Winter nails have never been easier to make beautiful. Dry and chapping skin is always a problem this time of year and hangnails multiply in spite of generous and frequent applications of hand lotion.

Avon’s Nail Experts Mira-Cuticle Vanishing Complex will keep cuticles soft and healthy while preventing buildup. This special moisturizing lotion contains both Vitamins A and E to nourish cuticles while banishing dryness and chapping. It truly is a miracle for cuticles.

And for the finishing touch in a fraction of the time it normally takes, try Avon’s Speed Dry nail enamel. Right now Avon is offering four new shades for a limited time only: Cherry Sensation, Chic Pink, Striking Pink and Velvet Berry.

As much as I dislike lip balms of the Chapstick, Blistex, Carmex variety - that is how much I love lip gloss.

Lip gloss is shimmery, shiny, usually sheer and lusciously moisturizing on lips. Gloss doesn’t wear as long as lipstick usually, but if you use a lip liner and a good gloss, you should get decent wearing time. Try using a neutral lip liner all over the lips first to “set” the gloss.

One of my favorite lip glosses is Avon’s GLAZEWEAR Liquid Lip Color. It comes in a variety of long-lasting colors and moisturizes with Vitamins A, C and E.

Lip gloss is a great light-catcher and that catches eyes too. Lip gloss is absolutely the right look for the holidays, to shine as much as any of your holiday surroundings.

Buy Glazewear at out Beauty Store

After a long day or an exciting evening, it is tempting to skip cleansing routines and flop into bed with the day’s makeup still on our faces. While doing this occasionally will probably cause no great harm, doing it routinely can clog pores, irritate delicate skin and generally make skin look tired and dry.

Removing makeup from eyes is a delicate job on delicate areas so you don’t want to rub and scrub. Waterproof formula mascaras are especially hard to remove without some type of makeup removing preparation. Avon’s Moisture Effective Eye Makeup Remover is designed to be gentle and yet effectively remove eye makeup and mascara while moisturizing and hydrating.

Sephora all-in-one Makeup Remover Towelettes can be used on face, eyes and lips and are oh so portable. No need to rinse either, just wipe, toss and go.

For an all-makeup remover that combines gentle cleansing with moisturing and a bit of aromatherapy, Adrienne Arpel’s Meltdowns are amazingly effective. My favorite is the soft but fresh scent of the Mandarin Meltdown but the line also includes a French Vanilla Meltdown, Green Tea and Grape, Coconut and even Fresh Pear and Citrus. Treat yourself to one of these meltdown cream cleansers and feel refreshed and relaxed.

Yesterday a co-worker commented on my makeup in a complimentary way. I was surprised but pleased. Having had a very rushed morning I had arrived at work without any makeup on at all and had only a brief moment to brighten up my look.

I found in my purse a navy blue eyeliner and some mascara and a couple of lipsticks. I had simply lined my lids with the blue eyeliner and then holding the pencil a bit sideways, applied the same color in the crease and some at the outside corner of my eyes. Then with a fingertip, I smudged the color in the crease and the corner, blending it over the whole lid. This created amazing depth and although the color was blue, was a very subtle effect. I then blotted it slightly with some translucent powder for staying power. I applied some mascara and a frosty plum lipcolor. That was my total three-minute makeup session.

The ease as much as the effect impressed me and I went hunting for some good eye color sticks that would serve a dual purpose.

What I found was Avon’s Big Color Eye Pencil. It comes in six shades and can be used as eyeliner and eye color. It’s easily blended and the colors are pretty, feminine and subtle.