Makeup regime takes time to perfect

Beauty, some say, is in the eye of the beholder. Well, I have the same thing to say about beauty products. Trust me, I’ve beheld a lot of them. As I have mentioned before, I’m a product junkie, given to sporadic slathering on of lotions, curling of eyelashes, and waxing of legs – if it’s new, I’ll try it.

But when it comes to cosmetics, I’m extraordinarily set in my ways. It has taken me more than 10 years to perfect my makeup regime, and I’m reluctant to veer from it in the slightest. An unsuccessful run with electric-blue eyeliner in the ’80s convinced me that neutral is best; thus I’ve worn the same eye shadow since high school, and it still looks fabulous.

So imagine my surprise during a recent shopping trip, when I discovered the Retro Glow line of eye makeup from Physicians Formula. Its packaging lured me in – the eye shadow looks like a cameo pendant – but the smooth finish with a hint of shimmer was the hook. I don’t wear it every day, but it’s just right for special occasions because it has sparkle to spare without the teenybopper glare ($6.95 at drugstores).

I also tried out Avon’s new line of cosmetics for young women, called “mark.” It has all of the fun of teen-targeted cosmetics – cool colors, cute packaging, low prices – with a decidedly grown-up vibe. Mark encourages teens and twentysomethings to become entrepreneurs in their own right (think young Avon lady), which is laudable. But since I already have a pretty good thing going career-wise, I was more into “mark.” for the lip gloss, which is shiny, pretty and minty-fresh, and the mascara, which didn’t dissolve into a muddy puddle after a crying jag (check www.meetmark.com for details). What more could a girl want?

A great disguise, of course. And I’ve found one, in Revlon Colorstay Concealer ($7.49 at drugstores). I was looking for something with a little more staying power than the tried and true Maybelline grease paint I had relied on through college. Nothing against the Maybelline, but this stuff works wonders, and it lasts all day. The only thing I wouldn’t use it for is under-eye circles, because it’s a bit too luminous for that, leaving you with a jarring reverse-raccoon effect.

Raccoon eyes aren’t a worry with my old standby shadow and liner, however. There’s a reason why I have used Clinique’s Pair of Shades shadow duo in No-Show Taupes for more than a decade – it’s perfect ($15.50 at Filene’s). Ditto for the Quick-Eyes liner-shadow pencil, which gives a hint of smokiness ($15.50 at Filene’s). The most intriguing new product from Clinique, however, is the Breast Cancer Awareness lip color palette, which features 10 of the company’s most popular shades packed in a slim, pink case for $20. It contains several of my favorites, but better still, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this product benefits The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Speaking of favorites, sometimes I wonder what would happen if my favorite lipstick were discontinued. It happened to my beloved blusher, but I quickly found a replacement. Lip color is tricky, though, because it’s the one cosmetic that actually changes tone when it interacts with your skin chemistry. So even if a shade looks like the right match in the tube, it could be all wrong on your lips.

Fortunately, the gals at Giella Custom Blend Cosmetics have you covered. Send them a smidgen of your old standby and $20, and they’ll send you an exact replica of your can’t-live-without-it lipstick (visit www.giella.com for details). They also will custom-blend nail polish for you, as well, but I’m sticking to my big three: Revlon, Lancome Vernis Magnetic, and O.P.I. They’re the best chip-free formulas I’ve found, and among the three of them, they offer so many shades that you hardly need a custom blend.

Of course, I could change my mind. It happened once before – well, twice if you count the blue eyeliner, but why would you?

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor, ME 04402-1329, or by fax to: 941-9476.