Per-fekt Brow Perfection Gel

RATING (out of 5 stars): 1 star

COST: $22

THE SKINNY: I never knew my eyebrows needed taming. But Per-fekt claims their Brow Perfection Gel (I tried Caramel) will “enhance the appearance of brows.”

After trying this product, I am pretty certain my brows are just fine without any help.

Brow on the left is fuller with Per-fekt Brow Perfection
Gel but it does stain surround skin if you are messy
with the application..

The Per-fekt product is a odd-textured brown goo that stuck more to the skin around my brows than to the tiny hairs. (It definitely not the “silky smooth color gel” described on the package. The brush was very prickly and reminded me of a tiny version of something you would use to clean your chimney. It also did not help me apply the product and I still had to use my fingers to prevent globs of the goo from lingering in my browline.

My brows did look thicker but I have never felt the need for more luxurious brows. This might be better for someone who has dyed her her very dark and wants to better match.

Overall, the goo just made me feel icky. It ran a little when my face got wet, thanks to a sprinkle of rain. And simply, I made a mess with it. The thin edges of my brow line were twice as wide as they should be thanks to a slip of the brush.

KEEP OR TOSS: I tried it once and that was enough.The feeling of the goo (that is the best way to describe it) was just too much for me.

CHECK IT OUT: Is Per-fekt Brow Perfection Gel for you? Maybe you will have better results than I did. Check out all of the available colors and the company's application tips.

-- Tested by Carrie

Lorac Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4 stars

COST: Original price, $46. I picked up one on a deal site for $12.

THE SKINNY: Released in spring 2011, the Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Palette is an uber-sparkly mix of light and dark shadows. Or so it would seem looking at the palette.

These shadows glide on with rich color and not a lot of glitter. Unlike the Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow, this stuff stays put throughout the work day. Maybe it’s all that sparkly stuff.

These are fun shades. The two golds and silvers are nice neutrals and make great base and highlight colors. The black and dark blue are gorgeous shades that blend nicely. They’re dark, but just a little creates a nice look for day.


That rusty-green color is just weird and looks even weirder on my fair skin. But, heck, loving five out of six colors is OK with me.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. These are fun to play with.

CHECK IT OUT: The Multiplex 3D Eye Shadow Pallette isn’t available through Lorac anymore, but they have other palettes available.

-- Tested by Shay

Benefit Erase Paste

RATING (out of 5 stars): 4.5 stars

COST: $26

THE SKINNY: Tired? Dark shadows under your eyes? No worries. Benefit's Erase Paste is here.

I love, love, love this little pot of wonderful goo.

Erase Paste is a brightening concealer, and a little bit goes a long way. This concealer feels tacky right out of the pot, but rub it between two fingers and your body heat makes it feel smooth and silky.

Dab a little onto those dark circles, rub in and voila! They disappear!

This concealer blends easily and feels weightless -- a real bonus when you're tired and putting on makeup.

KEEP OR TOSS: Keep. No makeup case should be without this!

CHECK IT OUT: This concealer comes in three shades, plus Benefit provides application instructions and tips.

-- Tested by Shay

MAC Russian Red Matte Lipstick

RATING (out of 5 stars): 3.5 stars

COST: $14.50

THE SKINNY: I am the Imelda Marcos of red lipsticks. You’d think that one color, in one milieu, would suffice. So not true. In my book, you can never be too rich, too thin or have red enough lips. It’s all part of my smoke and mirrors approach to beauty — enough red will draw the attention away from the bags under the eyes (which, along with stretch marks, unfortunately accompany raising two kids).

I already had MAC Russian Red in the Lip Glass collection, but that’s too dressy (read “slutty”) for daytime and it has a tendency to migrate into those tiny lines around my lips. I’m totally willing to sport the feathery lipstick look when I’m 85, but with 50 years to go, I thought I needed to try another approach. I saw that MAC offers the same color in a lipstick and I had to give it a whirl. First of all, MAC lipsticks smell so good, you want to devour them like a huge chunk of chocolate lava cake. With ice cream. And hot fudge. I have not had this urge since the Lipsmackers debacle in 3rd grade. Having learned my lesson years ago, I merely donned the lipstick instead of ingesting it. The color is an incredible blue-red, which makes teeth look even whiter (and for the coffee and wine addict in me, is an added perk). The formula stays put, even after a few glasses (or maybe the bottle, but who’s counting) of vino.

The only drawback is that the matte formula is difficult to apply. It drags on application. I thought that my primer was to blame, so in the name of research, I tried another application on bare lips. Same deal. It drags more than I do when I have to get up in the morning. Before coffee. No woman wants to tug at her face that much. Trust me. Lips have to be extremely well exfoliated too, because matte will show off any flaking or chapping.

KEEP OR TOSS: Other than the tough application, the color is one of the most flattering reds I have EVER sported. If it was a crème formula, I would have given it my first ever 5-star rating.

CHECK IT OUT: For the complete line of MAC lip goodies, visit their website. Bonus—free shipping on orders over $50!

-- Tested by Laura

Lorac Baked Matte Satin Eye Shadow

RATING (out of 5 stars): 2 stars

COST: $22, but can be found on sale for as little as $2

THE SKINNY: I’ve been on the hunt for a good, neutral matte eye shadow, so I was really happy to come across Lorac’s Baked Matte Satin shadow during a good sale on a discount site. I chose Posh, a pale tan color, and Social, a rich chocolate brown that is among the prettiest browns I’ve seen in a long time.

The shadow goes on smoothly, blends nicely and looks great when you walk out of the bathroom. But even with a good primer from Urban Decay, the shadow didn’t stay on my lids for more than a few hours.

I reapplied at lunchtime, but by the time I got home, the shadow had once again disappeared. That’s pretty sad for a shadow advertised as long-wearing.

KEEP OR TOSS: Toss. Eye shadow needs to last more than a few hours to keep me happy.

CHECK IT OUT: If you want to try this shadow, look for a sale on the Lorac website.

-- Tested by Shay