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A foundation that looks natural, floats on top of the skin, doesn’t crease or flake, and lasts all day long? That’s a pretty tall order.

Enter Face Atelier’s Ultra Foundation Pro. Ultra has been a staple in many top makeup artist’s kits for years, and it’s easy to see why. The result is purely flawless.

Ultra Foundation is  hydrating yet oil-free, and it obscures tiny lines and pores to ensure a smooth finish. The foundation has a built in primer, thanks to the super sophisticated, silicone-based formula.   Another bonus - it sets without powder, preserving the youthful, dewy finish.

The silicone technology in Ultra Foundation forms a lightweight, breathable second skin that is both moisture and oil resistant.  It’s non-comedogenic and wont clog pores or collect in creases.

When we tried it, skin instantly has a flawless, airbrushed effect — no effort required. The foundation really allows skin to show through while still concealing every imperfection. For the best effect, apply with a damp sponge (like the BeautyBlender). We couldn’t believe our eyes… baby skin, even, smooth, gorgeous. Definitely worth the hype.

The “pro” version is just a more convenient size of the same popular Ultra Foundation…perfect for your makeup kit, cosmetic bag, or for travel!

$32, FaceAtelier.com

Next month, Maybelline New York launches The Falsies Volum’ Express, the latest addition to their lash enhancing repertoire. Fresh off of the success of The Colossal, Falsies is being touted as “instant false glam in a tube”.

Falsies— promising lashes that look up to eight times thicker and fuller— claims to do so by evenly coating lashes with a Pro-Keratin fiber-enriched formula, instantly plumping lashes and filling in gaps for a false lash effect.

The Falsies Mascara delivers a false lash look; giving you a full set of voluminous, bold, fanned out lashes and the appearance of no gaps from any angle.

The Pro-Keratin and Fibre enriched formula is designed to deliver immediate results, distributing volume and visible intensity to your lashes. The patented ‘Spoon’ shaped brush helps fan lashes out.

The Falsies Mascara is designed to give the appearance of no gaps and spaces. In a wink lashes you didn’t even know you had look visibly thickened!

We tried it, and here are our thoughts:

Pros: “wet” lash look, inky black formula, buildable, doesn’t smear easily, easy to use, spoon brush cradles lashes and gives good curl, noticeable volume.

Cons: dries too quickly (must work fast to avoid clumps), too large-stopper wastes product, doesn’t entirely deliver on “falsies” promise.

Overall, The Falsies is a good mascara, one of the better drugstore offerings. I don’t know about a “false lash” effect,  but it did give us a lot of volume. Lashes looked lush, dark, and while they didn’t look “fake”, the mascara was still a high performer. We did have a problem with clumping, but nothing a lash comb can’t easily smooth out… and it’s definitely our favorite Maybelline mascara to date. The mascara is available in three washable and two waterproof shades.

Available July 2010 at Maybelline.com $8

I have so many favorite looks that I want to try, and I’m beyond excited about all the fun, whimsical products and colors that I can experiment with right now—especially since it’s almost summer. But there are just those days when I’m in a rush (snooze is my friend) and I need that lip gloss that’s going to work with everything in my makeup bag (and that’s saying a lot). So I’ve noticed that I keep reaching for these two in particular: Bare Escentuals Buxom Lips Diamond in Celeste (a sheer light pink with a touch of shimmer), and Fusion Beauty LipFusion Color Shine in Sweet (also a sheer pink, but this is a bit more flat).


Now normally, I’m not a sheer-pink-lip kind of gal, but these colors are so pretty and literally work with everything in my bag. Though these are both plumping glosses, I don’t notice a difference in the volume of my lips. I just love both shades so much that I just pretend to.

I use the Celeste under other lipsticks and with other glosses or on its own, and the Lip Fusion looks so pretty with a bit of a darker eye, and is perfect for punching up any other color.

Both are available at Sephora.