CoverGirl’s Lash Exact Mascara features a revolutionary new brush, which they say is clump-free. It was named one of Allure magazine’s Best of Beauty for 2006.

Allure had this to say:

Cover Girl LashExact Mascara: This new Cover Girl mascara utilizes a plastic wand with pliable bristles that are strategically spaced to coat each and every lash. No more clumping.

Recently I received some free samples of CoverGirl’s Lash Exact mascara. I accepted them and gladly tried the product with the intention of writing about my experience here. To avoid the appearance of bias and to give a balanced view, I gave one of them to a friend to try.

My friend, Shawn, tried the Brown shade which goes well with her coloring. She said the brush was “funky” and different than the usual bristles on a twisted wire brush. She felt the design of the brush made it easier to apply mascara to the corner lashes. Shawn told me she was pleased with the definition and separation the brush provided and would definitely consider buying the product.

I had selfishly kept the Very Black shade for myself. I usually go for waterproof formulas as I wear contact lenses and I imagined that the waterproof formula would prevent those black shadows of melted mascara under my eyes. This product was not waterproof but I found I had no smudging or melting after wearing it the whole day at work, squinting at the computer screen. Additionally, it came off easily and completely with makeup remover and left no tell-tale rings around the eyes.

I was impressed with the ease of application, especially to lower lashes which are shorter, and thus cannot be brushed out over and over if you get clumps. The product was transferred smoothly from the brush to my lashes and definitely gave superior separation and definition. I didn’t find myself wiping the brush on the edge of the container to remove excess mascara either. In fact, I may have put on more mascara than I usually do, simply because I was able to do a second coat without my lashes looking clumped or sticking together in lumps.

Overall I thought this product delivered longer-looking lashes and more definition. About $7.99 in drug and department stores.

The French Manicure is a popular look for nails because it looks natural, only better. The white tips and neutral beige or pink topcoat leaves the nails looking clean, bright and shiny. It’s a great everyday look.

The French Manicure can be easily achieved at home, especially with the use of one of the many kits on the market. Usually the kit will supply the white polish and either a beige or pink topcoat. This kit by Sephora has three polishes in a clutch bag for easy storage.

For help in applying the white polish at the tips you can purchase stick-on stencils to give you a guide and prevent mistakes. The French Manicure is also great for hiding minor length differences in nails. Just place the stencils at the same distance from the end of the nail regardless of how much of the real white edge you have.

Sally Hansen makes a kit that comes with an easy-to-apply white nail polish pen. The 5 Minute French Manicure Pen Kit comes with the nail pen, nail guides, sheer blush or sheer natural polish and a growth treatment for nails.

Long, talon-like nails are no longer “in” and for most of us, that’s a good thing. Maintaining ultra-long nails is difficult enough, but even simple tasks can become nearly impossible.

Medium length nails that are elegant and feminine without being clumsy to work with are the look you want. Taking the place of the long nailed fashion trend is “nail art”.

A lot of nail art looks are difficult to achieve on your own but there are products that can help you. Nail polish pens let you “paint” just as you would with a paintbrush or marker. Airbrush kits with stencil or stencil wheels can help you create professional-looking results. Add some glitter or small faux gems for a little pizzaz. If you are adventurous and artistically inclined, you might try some free-hand painting on your nails. You can create some interesting designs with a couple of good paintbrushes and a toothpick. Consider using acrylic paints as well as traditional polishes.

Airbrush kits can be rather pricey, so if I were going to try doing it myself I might start with this kit at $29.95. If I showed any proficiency, then I might consider moving up to a more professional model airbrush that can start at $89.95. Think about it, if you become very proficient, you could defray the cost of your kit by doing manicures for others.

Rosacea is an inflammatory skin condition that causes redness of the face. It may look like acne in some cases, with small red bumps or pustules. But rosacea isn’t acne and having had acne is not a risk factor for adult rosacea.

If rosacea is left untreated, it gets progressively worse over time. Rosacea may lessen and worsen in cycles. The exact cause of rosacea has not been proven and may have a hereditary factor.

The good news is that there are treatments for rosacea that can relieve its symptoms. Topical antibiotics may be prescribed to reduce the inflammation and redness. Oral antibiotics can also be used and sometimes both are used in combination.

If you have redness in your skin, enlarged blood vessels or pustules that resemble acne, seek the professional advice of a dermatologist. If he diagnoses you with rosacea, there is help. In addition to prescribing treatment, he or she may help you identify everyday triggers for flare-ups and give you advice on avoiding common triggers.