Do you guys remember when I first mentioned CoverGirl & Olay Simply Ageless Serum Primer back in March when we were talking about how makeup artist Molly Stern used it on Maggie Gyllenhaal at the Oscars? I was excited to hear this product was coming out and couldn't wait to try it. I am happy to say that I had a chance to try this out and I really like it.

I didn't know what to expect, with the word "serum" in the name. I think I thought it would be more of a clear liquid, like a typical serum, but it's not. It is a white cream primer, with serum in it. (*Even tho the site claims the color is "Clear", it's not.) It applies like other primers, before your makeup, but due to its creaminess, it doesn't take much product to cover my whole face. In fact, one full pump (*yay - pump) was almost too much for mine, which means this bottle will last quite a while.

They say:

• Hydrates and smooths skin for an ageless canvas.
• Helps boost skins elasticity.
• Creates a finish that looks instantly firm.

I say, my skin felt soft & hydrated using this. It dried to a soft finish, so I could go without any foundation or tinted moisturizer, if I wanted to. It didn't melt off quickly, which is saying a lot in this miserable Oklahoma summer heat. Now, I can't say that I felt that it "firmed" anything, but I don't really look for that in a primer. I like something that evens out my face (not skintone), doesn't melt away and not do anything to help my makeup stay in place & has good for me ingredients. This does all of these things for me, and with a drugstore pricetag. Nice.

We know that I have a thing for primers and I can say that I really like this one. I think that even tho its a part of the "Simply Ageless" line of products, this would be a good primer for just about any one looking for hydration, or even just a fair price point to get started into using a primer, if you haven't already. It runs $10-$13ish depending on where you look, (*CVS/Walgreen's/Target/Walmart/Ulta), but there are usually coupons/sales around. However, there is one negative that I need to point out - there is no SPF in this. Now, that's not a deal breaker for me, as I will make sure to use other products that have SPF in them, but I don't want you counting on this one to help you out there. Hopefully, in future versions, they will add that to this.

I'm hearing that it may not be out every where yet. Have you guys seen it/picked it up yet? Lemme know if you have, I wanna know what you think about it, too.

When I was growing up, the only kind of blush I ever used, or was even introduced to, were powder blushes. I have come to learn that there are so many variations besides powder now, that I want to make sure you know, too.

In this video I mention several different types of blushes/brands. They are:

• Three Custom Colors Crème to Powder Blush in "Morning After" (*PR provided)
• tarte Cheek Stain in "True Love" (*discontinued - boo! - GWP)
• Clinique Blushwear Cream Stick in "Shy Blush" (*mine is a mini-tube GWP)
• MAC Blushcreme in "Florida" (*PR provided)
• Benefit "Posie Tint" (*from a gift bag)
• NARS Cream Blush in "Penny Lane" (*from a giveaway)

I forgot to mention a couple of brands/products that def deserved to be shown, too. The first is the Sue Devitt Starbrights Lip & Cheek Gel in "Capella" (*got in a gift bag). This cheek gel scared me when I first saw it becaus it is *purple*. But after the lovely MUA put it on my cheeks and showed me how pretty it could be on my skintone, I was hooked.

The second one that should have been in the video is the Covergirl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush. Besides being a creamy blush that goes on easily, it is also the only blush that incorporates Olay's Regenerist Serum into the mix - making it not only pretty, but good for your skin, too. (*of course, I can't help but to mention that I was lucky enough to have celebrity MUA Jake Bailey apply it on me and it looked *good*). (*warning: I may be biased).

Like I said in the video, the colors are going to look more intense in the package, but with a light touch, you make just about any color work for you. Also, don't forget what I said about layering - you can start with an alternate type of blush, finishing off the top with your powder blush for a longer lasting cheek.

Let me know if you have tried any of these, or if you have heard of another blush type that I didn't list here. I would love to hear about it.