I bought this product two weeks ago and it has taken me all this time to work up the courage to try it, so mysterious are the warnings on the package.

A topcoat for lipstick that would make any lip color last 8 hours sounded like a great idea. I was confused however by both the claims that it has a fresh, minty taste and the caution that you should seek medical attention if ingested. How can you apply anything to your lips without the possibility of some of it being ingested?

The label says you will feel a tingling sensation as the topcoat sets and this is true, it’s almost a stinging effect but it doesn’t last long. The caution to only use over lipstick makes sense as it is a topcoat, as does the advice to never use on cracked or chapped lips. I can only imagine what it feels like on a raw lip…ouch!

Once set, there is no tingling and after a few more seconds I found that I wasn’t able to easily smudge my lipcolor - and believe me, I tried. On the down side, it’s a little sticky even after the product is set and you feel like you burst a bubble on your lips and didn’t get all the remnants of the gum off.

Pros: it does what it says, sets lipcolor and makes it smudgeproof and transferproof.

Cons: I wouldn’t dare test the contention that it is kissproof, because of the warning against accidental ingestion; in fact, I don’t know if I dare eat or drink my coffee.

I was anxious to try my new Physicians Formula Baked Collection wet/dry eyeshadow. There’s something about mineral makeup, a certain shimmer and shine that naturally attracts the eye. I had looked at this item a few times in the store before I finally plunked down my $7 for a trio of shimmering colors in a collection called Baked Sugar. This selection features a pinkish color, one that is a darker pinkish brown and a whitish highlight shimmer.

First let me say that either dry or wet, the product applies nicely, feels smooth and soft on and does produce a lot of shimmer. When applied dry, I thought it wore off too easily and had less staying power than when applied wet.

Perhaps I bought the wrong shade collection but I was disappointed that the color didn’t stay true from container to application, looking much lighter and less rich after it was on my eyelids. Also - wet or dry - the two darker colors really didn’t look any different after application. I even tried applying both colors next to each other on the back of my hand and was unable to distinguish one from the other. So much for a darker color to create shadow in the crease. The lightest shade, white, was distinct from the other two but the least likely to be used on a daily basis.

There are darker shade trios in the Baked Collection line that might perform better but I am loath to try them after this experience. I gave the Baked Sugar trio to my daughter. The light pinkish shimmer will suit her young face much better and because of the natural and hypoallergenic formula, I won’t have to worry about it irritating her eyes or skin.

When I find a product I like, I tend to stick with it. Usually it’s because the product is easy to apply, produces a good effect and stays where I put it for a good portion of the day so I don’t have to reapply or fix it later.

My Revlon Colorstay Eyeliner is one of those products. For a while I was a fan of liquid eyeliners because they flow so nicely - but it’s too easy to make a sweeping mistake and then it’s hard to remove that black line trailing up over your eyebrow. The Revlon pencil works well and is easier than liquid for several reasons.

It’s soft. Pencils are often hard and can’t be applied dry without being too rough on delicate eyelids. My Colorstay eyeliner pencil makes it easy to draw a line or just dot in between lashes for a more subtle effect.

The tip is always sharp. You just have to twist the wand to advance the eyeliner color so that you always have a new supply. There’s no looking for the right sized sharpener or scratching your lid with the pencil wood.

Colorstay does stay all day and doesn’t end up all smudged making me look like I have a black eye. That’s the main thing, it does what you expect it to, what the name promises.

Colorstay comes in 8 shades. My two favorites are the brown, which is very rich and straight black, which has a deep, velvety color.

When I first heard the name Pan-Stik Makeup I immediately thought of the old-fashioned pancake style make up from the 40s and the heyday of Hollywood. After all it was Max Factor who invented pan cake makeup. When the shift in Hollywood went to color films, changes in the style of make up and its application became necessary. Soon the entire makeup-buying population was following the trend set by Max Factor.

But I needn’t have feared thick and heavy coverage that looked old-fashioned or worse; Max Factor is still the company that sets trends. Max Factor’s Pan-Stik is light and creamy with a silky matte finish. It is easily blendable with a fingertip but a damp sponge will create a professional foundation. It did a good job of evening out skin tones and didn’t seem to clog in pores or look thick.

I liked the portability of the Pan-Stik. It can’t break or spill out into your purse, it’s light and fits conveniently into even a small bag.

Buy Max Factor’s Pan-Stik from our Beauty Store