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:

Most of the time, we find ourselves asking one another what we use for wash our faces, moisturize, get ride of zits, erase fine lines. Very rarely do we ask the opposite question, "What do you not use?" Why would we? We don't need to know about something we'd never buy and try. Still, TotalBeauty put together a list of the 12 beauty products that earned the lowest ratings from their editors. I guess the best way to use this information is to watch out:

See which products you should avoid:

• Smashbox Lip Enhancing Gloss
  
• Revlon Tourmaline Ionic 1875 Watt Hairdryer
• Redken All Soft Gold Glimmer Perfecting Shine Treatment
• Murad Firm and Tone Serum
• NARS Body Glow
• Bobbi Brown Everything Mascara
• Skyn Iceland Arctic Face Mist
• Maybelline New York Define-a-Lash Mascara
• Lush Jungle Conditioner
• Sally Hansen Smooth Glow Stubble Reducing Moisturizer
• John Frieda Frizz-Ease Straight Answer Spray
• Molton Brown Naran Ji Fine Liquid Hand Wash ($23)

Here on Styledash, we frequently receive emails from readers asking for advice, suggestions, or help in finding a specific look or product. Recently, a reader wrote in bemoaning a problem that a lot of us have this time of the year with dramatic changes in temperature from outdoors to inside, and hot air blowing from heater -- super dry skin. For someone like who already has desert-dry skin even when on vacation in the Tropics, I feel you, and have the same question myself: "What can I use to help my cracked, dry, chapped skin?"

I put the question out to my network, and reader Ingar generously shared her solutions for both face and body:

For face: Ingar uses DHC Q10, which is line of skin care products from Japan that use the natural power of olive oil. The Essentials Set contains DHC Q10 Lotion which is actually a toner with the consistency exactly of water and really adds that moisture back to the skin without grease or heaviness, DHC Q10 Milk, which is a lightweight moisturizer, and DHC Concentrated Eye Cream which gets rid of fine lines.

For body: Skin gets even more dehydrated when it gets pounded too long with hot water in the shower. ATOPALM's shower gel restores moisture to sensitive or dry skin with essential amino acids. In fact, ATOPALM Body Wash can be used to calm hives, dermatitis, psoriasis, rosacea, itchy skin and eczema.

A little bit of luxury: Freeze 24/7 is a little pricey but definitely worth the $65 for the exfoliator. The Ice Crystals exfoliate dead skin cells and according to Ingar, leaves overall skin feeling way less haggard. It also decongests acne prone skin and diminishes the appearance of age spots, blemishes, skin discoloration and scarring.

Based on the short, sassy dresses, skyhigh heeled shoes and wild accessories I write about here on Styledash, you'd never guess that I'm much older. However, if you were to take a close look at my face, you'd probably guess correctly that I'm definitely in my late 20s.

Okay! So I'm not in my late 20s!

I'm actually nearing my mid-30s, and while I've never minded my age because I have the mind and maturity of a 13-year-old, I am starting to see physical signs of aging on my face. It's time to take some drastic action, but not as drastic as injecting my still shallow lines with poison or God forbid, going under the knife wielded by a doctor who goes by a zip code.

There are ways to take 10 years off this face with just makeup! TotalBeauty has put together a list of five tips to take 10 years off your face, and based on their experts' advice, I've pulled together a list of products that support them. Now I'm not sure I'm ready to give up black eyeliner just yet, but the rest of the stuff, I'm sure I can slowly incorporate into my beauty routine:

Beauty experts advise: Go light on the foundation and concealer because heavy applications can settle into wrinkles and make them look deeper!
Sarah picks: Olay Total Effects moisturizer to prep and "plump skin" before applying foundation; Philosophy The Present makeup primer to fill in any fine lines and create a smooth canvas; Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer for totally sheer, natural coverage; beautyblender makeup sponge to control the amount of foundation that goes on the face; Philosophy The Supernatual Brush to apply foundation is sponges are not your thing; and Dior Concealer for dotting on after foundation.

Beauty experts advise: Focus on making eyes brighter with dark brown and off black instead of dark black liners and mascara.
Sarah picks: Anastasia Brow Duo to fill in brows and create the illusion of "lift"; L'oreal Powder Eyeliner to fill in the lash line with a soft black; Sephora Professional Angled Brush to apply powder liner and double for brows; Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler to let light into eyes; and Lancome Definicils mascara in a soft black.

