While we normally stick to drugstore brands, we’ve officially become addicted to Perfect Touch Camouflage Crème. It disguises our under-eye circles, and covers blemishes and redness on our generally splotchy skin. It can also be used to hide bruises, birthmarks, varicose veins, and broken capillaries. Clearly, this is a whole new level of coverage, and we’re never going back.

Perfect Touch Camouflage Crème retails for $15. For more information, visit www.smartcover.com.

- Megan Sarah Johnson

So, if you wanted to emulate these smoldering icons, would you use a gel eyeliner or pencil? And which one has marathon staying power?

Pencil Liner:

These are great eyeliner basics to carry in your purse. They are easily portable, and all you need is a sharpener (some varieties, like Smashbox Cosmetics, already come with an in-built sharpener). Pencils give great contour and definition, but alas, not a lot of them have serious staying power or provide you with the ability to smudge and create that smoky, sultry look. Some of the pencil liners we absolutely love have that velvety texture. These include Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide On Pencil which is extremely creamy and waterproof at the same time because it has jojoba oil, cottonseed and Vitamin E. We also love Smashbox Cosmetics’ Limitless Eye Liner with its own inbuilt sharpener. It goes on the eyes like silk.

Gel Eye Liner:

These liners definitely get our vote in terms of staying power. Not only do they glide effortlessly, but they stay on as long as you want them to – and then some. The best part about gel liners is that you can use a variety of brushes to get the thickness and contouring level you desire. We are staunch lovers of MAC Fluidline Gel liners and Maybelline Eye Studio Gel liners. Both of them give you a sultry cat eye and last and last like the Energizer Bunny.

So if you’re looking for staying power, go with the gel liner. If it’s contouring and portability you want, ink your lids with pencils. A combination of the two is a killer idea! We frequently experiment with both to find the right balance and tone for the type of look we’re looking for.

Tell us, which do you use more of? Gel liner or pencils?

- Charu Suri

So, how can you keep your color on all the time?

1. Use an oil-free primer on your face so it will not clog pores. Our perennial favorite is Smashbox PhotoFinish Foundation Primer. Use a light-weight, breathable foundation with SPF as much as possible. We love Korres’s Ginger & Vitamins Water-Based Foundation with SPF 10, which is like Centrum for the face.

2. Use a primer or lip gloss on your eyelids before you apply your makeup. For the eyes, always go toward the sheers rather than matte finishes because they wear lightly and well. We love some of the MAC Mineralize Eye Shadow Duos that give your eyes a lovely, floaty texture (you can vary the intensity according to your specifications).

3. Use a light, sheer blush that doesn’t look as though you’ve been sunburned like Kramer in a Seinfeld episode (fans, you’ll remember which one). We are currently loving Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Blendable Powder blush in Sorbet.

4. For the eyes, use a smudge proof and waterproof eye liner. We love Maybelline Eye Studio’s eye gel that simply doesn’t come off! It’s like wall paper for the eyes (in a good way!). Also remember to use a nice strong waterproof mascara, like Covergirl’s LashBlash Waterproof Mascara.

5. Although you may be tempted to swipe some long-lasting sheer color on your lips, use a lip balm with SPF.

6. Finally, layer on a mineral powder all over your silky makeup to keep the colors and product finishes in place. We love Jurlique’s Rose Silk Finishing Powder that refines the complexion and helps reduce unnecessary shine.

That’s it folks! Easy as watering the plants — really! Melt-proof makeup is a cinch so go on and dazzle them on the beach (or wherever your sunny travels take you). Tell us, how do you melt-proof your makeup?

- Charu Suri

As we expected, Makeup Forever’s new waterproof Aqua Creams stole the show. These are versatile WATERPROOF colors that are so multipurpose that they’ll transform your entire face single handedly. We’re talking color for the eyes, lips and cheeks!

