Yves St. Laurent Automatic Eyeliner Pen

What They Say: "At last, an expert eyeliner. The calligraphic brush offers great precision and its continuous but controlled flow delivers the correct quantity of product for each application."

Jen's Experience: The first contender was the one eyeliner pen that seems to have made it into every magazine's fall fashion issue. So, beauty junkie that I am, I drove right over to Saks to pick up my very own. It's awfully pretty in its slim gold case. The pen is instead a small black brush that is designed to automatically fill with just the right amount of color. Well, I tried applying it on my naked eye, I tried applying it over eyeshadow, I tried applying it over eyeshadow base. In every case, I had difficulty getting any color out of the pen at all. When I got any color, it was a medium gray, certainly not Black #1, the only color option. Did I just get a defective pen? In any case, this contender for my eyeliner devotion clearly wins the title: "Most Disappointing".

Retail Price: $31.00 (Nordstrom.com)

LORAC Front of the Line Waterproof Eyeliner

What They Say: "Front Of the Line's unique automatic delivery system makes it easy and effortless to get a clean, precise line. A flexible tip provides smooth strokes and ultimate control. Line up your options - from very fine to dramatically bold - and create true Hollywood Red Carpet style!"

Jen's Experience:  After my terrible initial purchase, I went out in search of a black eyeliner pen that actually produced a crisp and true black line. I wandered around Sephora testing various pens from various pens on my hand, and walked away with my second contender, this pen from LORAC. On my first use, this one produced significantly better results color-wise, but I found the pen to be incredibly scratchy on my eyelid. After using the pen for a while and allowing it to become more saturated with color, that problem has become less pronounced. Still, I find it difficult to pull a line, and as a result, I just can't seem to get a crisp enough appearance for any type of effect, be it the bold eyeliner look or the cat-eye trend. While it's not the right choice if you're going for style, this is a reasonably good eyeliner for daily wear.

Retail Price: $20.00 (Sephora)

What They Say: "Full, Kissable Lips That Speak Volumes: Pump Up the Volume with Intense Moisture and Soft, Voluptuous-Looking Lips!

Providing a smooth feel upon application, NEW IncrediFULL lip colour from Cover Girl adds the appearance of volume while improving the contour of your pout with a defined lip line. IncrediFULL lips pump up the volume - - say more and stand out!"

Benefits
• Instantly makes lips look fuller then bare lips
• Enhances definition of the lip line
• Increases lip moisture with Glycerin – a humectant that pulls moisture from the air into lips & locks it in
• Contains Vita-Collagen complex with Vitamin B3, Pro-Vitamin B5, Vitamin E
• Contains lip conditioning agents for a creamy, smooth feel
• Fights signs of aging, helping to smooth rough texture away & creating a fuller, smoother pout vs bare lips
• Provides a cooling, tingling, refreshing feel upon application that lets you know the product is working
• Gives lips 8 hours of moisture
• 24 Volumizing Shades

Jen's Experience: I am always curious when I see a reasonably priced drugstore product that claims to plump up my lips. But plumping AND 8 hours of moisture? That would be unbeatable!

I chose a shade called "Mauveful" because mauve usually looks great with my skin tone, but I can only describe this color as "trailer trash pink". Despite the fact that I can never wear this (at least alone with no opaque lip gloss covering it) outside of the house, I still highly recommend this product. I mean, really, this is a truly great lipstick, and not just because of the price tag. It lasts forever, maybe not 8 hours, but amazingly long, even if you eat, the color remains. I find it difficult to remove even with a washcloth. The plumping, unlike many similar products, actually works! With all of that, it seems like it would be drying, but it actually feels like I am wearing a light lip balm, especially with the tingling.

Now, I can't see "Mauvefull" looking good on anyone, but if you're willing to try out some shades, this is a lipstick you're sure to love.

Retail Price: $6.99 (Target)

Rating:

Normally, I would never paint my own nails.  I like to go to the professionals for that.  Invariably I am in a hurry, and it looks as though I dipped my entire fingertips into the polish rather than painting on my fingers. 

Occasionally, you just have to bite the bullet and do it yourself.  Recently I tried Cover Girl's Continuous Color nail polish because it claims to contain a base coat, polish and top coat.  And I am very lazy.

Well, I still had to be patient to apply it.  Sadly, no matter how advanced makeup is these days, it still doesn't clean up your mistakes.  I was impressed with their large color selection that looked like it had actual adult women in mind rather than fourth graders.  I was also impressed with the consistency of the polish.  Not too thin and not too gloppy.  Juuuuust right.  It looked reasonably good on my nails and toenails (especially my toenails), but I don't think I could have passed it off as coming from a nail salon.  That may have more to do with my poor nail polishing skills than the actual polish.

I wish I could say I was just as impressed with it's staying power.  Unfortunately, I got chipped nails within a day or two of wearing the nail polish, whereas I get at least a week out of a paid manicure.  The toenail polish did appear to have pretty good staying power that was pretty comparable to a professional pedicure.

I probably won't keep trying to polish my own nails if I don't have to, but this is a reasonably easy and inexpensive at-home option that I would definitely try again.

Rating:

Reviewed By: Jen

Keri Russell will grace November's issue of Lucky magazine, which hits newsstands tomorrow (October 9th).

"In the past year [Keri] has gotten married to her longtime love Shane Deary, given birth to her son River Russell Deary, become the new face of Cover Girl and finished filming this month's August Rush. Yet she has still managed to stay grounded.

Readers can enter to win her cover outfit and makeup-worth more than $3,000. The first 50 people to register will also receive a Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara in Very Black. To enter and for official contest rules, go to www.luckymag.com/deals."

Don't forget to pick up your issue of Lucky the next time you're out!

technorati tags: Keri Russell

(Alissa)
Polish Used: Living Nightmare Black Nail Polish

(Jamie)
Polish Used: Cover Girl “Boundless Color” in Midnight Magic (#610)

(Toya)
Polish Used: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lycra Wear in Black Satin

(Jen)
Polish Used: CHANEL Black Satin (color available in department stores)

(Melissa)
Polish Used: Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Black Out

Did you know that research shows that if more than 50% of all women could choose only one cosmetic product to be allowed to use, it would be mascara?

"LashExact Mascara, with its new breakthrough brush technology, provides a better lash experience than the leading department store mascara, delivering clump-free and beautifully separated lashes.

As part of the LashExact Mobile Tour, a specially-created purple LashExact Mobile Tour Van will visit participating retail partners throughout the country, including CVS, Ulta and Wegmans, encouraging women to turn in their department store mascara in exchange for a free full-sized LashExact Mascara. The tour officially kicks off in Chicago on September 6th and will run through the end of October, when it makes its final stop in Boston (October 25th-29th). Other cities on the tour include: Cincinnati, Atlanta, Orlando, Baltimore/DC, Philadelphia and New York.

If the tour is not stopping close to your hometown, you can take advantage of the Mail-in Promotion by sending your old department store mascara to CoverGirl in exchange for a free LashExact Mascara! Visit www.covergirl.com/freelashexact to find out when the LashExact Mobile Tour will be near YOUR hometown or how to make a mail-in exchange."