We'd Hate to Disappoint 25 percent of Our Fans

There was quite a good response to yesterday's mascara post. As in, I got one fun e-mail about it. (But, current research shows that I have about four regular readers, so that's a quarter of my fan base! And that's pretty good!) My readers (okay, reader) were also wondering if I had a suggestion for pressed powder. And why yes, yes I do! So this has inspired my first installment on Beauty Products I Use and Would Actually Recommend to Others:

Pressed powder: I don't use foundation, even though all the magazines say I should and that I'll never get pretty, glowy, even-toned skin without it. But you know what I hate more than not having pretty, glowy skin? Weird makeup streaks on clothes and other foundation-related mishaps. Plus, foundation always makes me sweaty and uncomfortable. And so: No foundation.

But no one wants shiny skin, so the pressed powder is where it's at. Lately, I've been sticking to MAC Studio Fix because a) it's very light and b) those nice, persuasive MAC salespeople will help you find the right color for your skin. My main problem is that, especially in a hot humid climate like Singapore, it's so light I sweat it off in about an hour. Prior to Studio Fix, I was a big fan of Origins Silk Screen Refining powder, which is slightly heavier and keeps you non-oily for much longer. My main problem is that their color range didn't quite match my skin tone, so it sometimes looked kind of funny-cakey. But I'm thinking about returning to the store and seeing what they can do for me now.

(I suppose it should be noted that from time to time, I feel the need to dabble in a little foundation, and so at those time, I mix a little bit of Cover Girl Clean Makeup liquid foundation – which is oil- and fragrance-free – into some of my regular moisturizer. I apply it after I've already put on an initial layer of moisturizer, and it generally makes me a little more even and dewy, but not pancake-y. It can still come off on clothes, though, so be careful.)

Blush: I'm a daily user of Passport Nomad Anywhere Color in JFK (that's the name of the shade), a light cheek cream that comes in a cute little stick. It's a little pricier, but one stick seems to last forever. Really, I think the cream blush is the way to go – it looks so much more natural and even (that is, as long as you rub it in properly). When I really want a lot of color, I use Benefit's Benetint, which gives a great rosy flush but a) has a slightly weird rose-like smell, like you're rubbing grandma's closet on your face; and b) comes in a nail polish-style applicator, so if part of the bottle breaks – like mine did – it's a huge pain. Still, recommended for really rosy, glowy cheeks.

Face masks: I always come back to Kiehl's Pineapple Papaya Facial Scrub, which is a quick, light exfoliator/mask that always seems to make my skin a little brighter. And! The best thing about Kiehl's is that you can always just pop in and ask them for a sample, so you don't have to commit to the $25 tube without making sure it works for your type of skin.

Comments? Questions? Suggestions? We are committed to helping 100 percent of readers, so the other three of you should feel free to respond.