The pigments are so rich that pros and consumers alike will love these smudge proof and tear-proof colors that won’t crease or run. The formula contains evaporating oils that make the pigments really adhere to the skin. We love that it comes in 21 shades. Shown above is the shade #21 for eyes and cheeks.

Three Custom Color debuted their Getaway Collection of lipsticks in a brand new formula that lasts and yet is highly emollient. Formulated and fortified with vitamins and oils, these lipsticks moisturize yet provide rich color. The shades evoke the tropics: Bora Bora is a vivid fuchsia, Santorini is a rich raspberry with a silver shimmer, Copacabana is a bold coral with gold shimmer, Majorca is a warm paprika with a soft bronze shimmer while St. Tropez is a sandy peach-beige with champagne shimmer. The Getaway Collection will debut in June at www.threecustom.com

Our favorite airbrush foundation has long since been Temptu Pro. The brand is launching new blush colors for summer that is inspired by nature in bloom and by fruits and flowers. The shades include Nectar, Peony, Guava and Raspberry.

Other brands that debuted at the show include our favorite lip tars by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics , versatile eyeshadow pigments by Dinair Cosmetics and body art by Mehron.

- Charu Suri

The 16th Annual Beauty Awards crowned 31 different products as winners in several categories, spanning from masstige to prestige. In addition to the standard categories, the effervescent Indie Award went to Living Proof, a brand near and dear to my heart because the products have a tendency to make your hair resemble Amber Valleta’s.

The celebrities who presented the awards were drool-worthy too. From Malan Breton, Idol finalist Anoop Desai, Supermodel Selita Ebanks, Estelle, Mark Indelicato to Kim Kardashian and Whitney Port, the awards ceremony did not lack star power. Indeed, when the audience applauded, stars fell out of their hands.

Now, let’s talk about the beauty winners, shall we?

We were not surprised at all to see stars like Vaseline Sheer Infusion with Stratys-3 win the Body Treatment Masstige category because the technology of that product is pretty revolutionary. Nor did we bat an eyelash when Lancome’s Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate won in the Anti-Aging Prestige Category because– let’s face it – if a product can capture the power of your youthful genes it deserves to have its own country named after it.

We have always been crazy about Lancome’s Oscillation Powerbooster Primer and were thrilled with Guerlain Rouge G de Guerlain won in the prestige lip product category.

Living Proof’s success is well deserved. The Indie company really understands hair issues and attitude with its groundbreaking anti-frizz technology (the brains behind the brand is an MIT professor, Dr. Bob Langer…need we say more?).

So what was one of the upsets? According to Ron Robinson, cosmetic chemist and founder of BeautyStat.com, one of the biggest upsets was that “Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash did not win because the technology was quite strong.” It lost the crown to Olay Body Wash Plus Tone Enriching Ribbons.

Another upset in our eyes was that Garnier Skin Renew Awakening Face Moisturizer won in the mass category over Olay Pro-X SPF 30.

Beauty Trends at CEW

We did spot some trends among the winning products, and here they are:

- Consumers seem to love the massaging/ roller concept for the face (Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller won in the eye treatment masstige category, and Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Awakening Face Massager won in the mass moisturizing category)

- Consumers can’t get enough of the the no frizz concept (kudos to Living Proof)

- Sensitive Skin products are on the rise (Clinique Redness Solutions Instant Relief Mineral Powder won in the Face Product Prestige category, and Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Sunblock Lotion with SPF 60+ with PureScreen won in the sun product masstige category).

So, tell us, have you tried any of these products? Do you love them? Give us the dish! To get the full list of winners, visit www.cew.org.

- Charu Suri

Now, Almay has signed the actress on as its latest Global Brand Ambassador, and she’ll be the face of new and existing Almay products everywhere: TV, internet, print…the iPad — you name it!

Frankly we can so get used to seeing her face everywhere because this Golden Girl is so easy on the eyes. Her infectious smile and Goldie Hawn-inspired charm is going to be a complete draw for me because she’s anything but vain (How To Lose a Guy fans will get this one).

