Rouquinne's Makeup Missive

HGTV has a show and David Letterman has his list, so why shouldn’t I have a top ten of my own to celebrate my 10th year as a member at NaturallyCurly.com?

10. Perfume

All my favourite scents have one major thing in common – bergamot (which is the scent of Earl Grey Tea). For day, I love Perry Woman from Perry Ellis and for night, Nu from Yves St. Laurent.

9. Olay Regenerist Daily Regenerating Serum

The only non-prescription commercially-available skin care product that has been proven to actually reduce wrinkles – and not just the “appearance” of them. This product is relatively inexpensive and leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed.

8. Eye Shadow

I’m going to try to keep this from sounding like an advertisement for MAC Cosmetics, but I do have three filled 15-pan palettes, two of their large pots, a 6-pan eye shadow palette, a dozen pigment samples and two full-face palettes with different colours. Mulch, Naked Lunch and Mystery are the colours I reach for most often. When I’m not wearing MAC, my favourite colours are NARS Cairo, Stila Kitten, and Carol Baker Visage African Violet.

7. Brow powder

Powder brow fillers are so much easier to use than pencils - Smashbox Brow Tech in Auburn sits in my stash. I use a tiny flat square brush to apply it in small strokes.

6. Eyeliner

I think I look naked without it. While I will line my upper lids with an angled brush and a powder most of the time, I smudge pencils on the lower lids. My go-to colours are MAC eye kohl in Teddy, Prunella, and Blooz or Bonne Bell in Midnight Bark, Slate or Aubergine.

5. Maxine’s Mop

Don’t buy makeup brushes from makeup companies; go to the art supply store. The brushes are the same and cost a fraction of what the makeup-specific one does. My indispensable eye shadow brush is Maxine’s Mop from Loew-Cornell. Series 270, made from goat hair, the ¼” and 3/8” are a necessity to me – I have 6 of each and 4 of the ½” size.

4. Benefit Lemon Aid

For me, this has proven to be the ultimate eye makeup primer. It goes on drier than a liquid and makes my eye shadow last through the day; even during a Great-Lakes-humid summer day!

3. Liquid foundation

I’m just not convinced that mineral makeup is the right way to go; especially as I approach my 50th birthday. Liquid foundation, applied with my fingers, gives me the polished, not overly-made-up look I like for every day – and it doesn’t settle in my wrinkles!

2. MAC Viva Glam V lipstick and lipglass

In the makeup world, the acronym YLBB describes the perfect lip colour for you – Your Lips But Better. Five years ago, my favourite makeup company produced the perfect neutral brown-pink shade that matches my own lip colour. And they came out with a matching lipglass, too.

1. Sunscreen!

You knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?

UV radiation is the most aging thing in existence. Not only does sunscreen help me look 15 years younger, it also helps protect me from the skin cancer that runs on my father’s side of the family.

Earlier this year, a member posted the following comment about sunscreen usage:

“…I’m extremely concerned about ongoing research being done on sunscreen. It seems that at times you may be better off not using it at all; since it has been stated that it causes free radicals…”

At the time this thread was posted on the Non-Hair Discussion Board, I refrained from making any comment, even though other “old-timers” here know how passionate I am in advocating sunscreen usage. However, there are a couple of facts about the research that the member referenced that I feel need to be addressed.

Here’s some background to put this in context for you: when UV rays hit your skin, something called “reactive oxygen species” or “free radicals” are created. Free radicals are molecules that cause damage at a cellular level and are responsible for degenerative diseases and aging.

Researchers at the University of California at Riverside tested three of the most common UV-filtering products on the market. Their findings showed that when these products penetrate the skin, the level of free radicals present increases above the level caused by UV radiation alone. (”Sunscreen enhancement of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in the skin,” Free Radical Biology and Medicine, Volume 41, Issue 8, 15 October 2006, Pages 1205-1212)

The first thing you need to know about this is that it was ONE study only; versus hundreds and hundreds of studies that prove that sunscreen works—when used as directed—to protect us from the harmful effects of UVA/UVB radiation. This single study is getting one heck of a lot of press for something that has not been duplicated or vetted through a double-blind, peer-reviewed, generally accepted scientific method.

