Introducing 'Gorgeous, Girly, Glam!'

I remember being dropped off at the mall when I was 14, arm in arm with one of my friends, and being generously handed a $20 bill by my mom, much to my delight. Sally and I strolled through the mall, Claire's and Sephora first on my agenda.

In Sephora, I discovered "Joey of New York's Super Duper Lip Plumper," which I bought, using the whole $20. Hours later, when my mom picked us up out front, I proudly showed her my amazing find; she, however, was not as impressed and couldn't believe that I spent $20 on that.

She also couldn't believe it when I used my babysitting money to buy, among other things, makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin's detailed books, which taught you everything from makeup basics to how to replicate the looks of, to name a few, Edith Piaf, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and even Cleopatra.

Ever since I was old enough to play with makeup, I have, and the fascination continues to the present day; skincare, makeup, dress up and hair styling are just a few of the fantastic benefits of being a girl, and in celebration of those benefits, Patch introduces its new column, "Gorgeous, Girly, Glam."

Every week, I'll teach you tricks of the trade, alert you to top-shelf products, share beauty-related anecdotes or take your questions. So, please, email me with any questions you might have! This is your place to get the answers you've been dying for; I'll do the research, you just have to ask!

Email Kristi at KristiTMC@aol.com and look forward to Tuesday's upcoming column!