Today, she’ll represent the brand at the Almay Rainforest Concert at Carnegie Hall to and voice her support for The Rainforest Foundation, founded by Sting and Trudie Styler (which is a natural fit considering she has long supported David Babaii for WildAid).

How do you feel about Hudson as the face of Almay? Does this make you feel closer to the brand?

- Charu Suri

We’re so excited to offer our Facebook Fans the opportunity to win over $250 worth of beauty products from makeup, skincare, body and hair products to fragrance. The products include:

Lancome La Laque Fever Lipstick

Kate Somerville Somer360 Tanning Towelettes

Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Awakening Face Massager

Rodan & Fields Soothe Sensitive Skin Treatment

Revlon Double Twist Mascara

Loreal Revitalift Deep Set Wrinkle Repair for Eyes

Neutrogena Nourishing Eyeliner

Stimulash Fusion Intensive Night Conditioning Lash Enhancer

Liquid Keratin Infusing Deep De-Frizz Hair Conditioner

Memoire Liquide Fragrance

Want to win? Here’s what you do:

Suggest to all your friends that they become a Fan of BeautyStat. THEN, come back here to leave a comment you did (honor system, here!) by this Wednesday, April 21st by midnight EST. You’ll be entered into a drawing to win these beauty goodies.

Winner to be announced Friday. Thanks and good luck!

To Suggest BeautyStat to your Friends, click on the the “Suggest to your Friends” below our Facebook logo. You can then select whichever Friends you want. Easy huh?

Click here now to get started!

I have to admit, that for a big purple wand that promised happiness like Barney with a round belly, this LashBlast Fusion Mascara absolutely delivered on every single promise: it lifted the lashes, it coated the lashes evenly and superbly – with ZERO deposits at all – and it made my lashes look really long and somewhat fatter.

It features CoverGirl’s biggest brush ever, and the bristles (even though they are as scary looking as a spider’s legs) are quite flexible and give real dramatic intensity to the lashes.

I will say that even though this is touted as a volumizing AND lengthening mascara, I give higher marks on the length quotient. When I used it, each lash became silky smooth and superbly long and curly.

What do you think, apart from the seriously scary looking pictures? It’s priced at $8.99 and there’s a Facebook PreSale that’s pretty exclusive before this mascara hits stores in April. So if you like long lashes, you’ll definitely want to invest in this.

- Charu Suri

A sample of CoverGirl LashBlast Fusion was given to me for editorial review.

Another one looms on the horizon, and it’s Smashbox Hyperlash Mascara, which is exclusive to Ulta.com until March 31st. It has a plastic bristle, and promises to deposit the good stuff evenly over your lashes. It is supposed to “lift, lengthen, volumize and define” like no tomorrow.

Oh, that might create some serious wand-erlust, what says you?

The Guerlain Meterorites Perles Makeup collection houses the colorful makeup pearls in a rose-motif silver box. They come in three shades:

1. Rose Tint

2. Beige Tint

3. Gold Tint

The Eyeshadow Palette is all beiges, roses and brown tints. Called Ombres Perles, it features a white rose embossed pattern on two of the four eyeshadow pans.

The collection will also showcase two new wicked Kiss Kiss Baby lipsticks, in Cherry and Summer shades:

There will be four single color eye shadows on offer:

As well as a limited edition Powder Brush:

Would I buy this collection on first glance? I’d skip the meteorites, frankly, because I do think the originals were great to begin with. I love the Meteorites Miniatures and the original Meteorites box that was inspired by Marie Antoinette’s jewelry box. Remember, there already exists the Meteorites in the Mythic (for a translucent glow); Pink Fresh (for a rosy glow); Beige Chic (golden glow); and Perles Imperiales (pearly pink glow). The brush also is not new, so I’d skip that as well.

The only thing I would buy from this collection are the Ombres Perles eyeshadow, because I do love this mocha-rose thing that’s going on, and maybe the Kiss Kiss Baby lipsticks.

- Charu Suri

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