By Nadine Kam

There are so many new cosmetic products delivered daily that it’s difficult to try them all to determine what works best. It’s great that stores like Sephora allow us to sample formulas, textures and color, and makeup counters at other stores also allow sampling with many ops for a makeover.

Faced with hundreds and hundreds of new products and colors, I tend to get overwhelmed, but here are a few things that work for me:

I mentioned Make Up For Ever Eye Seal in the print edition today. It’s not sexy, but this provides one way to get the clean, finished look you see in magazine ads. It’s lightweight but works like a glue to hold color to your eyelid. Pat some on and dab on your shadow in layers that stay true to the color you see in the pan. A little on your liner brush will also transform your shadow into a liner. It’s especially essential if you like mineral or glitter shadows that tend to scatter and fly everywhere on your face. It’s $20 at Sephora.

I like a glow that looks as if it’s coming from within your skin rather than sitting on the surface. Benefit’s Posie Tint ($28) is a pink transparent stain that you can rub in a thin layer over your cheeks for a light, natural-looking flush. My skin is really pale, so I can’t take colors much darker than this. I don’t know how well it would work with darker skin, but it seems to me, with the right primer, it could work. You can find all Benefit products at Sephora and Macy’s.

Before the rest of your makeup goes on, it’s important to wear sunscreen. Dr. Zein Obagi’s ZO Skin Health Oclipse Sunscreen + Primer SPF 30 does several jobs in one, protecting against UVA/UVB sun damage with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide; moisturizing; repairing skin with lipopeptide and vitamin E; and priming the skin with silicone to give makeup a smooth, even finish. It appears to have a slight tint as well, making your skin look good enough to do away with foundation if you have the confidence to walk out the door with a nearly naked face. Set with powder and you’re good to go. It’s $85, exclusive in Hawaii to Nordstrom.

Giorgio Armani Beauty’s Lip Wax compact lipsticks are amazing, delivering saturated color in a formula that’s so smooth and light you barely feel it. It’s not sticky, gooey, wet or all those unpleasant things. For a “wax,” it doesn’t even feel waxy. It is also neither too matte nor too glossy, making it look chic and modern. Use your fingertip to blot on a thin layer for a blush of color, or use a lip brush for a precise, dramatic lip. If you wear no other makeup, this will give you maximum polish with no work at all. This being from Armani, the colors are no-brainers. Even if you don’t trust yourself, the selections have been edited down to flattering, easy-to-wear hues.

I’m pretty sure men will like it too, because we always hear how they hate to kiss gooey, overglossed lips. I even know men who are just plain frightened of women with overdone, overlined lips. The compacts are $26; exclusive in Hawaii to Neiman Marcus.

Pores seem invisible on childrens’ skin, but somehow start growing into deep chasms during teen years. For this there is spackle for the skin, like Clarins Lisse Minute or Instant Smoother ($28), one of the brand’s Instant Beauty Perfectors. Instructions tell you to lay it down before applying makeup, but to avoid heavy layering, I just spot dab it where there are major potholes, a remnant of childhood chicken pox. This melts onto skin and smooths areas that look and feel like our city streets. It amounts to filling in your pores, so make sure you wash thoroughly when using such products. Find it at Nordstrom.

I see a pattern with my faves in seeking lightness and ease. Would love to know what works for others. Also, the biggest news lies in mascaras, but I’m still trying them out. There are so many considerations with mascaras, including the look you’re going for, like Urban Decay’s Big Fatty Mascara ($19) will deliver a thick, high-impact lash. I guess I’m looking for the ultimate defining, curling, smudgeproof, waterproof formula for lashes that normally head straight south.

By Nadine Kam

Nadine Kam photos
A peek inside the Marciano boutique, which opened this morning at Royal Hawaiian Center.

Ventured into Waikiki this morning for a peek inside the newly open Marciano boutique, the first in Hawaii, at Royal Hawaiian Center.

The brand is known for glamorous, sexy clothing, and a spot check on prices revealed dresses at about $188 and tops starting at $40. The palette is strong on red, black and hunter green and there was also a selection of lace tops suitable for the soon-to-arrive holidays. Just thought I’d remind you of those. Somehow, the span between October and December always feels condensed, and always a fine time for a little stress relief, which brings me to:

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An ahhh! moment: Agasa Yamana, left, and Reiko Tokushige Rogers, CEO and Executive Producer of Studio Rim Hawaii, Inc., relax in the women’s lounge at Moana Lani Spa. Or, try to. Reiko is recording her thoughts about the palatial spa.

The Moana Surfrider’s celebration of the opening of its Moana Lani Spa this morning. I was stressed getting out the door this morning, thinking of the eight stories I have due by Friday (actually three are due Sunday but do I want to work Saturday?), but all that faded away just walking through the spa, which may be the biggest on this island, covering 16,000 square feet. Only Ihilani may be bigger, and I’m sure someone will correct me if it is.

There was a huge crowd waiting to get in the door, but once in, seriously, the place is so big that exploring the rooms, I rarely saw more than six people at once.

The view from one of the men’s massage therapy rooms; likely the last I’ll see of it. Don’t worry. The views are just as good from the women’s rooms.

The amenities:
>> 2 Oceanfront couples treatment suites
>> 8 massage therapy rooms
>> 2 body treatment rooms
>> 1 Vichy shower water therapy room
>> 3 facial rooms

The Westin WorkOut fitness center is built, but the last step is placing the machines which I was told would arrive today. Exercisers will have a view of Kalakaua Avenue, which can be just as entertaining as anything on TV, making workout time fly by.

Orchids at the pedicure station.

Most of the rooms have incredible views of the beach, and I didn’t want to leave, threatening to come back with my laptop computer, only to be told no computers are allowed in the spa. For good reason! Work has been presented as a “lifestyle” to those of us who can’t separate the two, but even when it’s fun, the wear and tear is there.

If you need to relax, call 237-2535 or visit www.moanalanispa.com

Jovana Ihilani Ignjatovic visited the spa with her parents. Her first two names translate as “majestic heavenly splendor.” Her last name is Serbian. She was most interested in a nearby Jacuzzi but her parents thought it was best to keep her away from the water.

The spa carries Kauai-based Malie spa therapy products, as well as ComfortZone products. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii director of public relations Candice Kraughto shows her stash of ComfortZone lip products, at $24 to $25 each. She may be the only person to carry her cosmetics in a Tiffany box instead of a makeup pouch. I’ve known Candice a long time. She’s one of the few who remember I once had a vintage/consignment shop called Hippie Chicks. She always bought the most beautiful things and I asked before if she kept any of it. She didn’t, but if she did, I’d probably buy it back! Iguess some things never change. She’s carrying a Louis Vuitton Alma bag in ivory.