Random stuff I love: Cosmetics!

Yep, I am a cosmetics junkie. I've been wearing makeup since I was about twelve (thanks, Mom!). So, here are a few of my favorite things. . .

Olay Complete Moisturizer: I've been using this for years. It smells nice, absorbs quickly, and keeps my face from flaking off onto the floor. What more do you really need from a moisturizer? I know, there are some that take you back in a time machine, and make you look fifteen again or some mystical silliness, but this no nonsense one works great for me.

Bare Minerals foundation and such: This stuff is amazing. I started using it about four years ago. In this pack from Sephora, you get foundation, Warmth (makes even a pasty girl like me look somewhat vibrant), Mineral Veil (so soft and glowy), and super groovy brushes. This stuff really does make you look smooth and even and lovely, and, as long as they keep making it, I will keep using it. I use their blush, as well, but their eyeshadow runs a little too dark for me.

Loreal Carbon Black Telescopic Precision Liquid Eyeliner: Even the name sounds cool, doesn't it? I've never gotten over my teenaged goth addiction to black liquid eyeliner. This stuff is great. Sometimes, you get that wimpy brush thingie that doesn't allow you to make a thin, precise line. Sometimes, liquid liner smudges until you have that constant crying drag queen effect. Not this eyeliner! It has a firm applicator and it never, ever smudges. It's magical stuff. I've bought every black liquid eyeliner on the planet, and this is the best.

Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow in Not Just Nudes: I've been wearing this eyeshadow forever too. It blends well, the colors are good and look natural, and, in the summer heat and humidity, this shadow won't go bad on you, and crease or run down your face like dirt. I've used other colors from this line, and they're all good, but this batch is the best for basic daily wear.

Cover Girl Lash Blast Mascara: Okay, I was a Maybelline Great Lash girl for a long while, but, when Lash Blast came out, I gave it a go. This is the best mascara ever. I think it's the space age brush that was developed by NASA for female astronauts to use on the Space Shuttle during antigravity. Yeah, I made that part up, but it does give you long, full, lovely lashes for batting at handsome strangers. Again, no smudging, no flaking into your eyes and blinding you while driving, no weird clumping if you have the urge to put on several coats. Good stuff.

Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips full color lipgloss: This is a yummy indulgence that is well worth the money. I'm not sure if it makes my lips "buxom," but it certainly lasts a long time for gloss, isn't sticky weird, and it tingles when you put it on, for a little extra thrill. I guess that's the buxomizing effect going on. I'm still afraid of lipstick proper, so I remain a lipgloss girl.

Tweezerman slanted tweezers: Yes, at twenty bucks, they're expensive for tweezers. But, when you're as hyper-vigilant about your eyebrows as I am, it's important to have a superior tool. They're an investment. Honestly, once you buy a pair, you will have them for the rest of your life, right? Just keep the cat from taking them out of your makeup case and smacking them under the washer.

Qtips and spit: You can get a big old box of Qtips at the Dollar Store. I know, Qtip is a trademark name, but I hate the word swab. Swab just sounds nasty. Anyway, a Qtip and spit can fix 95% of the make up mistakes that you make with any of the products listed above. Whoever invented Qtips was a genius. I'm thinking it was either Johnson. . . or Johnson.

All of the stuff listed here can be found either at Sephora (for the Bare Escentuals stuff and Tweezerman) or at Drugstore.com or your local drugstore. If you're like me, you invariably go to the drugstore for something practical, and end up with a little sparkly cosmetic treat too. It's okay. It's one of the many great things about being a lady.