Photo: Greg Kessler

Q: After a few minutes, most fragrances make me smell like a house of ill repute. What gives?

Photo: Greg Kessler

Will I get a better mascara or eyeshadow if I spend more?

A: Yes, you can get better eye makeup if you pay more for it—up to a point, says cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer, founder and president of Mix Solutions in Uxbridge, Massachusetts. There are terrific options at the drugstore, home of big brands with great research and development teams. Because they're vying for your loyalty, these companies are constantly developing cutting-edge applicator and pigment technologies. At the department store, says Hammer, you'll see diminishing returns on your money: What you get is very similar to high-end drugstore brands.

Very similar, maybe, but not the same, says Anne Carullo, senior vice president of global product development at EstÉe Lauder. "The arsenal of ingredients and processes available to us aren't available to less expensive brands," she says. "We create our own pigments and coat them in a way that makes the application smoother and the wear longer, and we use a higher concentration of color." Department store brands are also likely to have more-durable packaging and include more bells and whistles. (A weighty gold compact does not equal better eyeshadow, but pulling it out of your bag can feel pleasingly luxurious.)

Keep in mind: Whether you're thrifty or extravagant, don't forget to replace your mascara every three months and your eyeshadows every two years, because they can become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

When sisters commiserate about complexion problems, the conversation usually ends with a sigh, maybe a trip to Sephora. For Rachel and Liz Edlich, it ended in a lab. The two women already knew the skincare business—they ran a company that created products for other brands—so they decided to assemble a stable of chemists to solve their skincare woes.

"At work it was all about packaging, marketing, and advertising," says Liz. "But once we decided to make products just for us, we thought about only one thing: efficacy." Their goal was to include the highest possible levels of various antioxidants, peptides, fruit acids, and moisturizing sodium hyaluronate. More than a year later, Rachel and Liz left the lab with their dream products in clear vials labeled with a Sharpie. Before long, Liz's fine lines were fading, Rachel no longer needed antibiotics to control her rosacea—and their friends wanted what they were having.

Now everyone can; their Radical Skincare line is available at Barneys New York stores and barneys.com, as well as their own site, radicalskincare.com. The packaging has been upgraded, but it's still simple. "We wanted to keep all the value inside the bottle," says Rachel. "A fancy jar or celebrity endorsement isn't going to transform your skin."

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

After a recent makeover of its packaging, Caswell-Massey looks pretty great for its age (at 260, it's the fourth oldest company—of any kind—in the United States).

Its new Botanicals collection comes in three scents—Fig & Bamboo, Vetiver & Cardamom, and Coriander & Mandarin—and consists of seven body-pampering treats (from a rich sugar butter scrub to a moisturizing soufflé) the likes of which you might expect to find in a thoroughly modern spa rather than an old-timey apothecary.

I especially like the delicate fragrance of the hydrating Coriander & Mandarin Hand Crème and Body Lotion ($16 and $26; caswellmassey.com).

Photo: Kevin Cremens

If you're looking for something that's easy on the eyes—and cheeks and lips—may we suggest the new Aerin fall color collection? Aerin (that would be Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of Estée) believes wearing makeup should be "effortless" (or at least look that way). To that end, she has created a couple of can't-go-wrong palettes—one for workday, one for weekend—each containing two eyeshadows, a blush, and a highlighter. (Fall Style Palette in Weekend shown here, $70; esteelauder.com.) And to dress up your mouth: two lusciously moisturizing lip glosses and two universally flattering lipsticks ($30 each).

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

I don't mean to brag (okay, I do) but I can play a mean two-part invention on the piano. Why is it, then, that when it comes to applying eyeliner, I am completely butterfingered? In spite of detailed and patient instruction from the world's best makeup artists, I always wind up with a situation that might generously be called inequitable distribution.

My problem appears to have been solved, though, by the new Clarins 3-Dot Liner ($26; clarinsusa.com). The tiny applicator brush at the end of the pen has three points, which I dot along my upper lashline; the result looks like a continuous line, very neat and consistent. Brillante!

Question: Help! Nothing works on the dark circles under my eyes.             

Answer: Dark circles are to complexion problems as frizz is to hair problems. Which is to say almost everyone is plagued by them. Circles can be caused by puffiness (often from allergies), hyperpigmentation, and blood vessels showing through the skin, says Elizabeth F. Callahan, MD, a dermatologist at Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Florida. Puffiness can be treated by taking an antihistamine and reducing your salt intake. Intense pulsed light treatment works well on hyperpigmentation; the Vbeam laser very effectively zaps blood vessels.

But if you've really tried everything and nothing has worked as well as you'd like, then concealer is your best friend. Choose a concealer one or two shades lighter than your skin, says makeup artist Carmindy. Pat it directly on the discoloration and set it with a translucent powder.            

Keep in mind: An eye cream can help reduce puffiness and shadows; try one containing niacin, caffeine, or green tea.

Got a question about haircare, skincare or makeup for O's beauty director, Val Monroe? Now's your chance! During the month of August, Val is answering your burning beauty questions!

Jody asked: I'm looking for a new fragrance for fall. What do you recommend?

See Val's video response:



Do you have a question for O's beauty director Val Monroe or O's creative director Adam Glassman? Ask away here!