THE BEST BLUSH BRUSH

Maybe we shouldn't admit it, but even after all these years of wearing makeup we're still not an expert at applying blush properly. Then we realized it's not us, it's the brush. That's why The O Report recommends bareMinerals Angled Face Brush ($20). Made of natural fibers, it takes all the guess work out of the tricky art of sweeping blush from the apples of your checks to your cheekbones. Its tapered bristles do the work for you by tracing cheek contours. 

Just sweep it across your blush, place the longer bristles on the apple of your cheek, then sweep out in the direction of the shorter bristles. Repeat until you have your preferred amount of color. The Angled Face Brush works with any cake blush or bronzer. We use it with bareMinerals Ready Blush in a peachy coral called The Aphrodisiac ($23), but it comes in seven other gorgeous shades. Details: bareMinerals at SouthPark Mall, 704-362-1228. 

INSTANT GRATIFICATION IN A JAR

"Instant Gratification" is the motto of the Freeze 24/7 line of skincare. One of its most popular products is Instant Targeted Wrinkle Treatment ($65). It claims to temporarily diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by 50 to 90 percent.

We tested it out recently by patting a small amount (less than the size of a pea) of the paste-like product into trouble spots. At first some of the excess did pill up on our skin, but we used a makeup brush to sweep it away, then let it sit for the recommended time period (at least two minutes). It made a notable difference in reducing the appearance of fine lines. Deeper wrinkles didn't even pretend to disappear, but the area looked more smooth and luminous. We don't have the patience to use it every day, but for special occasions we recommend it. 

We also tried a more creamy product from the line called Arctic Lift ($95). We applied it twice daily to clean skin along the chest, neck and jawline. It only took a few days to see more firmness. After two weeks, we decided it was the best neck cream we've tried. It's not going to completely eliminate the problem, but in that frustrating area we'll take what we can get.