The second essential fact about this study is that it was conducted on ARTIFICIAL skin! Artificial skin has been increasingly used in testing cosmetics and skin care products due to the European Union ban on animal-testing. It is made in a Petri dish using skin tissue collected during plastic surgery. One major US producer of artificial skin has sent their product back to the drawing board as tests conducted on it were producing too many false positive results. In all my reading, I discovered that “quirky” results that can’t be replicated on actual people are a common occurrence in such tests.

For those two reasons alone, I’m going to take the results of that one study with a HUGE grain of salt!

However, if you feel it’s prudent to forgo sunscreen, here’s what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones:

Staying out of the sun when it’s at its strongest (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) is your best defense. Use umbrellas, and pop-up tents at the beach, and wear sunglasses and lightweight long-sleeved/legged clothing in shades of blue (which absorbs sunlight better than white).

Choose stable versions of sunscreen. Look for products containing zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or Mexoryl. Make sure it says “broad spectrum” on the label.

Use sunscreen properly—put enough on and reapply often. For an adult, the proper amount for the body is a shot glass full (1.5 ounces), plus a teaspoon for the face.

Higher SPF is not necessarily better; SPF 30 blocks 96% of the sun’s rays, SPF 50 blocks 98% and SPF 100 blocks 99%. You’ll still have to reapply every few hours and the SPF 100 is going to cost WAY more than the SPF 30!

Antioxidants improve the efficacy of sunscreen; so apply your own antioxidants before putting it on, or buy sunscreen that has antioxidants in it already—like Coppertone Nutrashield.

The jury is still out on that one study—while we wait for more information, don’t give up your sunscreen!

(Visit Coppertone.com for a coupon for Nutrashield.)

Back in May, a friend and I hosted a dance attended by a couple of hundred single people here in London. And I wanted to make sure I looked GOOD.

So I went back to my charming Dr. Andy to get my Botox re-done.

During my visit, I asked him about the alternative to Botox, Dysport, another botulinum toxin that has been used in Europe, Australia and New Zealand for years. It has the same effects as Botox, but supposedly kicks in faster and lasts longer. Dysport is also significantly cheaper than Botox. The FDA has an application pending approval for Dysport and it is anticipated that Health Canada will not be too far behind in approving it for use here.

Scientia Derma Roller is an FDA approved application which is simple enough that you can perform it yourself at home.

However, Andy mentioned a non-invasive method of treating forehead wrinkles like mine that I had never even heard of before — and I’ve heard of a LOT of different treatments in the years I’ve been writing this column. He suggested I try a skin roller.

This technique is also called skin needling or micro-needling and it is not the same as using acupuncture to treat wrinkles (which is only temporary, like moisturizers). The therapy is intended to stimulate natural collagen production in order to fill in wrinkles or indented scars — which is what it was originally designed to treat.

Skin needling was first reported in dermatology literature in the early 1990s. Canadian dermatologist/plastic surgeon André Camirand had tattooed deep scars to camouflage them, then he noticed that the patients’ skin texture was improving. He then tried “tattooing” without pigment and noticed that the scars showed visible improvement. The results were published as part of a presentation an international plastic surgery congress in 1992.

Dr. Camirand repeated the treatment on his patients every two to eight weeks and they continued to show improvement without side effects or complications.

In the intervening years, a device has been invented to allow skin needling to be done at home or in the esthetician’s office, rather than just at the doctor’s office. It is a gold-plated roller covered in microscopic needles ranging in length from 0.25 millimetres to 2.2 millimetres. When rolled across your skin, the roller creates microscopic punctures that break blood vessels just below the surface. According to one informational site on the process, “as the blood clots, it creates the right environment for collagen and elastin formation”.

Using the shortest needles, you will only appear to have a mild sunburn; it’s unlikely that there will be any bleeding, swelling or bruising. An added benefit of skin needling is that any topical treatments you apply immediately afterward will truly penetrate deeper into the skin. And you can repeat the process weekly.

Skin needling is also safe for any skin colour; unlike other deeper chemical or mechanical peels, no risk of hyperpigmentation has been found in years of treatment.

I have to admit that reading some of the literature on the process left me a little queasy and that the thought of intentionally puncturing my skin leaves me even more queasy. But for the cost of one Botox treatment, I would be able to buy a skin roller that will last years.

