The N&O Beauty Panel tried a mixed bag of products this month -- from illuminated tweezers to a new brand of press-on nails. The panel got close to agreeing on the subtle glossiness of Avon's Glazewear lip gloss. Several also liked Dermablend's heavy-duty custom cover-up. The one sure bet? They were all their usual discriminating selves.

La-Tweez

Tweezers with an LED light, $14.99,

available at select Targets, Sephora, www.amazon.com

Jean Bailey: When I saw those tweezers, I locked myself in the bathroom. OK, short story: When I was modeling in Los Angeles (40 pounds and 40 years ago) I was told, "Ladies never use a razor anywhere near your face." So reluctantly I let our makeup artist tweeze my eyebrows. Ouch! From then on I cheated and shaved mine. To this day I continue to cheat. I did let a friend try this product and she is in love with it. I must admit her brows did look good and it does seem to work great. Oh, and it is cute.

Cary Edgar: Call me crazy, but having an LED light as an accompaniment to my eyebrow plucking just isn't necessary. I appreciate the novelty, but there's just no way that I'd find this useful on a daily basis unless I lived out in the bush somewhere. However, my best friend cooked up an innovative alternative use. If you are a weekend spelunker or you aspire to hike the Appalachian Trail, this would actually be a fine gadget for picking out splinters or removing ticks. Otherwise, I'll pass. My bathroom light seems to work just fine, thanks.

Ilina Ewen: The name itself is La Cheez, and the product is ridiculous. My neighbor had some luck prying one of two DVDs out of her car's player, but I found the tweezers to be too thick. I'll stick to my Tweezerman. I can kind of see the usefulness of the itty-bitty book light, but I never have the need to pluck by night, fearful of waking my beloved. Perhaps if plucking those pesky ear and nose hairs is like spelunking, La Tweez is pour vous.

Susannah Skiver: I was blinded a bit the first time I used these! The trick is to angle the tweezers so the tiny light doesn't hit you in the eyes. Unfortunately, doing so often casts odd shadows and sometimes makes the job even more difficult. When I was able to strike a happy medium, I found that the light was very useful for seeing stray hairs I might have missed before. It seems like a nice accessory, but unnecessary for most people.

Art Stone: I really laughed when I saw this. It seemed ridiculous, but it really worked. The "silly" little light made using it much easier because you could see what you were doing really well. I let a couple of other people try it out and they liked it too.

Avon Glazewear

Liquid lip color in Darling Pink, $6

available at www.avon.com

Jean Bailey: I liked this lip gloss a lot. It was not overly shiny. It softened my lips and is perfect if you like a natural look.

Cary Edgar: I actually liked this. The shade was gentle and soft, and the price is right for a simple little throw-it-in-your-handbag lip color. There is a slight amount of gloss in the formula, which was a nice feature I enjoyed wearing as the summer starts to wind down. The application wand was felt-tipped, so the color went on smooth and even. Nothing earth-shattering here, but all around this was a nice little product.

Ilina Ewen: When I think of Avon, I hearken back to the days of girlie, cough-inducing strong perfume in glamorous bottles shaped like a swan or a geisha girl. Oh, how I used to love those things. When I was 8. Avon hasn't entered my psyche since then. I have always regarded Avon as cheap and tacky, not a great tagline but true to the brand. This lip gloss has changed everything. I loved the not-too-slippery or sticky texture, perfect touch of shine, and the flattering-for-every-skin-tone slightly peachy color. This gloss was a perfect marriage of a gloss, lipstick and lip balm.

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