Image via Queen Helene

Speaking of face masks and cheap and scary, here is the product that will make your face epitomize ye old stock photo of "scary housewife with curlers and a green face." Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque was probably invented when that lady was born, but this cult classic is still rulin' your druggist's aisles with it's tingly, refreshing, no-B.S. self at a mere $3.50. The Queen also sells a plain old mud version for you less racy types (although some other Richie Riches I know out there prefer the far more spendy $10 Booth's Deep Cleansing Volcanic Mud Mask). Either way, if you're a full-fledged skin care over-achiever, you'll follow up your post-Halloween makeup cleanse fest with one of these treatments tomorrow night, or at least the morning after.

Loving this Debbie Downer of an article about why Halloween face paint is hell on your face, you know, because it's made of grease and clogs up your pores, etc, etc. So is this person trying to tell me I can blame my bad skin on the fact that last year I passed out wearing my Sid Vicious-as-a-zombie white and purple drugstore-bought face paint (and not much else)? Eureka, it all comes together now! But now that I'm a year older and oh, so much more responsible, I can kinda see where she's coming from. If you don't want to make your problem skin worse, lube it up with a primer first so at least you have some barrier between your mug and that evil spirit-possessed paint. (I looked for an easily-accessible oil-free costume brand, but I'm stumped. Any suggestions out there?).

Image via MedShopExpress

I've been bathing my face in this stuff for the past few weeks, trying to figure out if it will actually give me back the creamy complexion that ironically, I had as a teenager, but seem to have lost in the battle against adult acne. Apparently, there have been quite a few studies done linking betadine to clearing up acne vulgaris, but I am seeing zilch here,  people. Has anyone ever tried this stuff? I have to say, in all my begging derms to tell me the secrets behind clear skin, I've never heard betadine come up before, but as always, I'm willing to give it a try. (Personally, I found it in a pharmacy overseas, where it's often prescribed as an O.T.C. zit fighter.) The idea behind it is that it's basically iodine (that be Monkey's Blood to you Southerners out there), which is an antiseptic--or germicide, which means to kill bacteria, the culprit behind those uglies in the first place. I'm going to try it for one more week and see what happens...

Of course you want to check out the latest New York Times T Fashion and Beauty edition. But just in case you're busy today, I gave it a little read-through to report on the best of the beauty coverage to save you some time.

Image via Perricone

I've been spending a good percentage of my paychecks on Perricone products for years now. I love the man, but I've got to say that his line is hit or miss. I was really excited to try his Face Firming Activator that came out in