Best Makeup Products For Us

By Lois Joy Johnson

Magazines and beauty websites can't help themselves. Most hail any new beauty item as "amazing," while the beauty editors claim to be" obsessed" with every product thrown at them. LOL is usually my response... and probably yours. I know cosmetic companies are constantly engaged in a fiercely competitive effort to outdo one another with news, claims and, most of all, hot celeb spokespersons. Only a handful of cosmetic companies (and yes, unfortunately, ageism is a factor) do recognize the power of our demo in their advertising. They remain inclusive even as younger celeb faces get added to the lineup. L' Oreal Paris clearly "gets us" with spokesperson Diane Keaton, now 66, and newcomer Julianna Margulies at a youngish 45, Revlon has continued with Halle Berry- now 45, Dior with Sharon Stone, who is 54, and CoverGirl features Ellen DeGeneres, also 54 . Nice, but do the products our peers and their beauty buddies promote really work for women with age-related issues? Or is it all a ploy enhanced by great lighting, camera work and Photoshop? I played investigative reporter with some of the hottest new cosmetics to find out. Here are four that live up to the hype:

Dior Rosy Glow Healthy Awakening Blush I know powder blush can look "old" and cakey, but not this one. It blends on with the sheer velvety look of a cream, making sallow, washed-out, tired skin look baby-fresh. One shade customizes (just believe) to individual skin tones within a few seconds after application. You get a perfectly natural peachy-pink or pink glow depending on the way the product interacts with the pH level of your skin and as well as its moisture content and temperature. Whisk it high on your cheekbones for a two-second lift and skip the bronzer. ($44, sephora.com)

Covergirl & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation The new category of "lite" foundations can be tricky. Like tinted moisturizers, most provide minimal coverage and vanish within an hour of application. CoverGirl's makeup director Jake Bailey suggested I apply this one--a light liquid makeup that comes in 13 shades--with a brush and use it in the eye area also instead of a separate concealer. Reader, it worked! The proportion of treatment and color was made for mature skin. It blends easily with no residue or excess pigment yet retouches brown spots, broken capillaries and dark circles. If you prefer a sun-warmed look in the summer, Bailey suggest going one shade warmer than your skin with this product and skipping the self-tanner which, in his words, "looks fake, exaggerates pores and lines and shows at the hairline." ($11.19, drugstore.com)

L'Oreal Paris Extra Intense Liquid Pencil Eyeliner in Black 798 In summer, liner is more crucial than shadow. You want maximum definition, a natural look and no smearing. Usually I opt for luxury brands for this sort of thing, but this one rich intense black liner glides on bumpy, softened lids and gets right in between the lashes close to the roots so no gap shows between liner and lashes. Don't try to do the wing thing that's so "IN" as a trend. The super-intense black color (which, by the way, won't go charcoal gray as some do when applied) firms up eye shape and makes lashes look dense. ($7.98, drugstore.com)

Revlon ColorStay Lip Liner in Nude, Raisin, Sienna, or Mauve Finally, a drugstore automatic liner with a permanent refined tip that makes correcting your lip line easy even if you're no Leonardo da Vinci. The universal lip-py colors aren't too yellow, too peach or too brown, so choose the tone closest to your natural lip color.You never want the line to be darker than your lip. Sketch where needed to build up or balance the top lip or color in the entire mouth to give lip glosses, lip balms or sheer moisturizing lipsticks a base and more structure. ($7.99, ulta.com)

About the Author

Lois Joy Johnson is a beauty and fashion blogger and the author of "The Makeup Wakeup."