It’s worth a look — and I’ll report back on my findings!

Click here for more information.

A few weeks ago, the news feed at my service provider flashed a story about 5-minute makeup. As anyone who’s ever watched an episode of What Not to Wear knows, make up artist Carmindy (of the U.S. version of the show) is a huge proponent of wearing as little make up as possible and applying it in only five minutes.

Since I am so completely NOT a five-minute-make-up type of woman, I went off to the library to get Carmindy’s book The Five Minute Face (Harper Collins, 2007). In about 200 pages, Carmindy not only outlines the steps for her daily routine, she also offers advice on looking good at any age, and simple steps to follow for special occasions like weddings and perfecting a classic smoky eye.

Carmindy’s book, The Five-Minute Face

My morning make up regimen goes something like this: sunscreen; take 10 minutes to put on 2, 3, 4 or more eye colours and lots of mascara; then put on foundation (with my fingers) from the nose out; lightly dust on powder; and add lip colour. If I’m pressed for time, the eyes can go on in five minutes because I still do a shadow/liner/mascara combination no matter what. I always do foundation last because I don’t like to take a chance at having my eye shadow fall on a freshly-made-up face.

Carmindy’s routine starts with foundation or tinted moisturizer applied with a sponge all over the face, including across the eyelids, and she suggests a second layer stippled over the areas that need more coverage. Step Two involves applying under-eye concealer with a brush and blending it with your finger, while Step Three is applying concealer on all other spots you think need it.

A light dusting of powder over most of the face, again including eye lids, comprises Step Four. This step is followed by the judicious use of highlighters, preferably in powder form. Anyone who has seen Carmindy on television knows that pearlescent shimmer powder or liquid is part of her signature look. In addition to putting it on the brow bone, she also recommends sweeping it across the cheekbones, and, of course, at the inside corners of the eyes.

Step Six is blush application and is followed by light applications of eye liner and mascara for steps seven and eight. Carmindy suggests applying a thin line of chocolate brown pencil smudged into the lash line as much as possible and one coat of black mascara.

At the end is lip colour — for the sake of fitting into the last few seconds of your five minutes, Carmindy recommends tinted lip balm or your favourite gloss instead of applying lipstick with a brush.

I tried to follow Carmindy’s routine — not on a work-day — and found that it did take me longer than five minutes to follow all the steps. However, I do have skin that needs more coverage due to a lot of redness. And I really do prefer to have a little more colour on my eyelids.

But the book is great for makeup newbies and those who want a quick and easy routine to follow. It is also worth the purchase price for the instructions for all the special occasion looks and product recommendations.

Finally, Carmindy’s sense of fun comes through, and that’s part of what makeup is all about!

As hard as it is for me to believe this, today marks the fifth anniversary of my column. And when I started thinking about what to write for this auspicious event, the first thing that popped into my head was the iconic perfume Chanel No 5.

Perfume is a tough business. It is estimated that more than 600 new fragrances are introduced annually around the world; few make it into production past the second year. And fewer still last longer than a decade. A select handful are positively ancient: Farina Eau de Cologne from 1709, Creed’s Royal English Leather, which dates to 1780 and Caswell-Massey No. 6, introduced in 1752. These perfume houses are still in business, along with Roger & Gallet which was founded in 1806 and Guerlain, started in 1853. Compared to these, Parfums Chanel and No 5 are relative newcomers.

No 5 was first introduced in 1921 and has been sold continuously since then. It is so popular today that it is estimated that a bottle is sold somewhere around the world every single minute. Half a million bottles of perfume a year might not sound like much in terms of the multi-billion dollar perfume industry, but that figure applies to the “parfum” itself; the highest concentration of fragrance. The product is also available in lower concentrations called “eau de parfum”, and “eau de toilette” (“eau de cologne” was discontinued in the 1980s).

Coco Chanel set out to make a perfume unlike others available on the market in the 1920s. At the time, floral scents dominated the industry; but Mademoiselle Chanel herself said “I want to give women an artificial perfume. “Yes, I really do mean artificial, like a dress, something that has been made. I don’t want any rose or lily of the valley, I want a perfume that is a composition.” No 5 was the first scent to use synthetic aldehydes as a top note.

