Regular readers will know I rarely wear foundation anymore, having downshifted to tinted moisturizer (a.k.a. BB Creams or CC Creams—similar products, different marketing.) I find lighter, sheerer formulas to be more flattering on my aging skin, as they don’t sink into pores or lines—or cling to dry patches.

I’ve just passed the six-week mark of my Vintner’s Daughter Serum road-test—and I’ve also come to the bottom of my bottle.

Spring Break is nearly upon us, and I’ve been packing (and re-packing) for a week

I’m surprised. I thought applying an oily serum to my face twice a day would make it super-dewy. It doesn’t.

On a recent visit for brow-tinting at Sarah West’s The Brow Bar in Ann Arbor, my attention was hijacked by West’s expertly-curated collection of global beauty products. My fifteen-minute appointment turned into forty-five minutes (sorry, Sarah), as I peppered her with questions about the skin, hair, fragrance and makeup treasures she’d discovered while traveling in Spain, South Korea, Paris, Guatemala (and more). There were so many things I wanted to try, but one I couldn’t leave without...

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on my favorite tinted moisturizers, but couldn’t include the one I’m currently obsessed with (and am wearing as I write this) because it wasn’t yet available in stores. (I got an early preview from a beauty editor friend.) But it went on sale yesterday so now I can finally sing its praises.

If all the online buzz is to be believed, this plant-based serum may be the holy grail of skincare. Blogger accolades (from Millennials, mostly) include phrases like radiance-boosting, cystic-acne-curing, fine-line-plumping, dark-spot-fading. Many also contend it's such an effective all-in-one, they’ve tossed the rest of their regimen. (I assume/hope this excludes their cleanser and sunscreen.) So how well does it fare on a 40+ face? I intend to find out.

As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what works. Today's beauty insider: Amanda McIntosh, founder of Take My Face Off reusable cleansing cloths

Not so long ago, to get your hands on French beauty products, you had to trek to a French Pharmacie and buy them in person (or beg a friend visiting France to stock up for you). No longer. French beauty staples can now be found pretty easily Stateside, either online or in specialty boutiques.

When I was the beauty editor at More, one of the best-read stories we ever published was by an American fashion editor who wrote how she’d moved to Paris, adopted a French approach to skincare—and watched her complexion improve dramatically, then age remarkably well, over the two decades she lived abroad.