Shoppers of Nordstom's Anniversary Sale, July 18-August 3, know there's great deals across all the departments. Unfortunately, there's also massive crowds, eager for a trip to Deal City.

Our solution: get in on the sale action with a pre-order to lock in exclusive cosmetics and scents from the likes of Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Dior, Trish McEvoy, Shiseido, Viktor + Rolf, Hermes and Kiehl's. The beauty sale is based around items you won't find anywhere else, limited editions, special sets and collectible items.

Pre-orders can be made in store, or via the website, and ship when the sale officially kicks off. So, as if you needed an excuse to pick up Prada's Infusion D'Iris, or Bulgari's Eau Parfumee au Vert Coffret, this looks like the time to make a move.

For years we've been choosing makeup shades that we think look good. Until My Covergirl came along. By using the interactive website and plugging in hair color, eye color, and skin tone, we got a personalized list of Cover Girl products. Being a little bit wary of the "perfect" match, we order some of the suggestions that the Beauty Consultant made. Low and behold each color transformed us into a natural beauty. We looked like ourselves – only better. Finally! Now our favorite and tip folders are full as is our Covergirl.com shopping cart.

Photo via Ultimate Rihanna

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.

Today we're pleased to introduce you to Diane, the creator of Sugarelle, a luxurious line of body products inspired by the tropics.

As if the budget-friendly Proenza Schouler bustiers and Jovovich-Hawk hippie dresses weren't enough, Target is now bringing its high/low aesthetic to the beauty aisle.

Come August, the retailer will play host to "three masstige line versions of up-and-coming makeup artist lines."

Many of us gals have been the victim of expired cosmetics. Here's the scenario. After seeing pics of that smokin' gloss we used to wear in high school, we rush to our beauty closet only to open the tube to a rank stank that we don't understand. Most beauty products do not have any smell, or if they do, it is very faint. If you start noticing some product BO, it's because that favorite gloss is dying a slow, bacteria-invested death in that dark, tightly sealed tube. Once the product has peaked, it can cause some pretty gross irritations or infections if used. To avoid all of the above, follow these general toss time guidelines.

Have you spent the winter months holed up in the bathroom, trying out various beauty products to find the perfect lipstick / eye shadow / concealer / lotion / shampoo / etc.? If not, don't sweat it -- Second City Style has done the work for you.

The Second City Style Beauty Olympics have been in the works for months, with staff members and readers testing hundreds of products out and giving their honest opinions on everything from makeup to skincare to hair, supplements, fragrances, and more.

The women reviewing the products ran the gamut from stylists and editors to students and doctors, and not only did they say whether they liked or disliked the products -- they explained why. It's a really helpful guide that you might want to check out before you need your next lip gloss fix. You get those too, right?

I freely admit, I haven't tried mineral make-up yet. I guess I'm skeptical -- I mean, what's so great about it? Yeah, it comes from the earth. So do brussels sprouts, and I'm not such a big fan of those.

Still, lots of people swear by it, so, I did a little research to see what all the fuss is about. Stylelist had a slideshow of different mineral make-up products and why they're superior to everything in my current cosmetics arsenal. And ... I'm still not sold, but here's what I learned:

• A Touch of Blusher asks, "Can I return this, please?!"
• Beautiful Makeup Search kicks off Mascara Monday's with a review of Prescriptives Here to Stay 24-Hour Longwear Mascara.
• Kristopher gets her hair did, and wonders about her stylist, "Could This Be Love?"
• Find out what tops Keri Russell's Must Have List
• Lipstick, Powder 'n Paint gets Nicollette Sheridan's Look
• NARS Holiday 2007 Siren Song at Makeup Bag
• Nude Skin Care launches in the US with rave reviews
• TheMakeupGirl investigates Natura Bisse Diamond Cream
• We Love Beauty asks "Beauty Myth: Lipstick Is Loaded with Lead?"

Is it possible to be a BeautyAddict addict?

I've already posted once before about beauty blogger Beauty Addict's recommendations for scents-ual gift sets, and am now poking through her list of eight great skincare products to give as gifts.

Now you might wonder -- is it naughty to give someone a gift of skincare products because it implies that perhaps their blotchy, sagging, sallow skin needs help? Maybe.

But so what? If you don't give them something from an ultra luxurious skincare line, who will? Besides, it's all in how you word your accompanying card. For the Philosophy Peptide Peels to Go, tell her it'll be a great way to start the new year - sloughing away all of 2006. Or with Dr. Patricia Wexler MD's Evening Out Essentials Kit, she'll be set to party from now until the new year.

We certainly can't see anything wrong with adding a little sparkle to your beauty routine, and apparently, you can do it with diamond-infused beauty and spa products from Body Systems. Now I am not sure exactly why adding diamonds would be a good thing skincare-wise, but the products do contain "hand selected exotic ingredients specifically used to moisturize the skin's top and lower levels at the cell level," like butters from Africa and Macadamia and Kukui nut oils from Hawaii.

The scrub and lotion each contain 13.25ct of real ground diamonds each, so it makes sense that the set costs $78.

It's no secret that Tweezerman tweezers are the best in the world. I don't care how much more you spend on something else, go to some luxury spa or boutique, you will find no better pair of tweezers than the Tweezerman, and spcifically, the ones that have the slanted edge. They are so accurate and precise that they can pull out the finest, tiniest of baby hairs that are just barely starting to poke through the skin. Without the Tweezerman tweezers, your eyelids will look like they've been sprinkled with black pepper.

While we all know this, I have to give Tweezerman yet another shout because I absolutely love that they do free sharpening. Free! All you have to do is toss your tweezers into a padded envelope (no need to insure them package), send it off, and a week later, your tweezers come back totally sharp and ready to attack your eyebrows like they've never left the battlefield.

You know how it goes. You've tried three different foundations in the last four months and still, none of them seem to have that perfect, well, je ne sais quois that makes your face a perfectly smooth blank canvas for the rest of your makeup. What do you do? You ask your friends, your sisters, your sister's sister-in-law and every person in your office who wears makeup, even John in Accounting. You want to know what everyone else is using.

We're not saying that any single person or source has the final answer on the best of anything, since each of us has our favorites for whatever reason, but for the next few weeks, some of us will be taking time to share with you our personal lists of products we swear by for hair, skin, and makeup.

To get us started, this are my favorites, which I've pulled from my list over on ThisNext: