really nicely.  I think I like it more for the summer months though, and I might seek out a new, more intense, moisturizer for the colder months.

Tips:  Although on of the benefits of using this moisturizer is how much it improves the application of your foundation, I do recommend putting it on a letting it dry a little before you start applying foundation on top of it.

Rating:

Reviewed By: Jen

What They Say: " Provides moisture and absorbs oil when and where needed with adjustable coverage that is silky upon application. Oil-free formula provides natural skin finish."

Jen's Experience: A lot of people light lightweight foundations that maybe add a little dewiness or help to even out their complexions. I'm not really one of those people. Me, I prefer foundations that are medium-weight at least and buildable. That said, I want to look flawless, not plastic. It's a balance.

I think this foundation is called "suberbalanced" because it's good for combination skin, but I have to say, it walks the line nicely between great coverage and a natural look. It blends really well, matching my skin tones to a 'T'. It also seems to be good for my skin, too; my nose isn't oily and my chin isn't flaky. If I had one wish, it would be a little more long-lasting. Overall, though, I can't complain; it's a great medium-coverage foundation at an excellent price.

Retail Price: $19.50 (Clinique.com)

Rating:

What They Say: "Kicks up the volume and length of each and every lash for a look that's lusher, plusher, bolder. Pure, deep colour only adds to the impact. Wear it once and you'll feel naked without it."

Jen's Experience: I've got a couple of really great mascaras in my arsenal right now, but sadly, this isn't one of them. I thought the staying power wasn't too bad, certainly nothing like Blinc's mascara, but a lot better than others I've tried. However, I was utterly unimpressed with the volumizing (zip), lengthening (zilch), or even the deep color (nada). I tried coat upon coat, but it did little more than a lash tint, only with less tint. Looking for something subtle? This may be a good choice, but otherwise, there are lots of better options out there.

Retail Price: $13.50 (Clinique)

Rating:

What They Say: "Creamy, intense shadows build quickly, blend easily to a wash of long-lasting colour. Three coordinating shades for a wardrobe of possibilities—each can be worn alone, as pairs, or layered together. Sleek, transparent-bottom case makes it easy to select shades. Ophthalmologist tested."

Jamie’s Thoughts: This trio is an instant classic – a super soft pink, a muted chocolate brown, and a light brown with grey tones. The light brown also has a VERY subtle bit of sparkle – so subtle, in fact, that I didn’t notice it at first.

I realize my purpose here is to explain to you what amazing things this product does for my eyes, but alas, I have no words. Allow me to describe it a different way: the first time I wore it, I loved my face so much that I did a victory dance to Scissor Sisters’ “Ooh” all over my apartment. The whole song, I’m not kidding. It was a first.

I used pink all over the lid, the dark brown in the crease, and the light brown as a highlighting sweep over the more dramatic dark brown. It makes my eyes look youthful (but not overly trendy), polished, and appropriate for a day at the office, or a date on Saturday night. The compact has a mirror, and the application tool is sponge-tipped on one end, and has a soft brush on the other end. The consistency of each shadow is smooth, soft, and easy to blend (or deepen with repeated use of the same color). When I’m in a hurry, I just sweep some of the pink on, and I look instantly polished and alert.

This is a must-have for spring – for any age, any style, and anyone who wants to look naturally beautiful, but not overly made up. I highly recommend this product for redheads, especially.

Retail Price: $21.50 (Check your local Clinique counter. Their website is, sadly, sold out.)

Rating:

What They Say: " The creamiest, richest, smoothest lip colour you can imagine. Our revolutionary gel formula delivers the shine of a gloss, the comfort of a lipstick. Drenches lips in moist, lush colour that glides on buttery-soft, feels luxuriously smooth."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: Cinique's lipsticks have long been on my list of favorites for color and wearability. This one doesn't disappoint on either end. Comfortable (SO unbelievably soft!) and extremely pretty, these almost-sheer colors look great alone or over lipliner and have a gorgeous subdued shine. Perhaps one of the most comfortable lipsticks available now.

(...and here are my lips in Delovely, the shade I chose, and no lipliner)

Retail Price: $14.00 (clinique.com and department stores)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say: "Provides all-day, non-drying wear. Can be used to line and define lips or used all over lips before lipstick application for extended wear. Helps keep lipstick in place. Prevents lipstick from feathering and bleeding. No sharpening required."

Jen's Experience: I got this product to wear when I was in a wedding so that my lipstick would look great for an extended period.  I didn't have much experience with lip liner, except that I hated the way it looked on people when they just lined the outside of their lips.  Eww.   The counter representative told me to line the outside AND fill in the entire area of my lips.  This would give a nice base to my lipstick, making it last longer and help to fill in the lines in my lips.  And I have to say, she was right.  I got a color that matched my Blushing Nude lipstick almost exactly, and I believe that the lipliner really made my lipstick last a couple hours more than it would have alone.  My only complaint with this product is that wearing this seems to dry my lips out a lot, making them a bit flaky, which isn't the least bit attractive. 

