Clinique

Donald Trump has a new hotel in Dubai, and Naomi Watts toasted its launch while wearing beautiful and polished makeup. As usual, she managed to stand out among all of the lovely ladies in attendance. Her skin was creamy, smooth and enhanced with a touch of pink blush.

If you're thinking about re-creating Naomi's makeup look at home, I've got a few great product and application suggestions for you. To find out what they are, read more

If you're forgetful like me, it's always nice to receive a friendly reminder that Father's Day is just around the corner. (In fact, it's June 15, so mark your calendars.) Now that you're in the know, you've got less than two weeks to purchase the perfect present for pop. If your dad is anything like mine, you know how difficult it is to shop for him. That's why I'm soliciting your help. I'm challenging you to bookmark a great gift for dad.

For my pick, I'm going with the Great Shave Kit by Clinique. I like this particular kit because it's relatively inexpensive at $28, and it's got three products that I think my dad will enjoy: face scrub, shave gel, and after shave. Also, it's a brand that my dad might not choose for himself, but would be willing to experiment with if he received it as a gift.

Share your choices by bookmarking items from around the web and tagging them with the phrase Father's Day. I'll feature your favorites here next Tuesday.

To learn about Beauty Mark It challenges and how to add your picks, check out this how-to. To see some of my favorite online beauty stores, read more

Back in July, you beauty marked some of your favorite face scrubs, and here are three oldies but goodies that I've adored for ages. Face scrubs are imperative in maintaining a healthy appearance. They work to gently remove dead skin, oil and residue from the daily grind. This helps unclog your pores and smooth out your skin.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub ($3.99) is likely my absolute favorite exfoliator. Even though the packaging seems to change every couple of years, the product remains the same — a thick, coarse, mild smelling facial scrub that has some of the largest grains of its kind. The oil-free formula is great for acne-prone skin since it contains two percent salicylic acid.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream ($17.50) is a smooth exfoliator intended for skin that isn't currently experiencing any breakouts. This is more of a maintenance product for when your skin is dry or uneven looking — not so much for acne-prone skin. It works to slough away dead skin cells and unclog pores. Simply massage a nickel-sized amount into your wet skin for 15 seconds and rinse off with warm water.

For one last facial scrub, read more

Just like we saw on the runways, nude makeup is huge for spring. Clinique's new collection, out next month, is completely on-trend. The Nude Blush line uses matte and shimmer elements to play off each other, but there's enough color to keep you from looking bland or washed out.

The collection includes a few new products. First up is Blended Face Powder in Invisible Blend ($18.50), a new shade of loose powder that should work on most skin tones. Additionally, four Colour Surge eye shadow duos ($17.50) bring matte colors to your eyes. (And since they're shimmer-free, they're ideal for "mature" eyes.) Finally, there's a new mascara, Lash Power ($14), which I just tried out and will review for you shortly.

There are also some gorgeous, simple limited-edition Colour Surge Butter Shine lipsticks ($14), Blushing Blush compacts ($18.50), and Cream Shaper eye pencils ($13.50). All in all, it's pretty and natural-looking—just the kind of thing that's in style these days.

The post-holiday doldrums of January can be rough, cold, and not so pretty. That doesn't have to be the case with your beauty routine, though. This month, it's all about hydration: drinking enough water, moisturizing your skin, and avoiding drying products. I've found six items to help you do just that and more.

For a rundown of each product, just read more

Thanks Clinique, for bringing us such an elegant looking holiday fragrance to admire. I have yet to try Aromatics Elixir Perfume ($65), but what I can tell you is that the gold and floral atomizer it comes in is gorgeous.

The fragrance isn't new, but this limited-edition packaging is, and from what I hear, the scent is charming, woodsy, floral, and extremely appealing to the masses.
The perfume contains notes of oakmoss, patchouli, rose essence, sandalwood, chamomile, jasmine, muguet, patchouli, musk, vetiver, amber and ylang-ylang.

I prefer to smell perfumes myself before I buy them for others, but the mass appeal mixed with the pretty bottle sounds like it's the perfect present for a luxe lady. I'm really excited to check it out the next time I pass by a Clinique counter. How does it sound to you?

How "berry" appropriate that makeup in the winter months turns to shades of reds, golds and berries to create warmth and depth. Sheer berries are a great way to incorporate a hint of bright color into your look since they are softer than red lipsticks and bright pink lipsticks. You can also dab a bit on your your cheeks for a fresh and natural-looking flush. Here are a couple of great sheer, berry stain shades I think you'll love.

Sephora Lip Attitude - Chic in Talented Berry ($12) is a sheer, glossy, moist and creamy lipstick that can either be worn alone or over your favorite lipstick to add shine. Also, it's got a great sweet smell that keeps calling you back for re-application. This is the only lipstick I think I've ever fully finished!

For one more berry lipstick, read more

If you haven't yet heard the word, Clinique has a super-cute gimmick for the 2007 holiday season. Right now, you can customize a bottle of Happy eau de parfum ($52) with a picture of your choice.

Happy is an upbeat citrus and floral fragrance with notes of of grapefruit, boysenberry bush flower and Hawaiian wedding flower. I know a lot of women who love it (and quite a few guys who do, too). Plus, early-bird holiday shoppers will like this: door-to-door delivery only takes ten business days. I think this would be a sweet gift for someone you want to make very happy—and besides, you know it won't be returned!

Foundation is one of the trickiest things to shop for, simply because you're dealing with so many different things: level of coverage, the color, how it smells, how it goes on, and more. So the more reviews I can find, the happier I am. That's why I was glad to run across daneen924, who's been writing lots of posts in the Beauty Product Junkies group. Her review of Clinique Supermoisture Makeup ($22.50) explains exactly how much moisture "super" really means. And with that, I'll hand it over to daneen924:

On the Clinique website, the Supermoisture Makeup is described as having an ultra-creamy yet refreshingly lightweight formula that goes beyond flaw-fixing, providing a dewy look. Clinique promises that this product disguises unevenness with sheer-to-moderate coverage, resulting in soft and radiant looking skin all day.

The saleswoman warned me that the Supermoisture Makeup is meant for individuals with dry skin. Now, while my skin can be an oil slick during the summer, it gets tight and very dry during the fall and winter months. So I told the woman that I still wanted to give it a try. She color-matched me, and the shade she chose was spot-on. However, it was much too dewy for my taste. In fact, it looked—dare I say—greasy. I would only recommend this product to those with extremely parched skin (think Sahara thirsty).

So if you've got really dry skin, it sounds like this might be worth a try. For me, I'll probably try a different formula. Share your product reviews
in the Beauty Product Junkies group, and I might post yours on BellaSugar too.