One of the maxims I live by is never look a gift horse in the mouth. Don’t be too picky about his shoes either. I am always willing to try creams and cosmetics people give me, even though the fact that they are giving it away hints of some dissatisfaction with the product. Who knows? It could turn out to be just right for me.

A few days ago, my sister gave me a tube of L’Oreal’s Sublime Glow. L’Oreal calls it a “daily moisturizer and natural skin tone enhancer”. I was surprised by how much I liked it. I had shied away from the moisturizer/tanner combo creams because I didn’t think that one could get much color from them so it seemed better to use a separate moisturizer and self tanner. But this product lived up to its name.

The first time I applied it, I simply slathered it on. I don’t think I expected it to produce any color. I was amazed as the day went on and my arms and legs started to “tan”. The color was nice, too, not orange. The most amazing thing was that I had no streaks or mistakes, even though I had put it on so carelessly. I had smeared it copiously over knees, elbows, ankles, knuckles, all the danger spots and yet no place absorbed too much color or looked “fake”. It has a light fragrance when you apply it but no strong self-tanner odor as it works as some products do so I could wear it all day.

I noticed when I was in the sunlight, that it had a little shimmer to it (L’Oreal calls them “light capturing micro pearls). The slight gold glow probably keeps it from looking too orange and I decided I liked the way I glistened all over. The moisturizer is full of good things like Vitamin E, Mango Butter and Sweet Almond Oil and really does leave my skin silkier.

The instructions say to use the product daily and I can’t see why I wouldn’t. I have used it twice and the second time I felt confident enough to put it on my face. The color is even and subtle but glowing and healthy-looking. Definitely a self-tanner one could use all year round for the glow and the moisturizing effects.

L’Oreal has signed actress Diane Keaton as a new spokesmodel for the company. Keaton, at 60, still retains that fresh and youthful look despite vowing never to have plastic surgery. Millions will remember her most popular roles as the intelligent but ditzy love interest in the Woody Allen film, Annie Hall, and the casual tomboyish fashions she sported. Spirited, talented and an icon of American beauty, Keaton will be a role model for women of all ages, seeking to find their own beauty style.

L’oreal Paris is moving this season’s colors from bland to bold with their new line of make-up called HiP, High Intensity Pigments. Gone are the days of the “natural” look, these products promise greater intensity and impact of color. The products are designed to be used to create either a “harmony” with harmonious colors blended to create a more understated look or a “disharmony” which takes advantage of bold and contrasting eye and lip colors. Both looks employ eyeshadow applied beyond the natural lid lines creating a look that is both dramatic and sophisticated.

The colors are bold and rich with names like Sassy, Dreamer, Elated, Mischief and Vivacious. If your goal is to be noticed this season, this is the look for you. The liquid foundation sells for $13.00, the eyeshadow duos around $7.00 and the lipcolor and cheek color sell for $10.00 each.