Along with the aldehydes, the other top notes (scents that are noticeable as soon as you put it on) are ylang-ylang and neroli. The middle notes are May rose and jasmine and the base notes (the ones that seem to last all day) are sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla. And the House of Chanel goes out of their way to make sure that the perfume still smells exactly as it did in 1921; they contract exclusively with flower growers in the area of the south of France called Grasse — the part of France that was the source of the modern perfume business. Flower production has moved to cheaper centres around the world — mostly India — today. But just as soil is important in wine production, it also affects the quality and scent of the flowers.

Just as iconic as the fragrance is the Chanel bottle — the rectangular, clean lines stamped with the name of the perfume in a simple black script. It is used in some variation for all other Chanel perfumes. And, as with other cultural items that were immortalized in his art, Andy Warhol made a colourful silk screen of No 5 that the company later used in an advertising campaign.

While Marilyn Monroe was never an official spokesperson for the brand, she added to the mystique of the scent when she declared that she wore nothing but Chanel No 5 to bed. And advertising has been helpful in keeping the perfume in the public eye since Mademoiselle Chanel died in 1971; famous faces have included Catherine Deneuve, Carole Bouquet and Nicole Kidman. Audrey Tatou, the star of Amélie and The Da Vinci Code, will become the new face of the scent later this year when Chanel launches an “eau première” — a new version of the scent in between the perfume and the eau de parfum.

In an interview last fall with “The Independent” (a newspaper in England), Jacques Polge — The Nose — of Parfums Chanel stated that the reason this one fragrance has lasted so long can be attributed to one thing — that “it smells good”.

I’ve never worn No 5, or any Chanel fragrances, myself. To my completely untrained nose, they just don’t “smell good”. But I thought I should give it another try for this column and dutifully went to the store to get a sample of the eau de parfum to try. At the store, I picked up the bottle and gave it a sniff — still didn’t seem appealing. So I sprayed it on.

But no … I just plain did not like it. Perhaps it’s the aldehydes, but I find it to be too “chemical-y”. I passed on getting a sample and couldn’t wait to get home to wash it off.

Luca Turin, the author of The Secret of Scent, describes Chanel No 5 as “a regally beautiful thing”. I can’t agree with him; perfume is one of the most intensely personal things we wear, and not all of us have body chemistry that appreciates aldehydes in all their glory.

Editor’s note: NaturallyCurly.com is thrilled and honored to have had a writer as skilled and knowledgeable as Angela gracing our pages for so many years. We look forward to many more years with her as a vital part of NaturallyCurly.com.

It’s safe to say that beauty icons today come in all shapes, sizes, colors and even genders; witness RuPaul as the first face of MAC’s Viva Glam line and Dame Edna as the face of a collection this year.

One enduring beauty icon has just turned 50, and her appeal is so far proving to be as timeless as that of Marilyn Monroe. Barbie turned 50 on March 9th amid controversy caused by a West Virginia lawmaker who wants to ban sales of the doll in his state because he believes she represents a poor body image for girls. Whether or not you agree with him, it is difficult to argue with the fact that Barbie — the brand — has invaded the homes of millions of girls and women in hundreds of countries around the world.

The original Barbie

Barbie’s origins are well-known now; she was the brainchild of Ruth Handler, a founder of Mattel, who wanted to give her daughter, Barbara, a doll like her teenage self instead of the paper dolls she was playing with. Using a rather naughty German doll as her prototype, Handler created Barbara Millicent Roberts from Willows, Wisconsin. She debuted at the American International Toy Fair wearing a black and white zebra-striped swimsuit along with high heels and sported a physique that owed much to that other 50s blonde bombshell, Marilyn. Barbie had a sly, sideways glance and the kind of hair associated with California surfer girls.

Early on, it was easy to see that this was no ordinary doll. Barbie had careers and remained resolutely single, despite the introduction of her boyfriend Ken to the Mattel line in 1961. While some of these careers were strictly pink-collar (nurse, teacher, flight attendant), Barbie broke the glass ceiling to become a pilot and an astronaut in addition to being an Olympic medalist in several sports and running for President of the United States.

