September 2009's Best Beauty Products

Bright Idea!

Because of my own lack of a certain kind of imagination, I've always been impressed by people who invent things, big or small, that make our lives easier. Sadly, if it were left up to me, there'd never be anything like, say, U-Haul, for example; we'd still be dragging all our stuff around behind us on giant palm leaves.

Makeup artist Sonia Kashuk, on the other hand, has consistently delivered little innovations that have made our beauty burden easier to carry. (She's the one who came up with a mascara that has an eyeliner on the other end.) "I'm always thinking about portability and simplicity," she says. She recently stopped by the O office to show us her very smart Magnet Travel Brush Set ($17; Target.com), which contains one slender, silver multipurpose handle along with seven full-size interchangeable magnetic brush heads, including blush, eyeshadow, lash/brow, and lip brushes. The heads fit securely onto the handle with a satisfying magnetic snap; the whole thing comes in a soft silver case you could easily fit into a pocket (or a compact makeup bag). No U-Haul necessary. — Valerie Monroe