Dear KarlaSugar,

I got a Tweezerman lash comb, and it worked great at first... but the more I used it, the more dried mascara started clogging it up. The comb teeth are so close together — how am I supposed to clean them?

Great question! I ran into the same issue myself. But knowing (or believing) that Tweezerman would replace

Technology is amazing.

I'm not much of a youtuber (youtubist?), but I learn best when someone is explaining something to me. And when my imagination gets a little carried away, I envision women in small town America — or India, or Russia — who don't have easy access to makeup counters and personal consultations. How amazing that with an

Sparkly deep blue must be the color of the season, because I feel like I'm seeing one in every palette. Never one to disappoint, NARS has created its own holiday palette using shades from their powder eyeshadow singles and duos. (If a shade has a roman numeral in the name, it's half of a duo by the same name.)

Kilimanjaro

Special thanks to guest swatcher Memememe, Princess of the Mineralized Skinfinish, who went to superhuman lengths to assemble and swatch MAC's entire collection of MSFs (baked blushes, highlighters, and bronzers). There have certainly been a few MSFs (Stereo Rose and Petticoat spring to mind) that touched off a total mineralized fever.*

Memememe reports that her skintone is

The buzz around Sephora's Flashy eyeliners has been quietly building — and rightfully so. Another great product from the Sephora brand, Flashy liners are soft, waterproof pencil eyeliners for $8 apiece.

Their waterproofing comes from their somewhat waxy consistency, and you'll probably want an oil-based cleanser to get them off. Also, I'd recommend against leaving them

I spend a lot of time mooning over color cosmetics: eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, etc. But the "fun stuff" is all made possible by the support of a few great, "behind the scenes" products. So I'm opening my medicine cabinet to share with you the products for which I am most grateful.

1. Laura Mercier Moisturizer with

I am so far beyond needing any "basic" kit or palette from anyone, but I am in love with Cargo's Essential Eyeshadow Palette ($32). If (horror of horrors) I lost every stitch of makeup I currently own and had to start from zero — or if I were traveling back in time by a couple of years

Here's to cheap thrills — I just met Sephora Electro Liners and I think this might be love.

The Sephora brand can be easy to overlook when you're standing in the presence of NARS, Dior, and Laura Mercier (not everything from Sephora's line is a winner, though there are some real standouts). Electro liners also generally

We all want a little flash and dazzle for the holidays, and makeup companies are happy to oblige. Everyone from Bobbi to MAC to Dior is bringing out the bling — eyeshadows, eyeliners, highlighters, blush, you name it. (Just don't wear them all together.) I'd say the brands vary in the success of their offerings.

I'm

Congratulations to Diane C., who won a Sothys skincare kit, and Kaman T., who will be dining at Bruno Jamais restaurant in NYC!

Thanks to everyone who participated — I can't wait to do this again!

I've mentioned before that I'm not particularly seeking out vegan products — but I do appreciate how difficult the search can be, and I'm always excited to learn about brands that take those needs into consideration.

Cue Fyrinnae ("Fyeer-ih-nay"), online makeup e-tailer whose line is 100% vegan, 100% not tested on animals. A company after my own

You have just a few more hours to enter one of two fabulous giveaways! One lucky winner will receive a skincare set from Sothys Paris, tailored to his or her skincare needs. A second winner will receive a $50 giftcard to Bruno Jamais restaurant in NYC. That second winner is not required to take me out to

I had previously published my Sephora wishlist, both color cosmetics and skin- and haircare. Now that their Friends and Family sale is over, I still have a few non-Sephora wishes. I have no idea where you could get these at a discount, but I think they're worth wishing for.

1. MAC Wolf ($14.50)
When

I've received several letters from Beige Massai lovers about my neglect of their favorite palette... So I'm trying to redeem myself. Beige Massai is one of those rare quints (like Earth Tones) that doesn't contain a white highlight. Though it's not an iridescent palette, I thought the center shade in particular had a nice sheen to it.

Bobbi Brown has two unpaletted lip sets for holiday: a set of four Tube Tints, and a lip gloss trio in a small Copper Diamond pouch.

The Tube Tints are SPF 15 lip balm in squeeze-tube form (with a slanted tip). The product itself is fairly thick and smells like mint. Three of the four colors are "shimmer;"