Over the years, Barbie’s look has changed too. From a flirtatious glance to the wide-eyed, open sunny smile of today, the doll is now available with different hair colors and 20 skin tones. She is even available with facial features that are decidedly eastern Asian, southern Asian and African. As a child, my mother bought me Midge, Barbie’s best friend, so that I’d have a doll with my hair color. Today I own a dozen Barbies with red hair.

Ten years ago, on Barbie’s 40th birthday, 23 writers as diverse as Erica Jong and Jane Smiley came together to contribute essays to a collection titled “The Barbie Chronicles.” Within the pages of the book, the writers took on the mystique, the culture and the controversies surrounding the 11½ inch plastic figure. Nothing was spared, from the over-sized breasts and the unbelievably tiny waist (enlarged in 2000) to the chaste nature of her relationship with Ken.

A Barbie-themed collection from Stila.

Love her or hate her, Barbie has become a beauty icon in addition to being a fashionista. The doll is wildly popular in Japan where Barbie Retail was launched in 2003 — stores offering clothing and accessories for adult women. Two years ago, the Barbie Loves MAC makeup collection broke sales records for the Lauder Corporation and this year there are Barbie-themed makeup collections available from Stila and the Canadian company Cake Beauty. The products are heavily slanted to pastels (probably to match Barbie’s Dream House — pink, pink and more pink) and sugary in scent.

For as long as there are little girls, there will most likely be Barbies. And as long as Barbie looks the way she does, there will most likely be controversy. But one thing is clear: the doll was born in the conservative 1950s, and yet, Barbie remains single, childless and independent. Perhaps a forward-thinking role model for generations to come.

In keeping with my resolution to feature budget-friendly beauty in this economic climate, I decided to start with one of the largest cosmetics and personal care companies in the world — Avon.

As strange as this sounds, Avon started with one man, a door-to-door book salesman named David McConnell. He gave perfume that he made at home to women to entice them to buy his books; however, the perfume soon became the product he sold. The California Perfume Company was founded in New York City (!) in 1886 and the first “Avon Lady” was Mrs. P.F.E. Albee. A laboratory was established in Suffern, New York in 1887 and the company opened its Canadian presence in Montreal in 1914.

Avon began offering color cosmetics in the early 1900s.

The company name was changed to Avon Products, Inc. in 1939, two years after the death of McConnell, and the “Avon Calling” campaign was introduced in 1954. Avon committed itself to corporate philanthropy in 1955, starting the Avon Foundation in order to make a difference in the lives of women. The focus of the foundation has been in three areas: breast cancer research, domestic violence and emergency relief.

To say that Avon’s products have evolved would be an understatement. I doubt McConnell would recognize the perfumes available from his company today. From the original single-note florals to Sweet Honesty and Soft Musk, fragrance offerings today include collaborations with fashion designers Christian Lacroix and Emmanuel Ungaro, in addition to celebrity-endorsed scents like Imari (Jennifer Hudson) and Unscripted (Patrick Dempsey).

The company branched out to offer color cosmetics in the early 1900s and today offers a dizzying array of shades in eye shadow, blush, pencils and lipsticks in cream and powder formulations. They have recently begun offering mineral makeup versions of their products, too.

Through their research arm, Avon invented waterproof mascara that washes off easily with soap and water as well as a huge range of skin-care products. Today, you can buy many products with skin-clearing properties like alpha-hydroxy acid, but it was Avon that first made these widely available almost 20 years ago in 1991. The Anew line was one of the first anti-aging lines of skin care products available, building on product lines like Avon Solutions and Clearskin. And Avon was the first major cosmetics company to end testing on animals back in 1989.

Over the years, the company has expanded their brand to include jewelry, clothing, giftware, housewares and soft furnishings, hair care, sunscreen products and lines directed at men and children.

Mark products are very popular with teens.

One of the most successful secondary lines is Mark — introduced in 2003. In five short years, the Mark line has become one of the most successful teen-oriented makeup brands in the world.

I asked my own “Avon Lady”, Kelly Smith, why she decided to sell the products. She told me: “I (enjoy) the products/gifts etc. and it (is an) easy way to shop. It’s easy as it’s delivered to you and you make some good money on it. Avon is well-known so I don’t have to push it. People know the name, and it sells itself.

Avon bills itself as “the company for women”, and as their current television ad campaign states, it’s a way for you to be CEO of your own company.

