Soap Opera Digest
October 3, 2000
Product Queen

My cherished goddesses, your queen is on a much-needed vacation. So, while I am poolside with my honey and my trusty laptop, I want to write about the items I can't do without.

Like a good eye pencil. I favor dark brown (it's not as harsh as black) and a smudger brush. Here are my favorites: Lancome in Black Coffee, Chanel in Teak, Maybelline and Cover Girl. The prices vary, and they all work fabulously. Trish McEvoy (found in high-end department stores) makes a great smudger brush that I highly recommend using to smoke up the eye. To finish, I still insist L'Oreal Le Grand Curl is the most fabulous, affordable mascara ever.

For finishing powder, I like Lancome Dual Finish Powder, especially if your skin is dry. Most powders are too drying, but this one has the right shades, the right consistency and a flawless cover. Sometimes I use it alone (instead of foundation), and sometimes I put it on over a light film of foundation to take me from day into evening (the color I use is Matte Bisque II).

For lips, you know I am always pushing a natural lip color and lip liner because I think it makes us look younger. Dark lips are for high drama, but I prefer a smokin' eye and a pouty, shimmery lip for my drama. My favorite lip liners are M.A.C in Spice, Philosophy in Wisdom, Clarins in Nude, and Wet 'n' Wild in 666. As far as lip color goes, brown-pinks are beautiful on almost everyone, and Revlon makes such nice, inexpensive lip color. As a nice pinky frost, I always recommend Apricot Fantasy over many colors, but especially over other pinks, corals, tans or browns. Matte lip colors always make the best, long-lasting color, with a nice frosty color over that. I like to skip foundation in the warmer weather, so I love a fabulous bronzing powder. My two faves are by Stila (No. 1) and Trish McEvoy Bronze Powder 2000, which is two shades in one and is so good! Don't forget Origins Liquid Bronzer.

If the eyes are smokin' and the puss is poutin' and the face is glowin', you'll look like you just got back from vacation, too. You are what you think you are, so think great things!