Beauty experts advise: Stay away from shimmery eyeshadows because the shimmer settles into creases and highlights them instead of masking them.
Sarah picks: Urban Decay Matte Eye Shadow in Naked to sweep across the lid.

Beauty experts advise: Balance drama with neutrals.
Sarah picks: Benefit Cosmetics Sheer Cream Blusher to keep cheeks neutral while playing up dramatic (but not too dramatic) eyes, and gain the moisturizing benefit of a cream base.

Beauty experts advise: Glossy, shiny lips look younger because they appear fuller.
Sarah picks: DuWop Lip Venom gloss because it's glossy and it has something in the formula that physically plumps lips; and DuWop Reverse Lip Liner to keep any lip color under a gloss from weeping into the fine lines around the mouth.

I think that'll save me the additional 10 years I'd have added to my face worrying about how to pay for plastic surgery!

No doubt, everyone wants to get their hands on a Clarisonic, the facial cleansing brush that is supposed to work wonders because of its vibrating bristles. We'd like to think that we, Styledash, were responsible because we wrote about it last year and have been using it now for a year, but we'll give Oprah a little credit for mentioning it as one of her favorite things. However, the Clarisonic, as awesome as it may be, is a little expensive at $195. A year later, drugstore brands are coming out with their versions. If you can't afford the Clarisonic and were naughty enough this past year that Santa isn't going to get you one, you could try the Neutrogena Wave, which boasts a masssaging action that opens pores allowing for deeper cleaning. It's only $13.99. The other cleanser is by Dove, the Skin Vitalizer, which also uses "vibrations" of cleansing pads on the handheld device to clean skin. It's only $7.99.

Granted, we have only tried the Clarisonic, as we've been using it now for a year, and we've never tried the other two, but at such a significantly lower price point, it sure would be easy to try them both out.

Because I'm a die-hard Drugstore Beauty Queen, I very rarely, if ever, use high-end or salon-only skincare products. About the only thing I might splurge on for my face is...nothing! An $8 econo-size bottle of Cetaphil is about a big a splurge as I'll do. However, that doesn't mean I don't dream about a life in which I go see my personal facialist, or better yet, that my personal facialist comes to my mansion -- a facialist like Nerida Joy.

Beverly Hills-based Nerida Joy has been named as one of the "Top 15" facialists in the country by both Self and Elle magazines, and with over 29 years of experience, she is the only facialist to be listed as a skin expert, a title reserved only for dermatologists.

That means she knows skin.

I know I won't ever get to that bourgie point in my life where I have my own facialist, and let's face it, I doubt I would have the energy to actually go see someone like Nerida Joy in her Beverly Hills salon even if it were only every so often (if you live in LA, then you know how traffic sometimes automatically turns you into a hermit). However, just like any professional in the beauty industry who actually wants to make money, Nerida has a line of skincare products. Hey, that wasn't meant to be snide; it's just a statement of fact. Here's another one: celebrities like Claudia Schiffer and Tyra Banks love Nerida's skincare products.

• 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?"

This will likely be the last of the facial cleansing cloths I am going to try for a bit. Several weeks ago, I did a whole Drugstore Beauty Queen series on these convenient little things to clean your face, whether it's easier to take along when travelling, or easier for a lazy person to remove makeup at the end of the night. Let's just say that it's Sarah taking control of her addiction. I've just sort of become lazy about skin care because these things are too easy!

I was a little reluctant to buy Noxzema Wet Cleansing Cloths because, like Clearasil, it made me feel like I was thrown back to high school, treating an acne-ridden face. I couldn't resist the price tag, though. Since the brand is marketed at the younger crowd (read: teens), the price point is lower. At Drugstore.com, the Noxzema wipes are only $3.99! I paid slightly more at a local drugstore, but not much.

How much do we love free stuff? A lot, and though we're not the ones who are generous enough today to give away a basket full of goodies to our favorite Styledashers, ThisNext.com is.

ThisNext.com is doing a Summer Sur-prize giveaway every day this week and today's prize is a $100 gift certificate to Sephora. All you have to do is sign up, make product recommendations that are good for summer (they don't have to be beauty products - I recommended a bunch of summer entertaining products), and tag your recommendations "summer." Memorial Day weekend is coming up, and you know you're going to need sunscreen, self-tanner, and bronzer!