Their makeup products are also good value in these money-conscious times. Take a look for yourself on www.avon.com, www.avon.ca, www.uk.avon.com, www.avon.com.au, www.mx.avon.com, www.avon.fr.

It’s awards season everywhere you turn as critics’ associations and entertainment industry societies celebrate the best in movies, television and music of 2008. Today, the “pre-show” — where entertainers are snapped in all their finery as they enter the hall for the main event — have become displays of glamour avidly eaten up by those of us who don’t have to borrow two dozen gowns and jewels worth millions to get through our daily lives.

Every once in a while, we mere mortals find ourselves having to glamorize ourselves for an event — a wedding, New Year’s Eve, or even a night out on the town for Valentine’s Day. It doesn’t take a professional stylist or the artistry of Pat McGrath to make you look as good as any of the actresses/models/singers at the red carpet events. All you need are a few tricks of the trade.

Start with your skin; exfoliate your face and body with your favorite scrub, then moisturize well. For those of you who like the tan look, a light application of self-tanner is better than reaching for L’Oreal Sublime Bronze in deep dark. If you’re a pretty pale princess like me, try a lotion with soft shimmer to highlight cleavage and collarbones.

Primer will help your makeup stay for the duration of your event — I use Benefit Lemon Aid on my eyelids and sometimes a silicone primer like Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer on my face. There are lip primers, but filling in your lips with pencil before applying color can have the same effect.

Add a luminizer to your foundation to give your face a soft glow. Try Laura Geller Liquid Candlelight or Stila All-Over Shimmer. Just a drop will do — you don’t want to look shiny and sweaty in photographs.

Pink-toned blushes photograph well — consider Benefit Posy-Tint for lips and cheeks or Tarte Cheek Stain in Flush. If you prefer powders, NARS Orgasm is a peachy-pink that works well with many different skin tones or try Make Up For Ever Candy Pink 85.

However you like to wear your eye makeup — dark-winged eyeliner only like Angelina Jolie or full eyeshadow and liner like Debra Messing at this year’s Golden Globes — consider false eyelashes. As I’ve said before, learning to wear them is a practice-makes-perfect task, but one well worth the time. MAC has a great new collection, called Lash & Dash, of exaggerated spikes and fringes. An easier choice for beginners to try would be Sephora’s house brand of lashes that has a half-strip along with a full-strip in one package. Individual clumps are easily applied to the outside corners with long-lasting glue.

When you see celebrities on the red carpet, they either play up their eyes or their lips — rarely do they highlight both. If you go for simple eye makeup, choose a great lipstick in deep red, fuchsia or plum. Put a dot of clear or matching lip gloss just in the centre of your lips to play up a pout. And if you’re like me and make your eyes the focal point, wear a great neutral lippie like MAC Viva Glam 5 with a matching gloss.

No matter how you wear your hair for your bombshell look, shoulder-dusting earrings will draw even more attention to your gorgeous face.

It’s doesn’t take much to let your inner bombshell out — give yourself a chance to shine too!

Happy New Year. Or is it?

I know that this new year is going to be difficult from an economic standpoint for many of you reading this; the message boards are full of posts from members who have lost jobs themselves, or have family members in similar situations. Keeping that in mind, I’ll try to discuss beauty on a budget as much as possible this year.

But did you know that difficult economic times are often a boon for the beauty business? As strange as it sounds, when the economy goes down, cosmetics sales — particularly those of lipstick — go up. The online British financial blog “This is Money” reported in May that quarterly figures from makeup giants L’Oreal and The Lauder Group showed increases in sales, despite a drop in sales in other parts of department stores in the United States in that same quarter. Conventional wisdom holds that lipstick is a small indulgence that most of us can afford, even when our household budgets are being squeezed.

The term “Lipstick Index” to describe this phenomenon is attributed to Leonard Lauder, son of Estée and chairman of the board of the Lauder Corporation. He noticed that sales of lipstick by all brands that Lauder Corp. represents tended to increase during tough economic times.

While the Wall Street Journal found that makeup sales fell in the United States for the second and third quarters of 2008, during the last two recessions overall makeup sales rose by 4 percent and 10 percent respectively. The “lipstick index” may, however, be holding up in other countries. News.com.au reported in early December that it wasn’t only makeup sales going up Down Under. They found that sales of chocolate and alcohol were also increasing as the economy worsened.

