Don't you know that you're toxic?

Arguably the last great Britney song (post-Oops!..., pre-KFed), Toxic will always have a place in my heart - and my ipod. And while it's also a great way to describe that perennially negative coworker, it's hardly the descriptor I want for my makeup. But, according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, we flirt with toxic products daily. And we're not talking minor toxicity either - if you thought lead was relegated to old buildings and made-in-China toys, you might want to check that lipstick case.

But what to do? Start tonight, with Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face, at Longfellow Books. (Full details here.) Malkan will discuss her latest tome that chronicles the science, politics and story behind the cosmetics we use as well as her work with the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. According to the Campaign, 70% of personal products tested showed the presence of industrial chemicals linked to birth defects. Yikes.

I've already dumped my makeup bag and am in the process of checking out each product on EWG's Cosmetic Safety Database. I'll blog the results tomorrow, but suffice to say my summer beauty routine will be even more pared down than usual.

Get glowing

Winter in Maine is tough. Even if you've embraced the snow, at some point you succumb to its doldrums. For me, that was yesterday morning. Friday was beautiful and I actually got to the beach for a bit -- in my parka and Wellies, but nonetheless my feet were in the ocean. And that helped. But now it's grey and cold with a super wind-chill, and to compound it all I woke up realizing I'm the same color as my bathroom. Ivory. Which, in this era of a premature-aging pandemonium, I should embrace, but there's a fine line between healthy, happy fair skin and mid-winter pasty. I'm flirting with that line -- and I think I'm losing. Thankfully, there's a remedy -- and, while I'm not one to tip my hand on beauty secrets, this is just too easy and accessible not to share:

Smashbox Cosmetics's O-Glow. Yes, that O. If you're feeling puritan, pretend it stands for Outside. Either way, its effect is one of blushing your cheeks to just the right degree. It's secret? A "micro-ciculating cheek color with Goji-berry complex," which is actually a clear gel that turns pink when it hits your skin -- adjusting its rosy-ness to your natural flush. I've been using O-Glow since the fall, and as I'm generally of the natural-beauty school of makeup, this fits right in: it doesn't clog pores and really just improves what's already there. Add a little bronzer if you're so inclined and voilå. For more full-fledged makeup routines, you can use O-Glow either under or over foundation, it just blends right in. And, while I previously used it on my lips too, Smashbox recently came out with O-Glow Gloss - the same color power with a little more shine and moisture for the lips. Both can be purchased at Making Faces (425 Fore St., Portland; 879-4242), the cheek color is $26 and the lip gloss $22.

And while you're in Making Faces they've got some other products that will help you think Spring, even if it's not quite yet on the horizon. My favorite: Sugar Lychee Eau de Parfum (and lotion) blends citrus notes with lychee, sandalwood and amber for a crisp, fresh scent. Also check out: The Green Room Collection, again by Smashbox. All packaging is biodegradable, and the cosmetics are enviro-friendly too, so you can save the earth one compact at a time. The eye shadow quad in Bamboo is my pick -- with two bronze, a bone and a metallic olive, the shadows are earthy, but have enough shimmer so they don't look heavy.

And, with just one more month until the official start of Spring, this should help get you through. If not, bundle up and hit the beach!