Tips:  Choose a color that is a very close match to the lipstick that you will be wearing for longer lasting lip color.  Another idea that is currently very trendy is to choose a light pink or nude lip liner color and follow that up with a clear super-shiny gloss.   For more even coverage, exfoliate your lips with a washcloth regularly, and moisturize them nightly.

Retail Price: $13.50

Rating:

What They Say: "Touch-on, glistening colour that starts sheer and builds to a creamy glisten. Velvety, cushiony tints create a dewy finish that lasts all day without creasing. Lightweight, water-resistant formula."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: During my testing, this shadow (in Soft Heather) wasn't exactly all-day-lasting. It did fade a bit for me throughout the day. And as for the creasing? Well...there was a little bit of that as well. The only way I could keep that from happening was to apply it super-thin. I did like the creaminess of it - it was very lightweight and fluffy, with a nice soft texture when applied. But if I rubbed it in a bit more, it could almost disappear. For me, this just wasn't the ultimate cream shadow.

Retail Price: $14.50 (clinique.com and department stores)

DeLush Rating:

What They Say:  "Longest-wearing, soft shine formula. Keeps its just-applied look for hours. Won't feather, creep, stain or dry out."

My Experience:  I love it when I find a product that meets my needs so well that I hardly have to buy any others in that category.  This lipstick could easily meet that criteria.  Although it looks very pinky purple in the pictures, it actually seems to transform in the light to match whatever I am wearing.  It lasts a long time, particularly if you use a lip liner and gloss on top of it.   I also like that it doesn't have a strong taste. 

Tips:  I like to use a lipliner that matches this lipstick over my entire lip surface before I apply the lipstick.  Then, I tissue off the excess and apply a nice gloss on top to give it some staying power.

Rating:

What They Say: "Skin-transforming formula is flexible, moves with skin. Provides transfer-resistant, all-day wear. Lightweight and oil-free with a smooth, velvety finish."

My Experience: I've been using this foundation for about six months, and overall I really like it. It does a great job of evening my skin tone, it provides an excellent base for concealer under my eyes.  My only complaint is that it goes on thick, so it does require some blending.  If you have any dry skin patches, it won't hide those; in fact, it may highlight the problem.   Despite that, this is a great, inexpensive foundation to use on sensitive skin.  It is also safe for pictures; I wore it in a wedding and it photographs well.

Tips:  Apply a coat of good all-day moisturizer (like Clinique Moisture On-Call) before smoothing on this makeup.  You don't need to massage it into your skin.  Just gently smooth it over your face until it is blended. 

Rating:

Reviewed By: Jen

Described As: " Moisturizing cover to hide flaws, soften fine lines. Comfortable for dry skins. Use to hide undereye circles, spots, uneven pigmentation, dilated capillaries."

Jen's DeLush Downlow: My primary use for a concealer is to hide the dark circles under my eyes, and less to soften fine lines.  Unfortunately, this solution does a terrific job of disguising the circles but at the expense of showing every fine line that I never knew I had.  I've tried putting moisturizer on before the concealer (as they recommended at the makeup counter), but the concealer seemed to fade more quickly, leaving me looking like Morticia in the middle of the workday. 

Tips: Hydrate your undereye area with non-oily moisturizer early in your morning routine to give it a chance to soak in before applying the concealer.  You may still have to retouch during the day, but it will apply much more smoothly.

Rating:

Reviewed By: Jen

Here I thought lip glosses were going out of style again after reading the last few issues of beauty mags, which would have been a shame, because I finally found gloss that meets my every wish.  All I needed was to take a look at the Sephora Top 10 to see that my assumption was totally false.  Now that it's clear that not everyone has given up their love of shiny lips, I'll tell you the gloss I've been using is Clinique Glosswear for Lips in Stellar Plum.

What they say: "Have fun with a brand new look in lip colour! More than just gloss, this sheer-to-moderate colour delivers unbelievable, 3-dimensional sparkle and shine. Lightweight and enriched with emollients so lips feel comfortable. Available in a range of six shades with an easy to use applicator.quot;

My Experience:  I almost didn't try it on because it looked too dark and way too...sparkly.  There is little worse than dark lipstick with a high gloss layer.  But when I put it on, it brightened my eyes, it gave color to my lips without being obvious, and all the sparkliness just blended in.   One of the problems that I have encountered with glosses is that they often don't last long at all, and suck all the moisture out of your lips in the process.  I won't say that this lasts as long as a quality matte lipstick, but it really does last longer than other glosses I've tried.  I've tried only one shade so far, but it is available in a multitude of colors and formulas.

Tips:  This gloss looks great by itself.  It looks very gummy if you try to later it on top of another color.  Ask the representative at the Clinique counter if you can try a few different shades to find the one that's right for you.  In my case, my gut instinct on the right shade was all wrong.

Rating:

Reviewed By: Jen

What They Say: "A sheer, vibrant fragrance that surrounds you with unexpected warmth,surprising depth. With the velvety impression of wet, white flower petals, the creamy, comfort of soymilk and the intimacy of soy nut and smoked woods. A nice place to be."