And the Avon of the rest of the world — Oriflame Cosmetics of Sweden — is expecting growth of 25 percent again this year. Oriflame is actively expanding in markets that won’t be affected as much by the North American recession, including Russia, China and India.

Another trend related to the Lipstick Index can be found in the color palette chosen by consumers: neutrals are the big sellers. A color that can be worn with everything is more practical than a statement color like deep red, fuschia or orange. See my July 2008 column “Into the Nude” for neutral lipstick suggestions.

If you have favorite colors of certain beauty products like NARS Orgasm blush or MAC Amberlights eye shadow, but can’t afford them, Milani Cosmetics makes duplicates of colors found in many high-end makeup lines. Try Luminous blush or Sun Goddess eye shadow. NYX and Wet ‘N Wild also attempt to duplicate the colors of more expensive lines. It’s up to you to decide if the color payoff and product formulations work for you.

One area not to skimp on is skin care. Clean, clear, healthy skin will make the cosmetics you use look that much better. Buy products on sale where possible, and look for coupons online. There are many sites with clippable coupons to take to the store or lists of online voucher codes.

I wish you and yours a beautiful — and prosperous — 2009!

For makeup addicts like me, December is a good time to avoid department-store cosmetics areas and any Sephora within driving distance. This is due to the fact that every makeup company on earth seems determined to dangle even more temptation than usual in front of us in the form of palettes and kits.

Since I wrote my first column about Christmas-season kits five years ago, a growing number of companies have begun putting out multiple gift items for your consideration. They often include special colors or products designed to entice you even more. This year, these are my picks for some of the best on the block.

Last year, Sephora quickly sold out of their fragrance sampler box. It contained 10 vials of best-selling perfumes and a gift certificate for a full-size bottle of any one of the scents contained within. This year, not only is there a set of best-selling perfumes, they have a set of classic perfumes (including Shalimar) and one of “trendsetters” (including Ferragamo Incanto Heaven). There’s also a men’s sampler set.

Too Faced is known for their collection of tiny palettes called “The Quickie Chronicles,” each named after an archetypal movie character (for example, The Temptress). This year, you can get eight of these palettes in a collection, or spring for the World Domination Tour All Access Backstage Beauty Collection! Inside a jewel box — with a tiny dancer swirling to the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” — are eye shadows, bronzer, blush, lip glosses, a cake eyeliner and an illuminator.

If you’re a fan of Lorac, you might consider the Croc Case Full Face Collection of 16 eye shadows, two blushes, a highlighter , bronzer and three lip glosses in a fake crocodile skin case. Or Tarte’s The Vanity Limited Edition Palette that also has 16 eye shadows, along with 16 glosses and mascara and brushes.

The Stila Step Out & Shine Color Collection comes in a lovely silver evening bag and consists of the Montmarte eye shadow quad (purples), Convertible Color in Orchid, plus a mini-mascara, All Over Shimmer and lip gloss in Pomegranate Crush.

Urban Decay’s Book of Shadows Palette not only contains eight of their best-selling eye shadows, there are an additional eight shadows created exclusively for this set. It also has a travel size of their very popular Primer Potion and two brushes.

At the high-dollar end are offerings from two of the biggest names in luxury products: the Givenchy Very Couture Holiday Palette (containing a mini-gloss, tiny mascara and a Purple Couture eye shadow quad and a compact powder quartet); and the Dior Chic Makeup Palette for the Eyes, with six rich colours to make any look your own.

Every year, MAC offers about a dozen different palettes and sets, and this year is no exception. The popular Viva Glam lip sets come in warm and cool versions. And the sure sell-out every year: the brush sets in makeup bags. This year, there are three brush sets — one of basics, another of face brushes and a third of eye shadow brushes.

For the true color-junkie, or the teen who just wants MORE makeup, the Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster Palette should be on your list. There are 84 eye shadows, 60 lipsticks, 3 blushes, 3 face powders, a lip liner and an eye liner pencil along with 7 applicators. That’s a lot of makeup for less than $50 (even in Canadian dollars)!

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!