The first time I gave it a try, it took me a good five minutes in front of the mirror to build up the courage to raise Sephora’s Professional Platinum Lash & Eyebrow Comb ($10) to my eyes.

I kept imagining myself scratching an eyeball with its pointy metal teeth. Compared to the cheap plastic drugstore lash combs I’ve always used, this metal monster looked downright frightening!

But after breaking three of the plastic ones so far this year, I was fed up and ready to try something new.

Having heard nothing but good things about metal lash combs, I took a few deep breaths, made the sign of the cross and went for it.

“Go towards the light, Carol Anne! Towards the light!!”

As luck would have it, all my fears were for naught. Sephora’s metal monster isn’t frightening at all.

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I’d been missing Tabs something terrible even BEFORE I saw Stila’s new Smudge Pot in Kitten ($20) at Sephora the other day…

It’s a shimmery cream shadow that doubles as a liner — the cream version of Stila’s cult classic powder eyeshadow in Kitten.

Pale pinks like this really perk up my eyes when I look tired (read: often), and this one applies and builds easily. I use my finger to pat it on my lids, where it stays put for hours.

Stila Kitten swatch with flash

Stila Kitten swatch without flash

I like it for quick and casual day looks. I’ll usually wear it as a wash over the lids, with black liner smudged along the upper lash line.

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Before leaving for Vegas, I picked up Soap & Glory’s Scrub Triangle Mini Gift Set ($10) from Target.

I went into the store for kitty litter but left with Soap & Glory, LOL! Soap, Glory & Kitty Litter…

The three travel-friendly products in the set are targeted toward people with dry skin and come packaged in cute little vintage tubs and bottles.

Here’s what you get

• Clean on Me Body Wash: Soap and Glory says it’s like a cleansing lotion. I’ve even used it as a shave cream, and it works great.
• Flake Away: A body exfoliator containing sea salt, it leaves my skin smooth and moisturized.
• The Righteous Butter: Shea-mm on you! A rich body lotion containing shea butter and aloe to quench thirsty skin.

These have been great out here in Vegas where the climate’s drier than … well, the desert. They’ve kept the skin on my arms, legs and hands (and the heels of my feet) from painfully tightening up.

Pros

• Highly moisturizing
• Generous sample sizes, so you can try before you buy
• $10 for the whole set

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It took all of two made-for-tv volcano flicks in the ’80s (one about Mount St. Helens and the other about Pompeii) to scar me for life.

Growing up near one of the world’s most geologically active fault lines wasn’t half as scary as the thought of mountains spewing lava and ash, yikes!

But so far the closest I’ve come to anything volcanic has been my brushes with MAC’s Volcanic Ash line of skin care products.

It’s not so much a line as a duo of products, and both are part of the Style Black collection. One of the two, Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($20), has been released before (see an earlier review), but the second, Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask ($20), is brand new.

I always get a little nervous when I try new skin care products because I can never predict how my combo dry/acne-prone skin will react.

MAC Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask

Sometimes it’s good to be dirty. I guess that’s where the mask comes in. It’s loaded with actual volcanic ash and oils like jojoba, lavender, evening primrose and sunflower.

Add water and the paste warms ever so slightly. That’s the thermal part (Kilauea would be proud, LOL!).

MAC recommends using it one to three times per week to deep clean and moisturize the skin (should not be used near the eyes).

Is it really volcanic?

One thing those volcano disaster movies taught me was that volcanic ash can REALLY screw people up.

In dry, powder form it contains particles that can cause serious eye trauma, worsen open wounds and even lead to respiratory problems.

But in clay form — that’s a whole different story.

Throughout history, different cultures have used volcanic ash clays for health and beauty. Even our girl Cleopatra was a fan.

So, does it work?

I know a thing or two about gunk… Last week my acne-prone skin decided to freak out. The stress of moving, excessive junk food and insufficient sleep all joined forces to summon pimples on my forehead.

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We tried to work things out, but it just wasn’t meant to be. My dark circles and I have decided to separate.

Truth is, I’ve been seeing someone else…

He’s the GinZing Eye Cream by Origins ($30), and he goes on sale next month.

A fluffy moisturizer for gals who need extra help in the eye brightening department (hello!), it contains ginseng to hydrate and reduce puffiness and shimmery silica and mica illuminators (in light pink) to brighten and minimize the look of dark circles.

On its own, I think GinZing’s a great hydrating eye cream, but it doesn’t do much for dark circles. Ah, but combine it with under-eye concealer, and it goes from great to extra fantastic!

BACKSTORY: Some under-eye concealers (both liquids and creams) can look heavy and obvious when applied solo. Unfortch, that’s a lesson I learned the hard way.

Thankfully, my eyes were opened when a kind MAC artist taught me a trick: Mix and apply equal parts concealer and eye cream under the eyes.

The concealer/eye cream combo totally removes the cakey look while still covering up dreaded dark areas.

In terms of eye brightening, GinZing’s shimmery illuminators totally take the concealer/eye cream trick to the next level. I’ve mixed it with both liquid and cream concealers and have really liked the results.

Putting in extra hours at work? Staying up late to study? If you’re ready to leave your dark circles behind, consider giving GinZing a try. Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: A+

Positive reinforcement

In trying times, I find that a little makeup motivation (some call it bribery, but whatev) can help. I’ve been running a lot of errands lately, trying to get stuff ready for the move, and there haven’t been enough hours in the day (there never are).

Sometimes I veer off my task list, and I’ll use the promise of makeup to keep my eye on the prize.

Here are some goodies I’ve been thinking about:

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