Melissa's DeLush Downlow: A bit flowery for me (which toned down a bit after wearing for a while), but my husband liked it. It had definite staying power, though, and improved as it wore throughout the day.

Retail Price: $39.50 - $53.50 (clinique.com)

Melissa Says: Have you noticed? Glamour is front and center stage this season, and everyone wants to get in on it! This collection from Clinique looks to be no exception. Now, you may be beginning to wonder if this trend toward all things smoky and alluring means you have to suddenly begin to put on more makeup than you're comfortable with in order to follow the fashion. But, of course, that's not necessary. This collection from Clinique offers moderate degrees of the shades of the season, in its new Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trios paired with some of their other already popular products, including the highly-acclaimed Almost Lipstick in Black Honey and limited edition Black Raspberry for a comfortable, glossy shine.

See the entire collection and find out how to create the look at Cinique.

When I was flipping through the latest issues of all the fashion magazines, I kept noticing the same thing all over the place -- an emphasis on color, and no color was more prevalent than lavender. I haven't been a big fan of the lighter purples in my clothing wardrobe, I confess, because they make my pale skin with light hair look positively pallid. But after seeing so much lavender makeup, especially with lighter skin tones, I had to give it a shot. And I am so glad I did!

One thing that is easy to find in drugstore cosmetic shopping is eyeshadow and eyeliner in just about every color of the rainbow. I looked through several brands, but decided on Rimmel's Eyeshadow Duo in Slow Motion (Walgreens, $3.99). I liked that it contained a lighter purple for the entire eye area and a darker one for the crease. While I was at the drugstore, I also bought a Prestige Eyeliner Kohn Pencil in Poly (Walgreens, $3.29) that coordinated with the Rimmel eyeshadow.

You might think that some bright colors like these might bring some stares out in public if they were ever to see the light of day. Well, I wore these products to work for an entire week at various intensities. In order to make the colors more intense, just keep on piling on the color. I never felt like "that girl" (you know...that girl...the one who always wears too much makeup). I wore it with pinks and blues and gray and black. It went with a lot of my wardrobe, and I didn't even have to put on anything purple! The colors worked well with my complexion, and did a lot to brighten the eye area.

Apply the lighter color of eyeshadow to the entire eye area, all the way up to the eyebrow. The light color will highlight the area under the brow and brighten your face. Then, follow with the darker color along the crease and then exand the coverage so that there's a wider band of color on the outside edge of the eye. The Rimmel eyeshadow comes with the cheapy little applicators. Sometimes those guys work, but for the Rimmel eyeshadow, throw them out the window. You will not get the preciseness you need with the applicator that comes with the set. Use an eyeshadow brush so that the darker color only goes where you want it to. If you are sloppy with the application, you will look like your eyes are swollen and bruised. Since the intensity increases as you layer it on, I recommend applying the darker color judiciously and taking a look frequently to make sure you haven't crossed the line. If it looks too dark, use a tissue to remove what you can on the top layer without smudging it too much.

Once the eyeshadow is in place, apply your coordinating eyeliner. The Prestige Kohl pencil I got is certainly the right color, but it's not nearly as good as their automatic eyeliner product. I wanted to try something new, but I was definitely wishing I had stuck with my old favorite. The kohl pencil drags on my eyelid, requires too much pressure for any real color application, and doesn't allow you to get close enough to the lash line for blending. After the eyecolor is complete, use a dark black mascara that will really make the lavender eyeshadow pop.

As great as the colors were from my drugstore purchases, I didn't find the eyeshadow or eyeliner to be longwearing. They were both fairly dry, so chances are I rubbed them away throughout the day. At any rate, a quick glance at the mirror before heading to an afternoon meeting showed that it had pretty much disappeared. What a shame.
With all the shortfalls of the drugstore products, I decided to try out a department store product, and since I've been dying to try out Clinique's Colour Surge Super Shimmer eyeshadows (Clinique, $13.50 each), I headed directly to their counter. I tried to choose very similar colors to the Rimmel shades and ended up with Crystal Berry and Purple Pixie along with their Quickliner in Grape (Clinique, $14.50). Clearly, this was a much more expensive venture than the drugstore purchase.

My first impression of the eyeshadow application was that I couldn't believe the nice creamy texture and how smoothly it applied. The color goes on more boldly even with a light hand. I guess that's what they call it colour surge. Plus, it actually lasts throughout the day. The Quickliner for Eyes, applied after the eyeshadow, is always a favorite of mine, and it does everything right -- the coverage is good, it blends in easily with my eyelashes, and it lashes hours longer than my inexpensive drugstore liner. However, my color choices were poor and the shimmer just made it all too much. This is not a color palette that I would wear to work on a regular basis. There's nothing subtle about it, even in the mellow lavender shades that I chose. I am saving the Clinique shades for a night on the town.

The picture at the top? Those are the Rimmel eyeshadows with the Prestige eyeliner pen. That's a look that I would wear to work on a regular basis, or even to the grocery store. If I vary the intensity, it's really a look that I could wear anywhere.

Can I wear this trend? Absolutely! Now what do you think? Is this a trend in your makeup toolkit or one that you would consider?