Q: My foundation never seems to look good past dinner. What am I doing wrong?

A: Nothing wrecks a flawless finish faster than oil on the prowl, and brown skin (regardless of skin type) reflects shine to the max. A shine-fighting step: Before you apply foundation in the morning, pat an oil-control agent on your t-zone area - forehead, nose and chin. Lanier Long, face maker for Brandy, Jackée and Roshumba, uses Super Matte Anti-Shine (available at professional makeup centers) or call Alcone.

Fast Lash gives the same effect as false eyelashes but is super-easy to use - no glue required! Just apply after mascara and watch your lashes get longer and flirtier - fast!

, a new clump-free lash-fattening product brushed on between coats of mascara to build up length. It works by coating lashes with fuzzy white fibers that cling to wet mascara. Result is kind of like false eyelashes, only much more natural-looking.

Scanning the makeup floor of Saks, Bendel's or Bergdorf's, it's hard to imagine there could be a cosmetics outlet you've overlooked. That's okay: it's easy to miss little Alcone, a cubbyhole with 15 different professional makeup lines that primarily draws makeup artists and the professionally beautiful.

Alcone offers brands and products you won't find elsewhere in the city... Murphy also likes Alcone for its pre-made palettes (trays of a dozen or more eye, lip and cheek colors) which seem like something only a pro would need. Not so, says Murphy, who insists that something like the Kryolan lipstick palette, featuring 16 different shades of lipstick, can help anyone blend the perfect color; it's also a cheaper more creative alternative to investing in just one Chanel lipstick.

In this relaxed atmosphere, Murphy is at her best. When she asks to see Alcone's stand-outs, Maria brings us a loose powder by R.C.M.A. that can turn shiny skin matte in one stroke. Then we try Fast Lash. Alcone's top seller, it's billed as "fake eyelashes in a tube."

Alcone is Murphy's first stop for ready-made pro palettes and sponges.

Beauty Black Book: The rich and famous are different from you and me - if only because they know exactly where to shop for beauty products (Alcone).

False eyelashes are like some sick joke a makeup artist came up with to make women feel even more inadequate - I mean, I've got to worry about how long my eyelashes are? It's not enough work just wishing my legs were longer and my hair would grow? But alas, the truth is I do want long, thick lashes; I just haven't figured out how I'm supposed to glue fake ones to my eyelids. So I went looking for a new solution, and found it: Fast Lash. Forget falsies, girls; this stuff really works... Trust me - you will wonder how you did without.

A small New York City shop where makeup artists flock. If you want to cover your tattoos like Angelina Jolie does or get Beyonce's glittery eyes, then join Alcone's Beauty Club, which will send you 12 months of the stars' beloved products along with advice from the pros.

Makeup Tests—We didn’t believe it at first but LipChic, a clear sealant, prevents lipstick from rubbing off while eating or drinking, and it lasts all day long

The firm has created Alcone Beauty Club, a membership-based operation at alconebeautyclub.com. The site, which went live in April, and the Alcone Beauty Club program, are on track to generate first-year sales of $1 million.

Sisters-in-law and founders Michele and Alexandra Gay are hoping to capitalize on Alcone's existing following among professional makeup artists. "We wanted to provide consumers with the tricks of the trade in the form of practical products they can't find anywhere else," Michele Gay remarked.

Prospective customers can log on and purchase newly assembled cosmetics kits, which include the branded products manufactured and distributed by Long Island City, N.Y-based Alcone, such as Ben Nye, Krylon, La Femme and Japonesque.

An annual membership features a kit each month and members get incentives, such as percentage discounts. Non-members can buy on a per kit basis.

The annual program features the following kits: Fast lash branded kits, a core offering that features a white polyester fiber base coat to increase eyelash length; Alcone Derma Mini Palette Kit, a set of wax based concealers, and Alcone Brush Kit. There's also Super Matte Antishine Kit, which contains a translucent oil-eliminating gel; Alcone Tool Kit, featuring the line's "bread and butter" sponges and other makeup artist accoutrements, and the Alcone Lip Palette, which includes the Lip Chic lipstick sealer. Additionally, Fireworks Kit; LaFemme Lip Glosses; and Alcone Cooler pack; the Perfect Eyebrow Kit; the Neutral Set Powder Kit, and the Eyeliner Kit are part of the 12 month program.

Each set comes with step-by-step instructions for application. Alexandra Gay claimed the price points‹kits retail for $24.95 per month‹are a result of Alcone's ability to regulate costs as manufacturer of the products.

In addition, the Bridal Must-have Kit (a silver mesh bag containing Fast Lash, an eyelash comb, powder puffs, makeup remover clothes, antishine gel, non-latex sponges, Lip Chic, cotton tissues, translucent lip gloss, face matte and sparkle) will retail for $75.00. A companion Bridesmaid Kit in a blue mesh bag with Fast lash, an eyelash comb, antishine gel, makeup remover cloths, eyelash curler and Lip Chic will retail for $40. All will be available on the Web site.

Alcone plans to use direct mail to court new customers, as well as an incentive plan for referrals. Industry sources project an influx of 10,000 new customers in the site's first 12 months, with a membership retention rate of 7 percent, which is thought to be high for such a venture. Twelve new kits have been pipelined for Alcone Beauty Club's second year.

For years, celeb makeup artists (including Angelina Jolie's) have haunted Alcone, a pro-caliber beauty-supply store in New York City. Now the cult favorite has opened a mail-order club. Members get monthly kits ranging from lip palette to brush sets and detailed instructions.

Fast Lash Kit.

Divas demand her. Cosmetics companies consult her. So what are celebrity makeup artist Mally Roncal's must-haves? Online finds "Since my hour's are not exactly 9-to-5, I do a lot of online shopping. I like alconeco.com (alconebeautyclub.com) for the best foundation sponges..."

Get professional cosmetic tools and makeup by joining the club at www.alconebeautyclub.com. Pay $25 a month, and you'll regularly receive new kits, like the Perfect Eyebrow Kit, which includes the hard-to-find Twissor (tweezer meets scissor), a brush brow powder, sealer and expert tips.

Move over beer and fruit: Beauty has entered the "of-the-month" club. Alcone, the makeup line first created for professionals, has launched the Alcone Beauty Club, which sends out 12 different kits (including the Antishine Kit and the Fast Lash Kit) to members, who can go month-to-month or buy a year's subscription, 800-490-6649.

She gets her glam pout with a slick of ultra-shiny LaFemme lip gloss, say company reps.

For years, makeup artists have stocked up at Alcone, a New York City beauty emporium. But now, regular women like us can get the goods by joining the Alcone Beauty Club. For $24.95 a month, you'll receive a different kit every four weeks containing pro makeup picks (such as the lip palette)and pro user tips.

Girls Night Out - False Eyelash Kit, and just in time for the holidays, batting your eyelashes has never been more fun! Packed with step-by-step instructions from professional makeup artists, the lash kit makes eyelash application a breeze. It contains the essential tools of the trade to create those must-have sexy eyelashes and is the perfect gift for your favorite friend.

Alcone's Cooler Pack is an innovative and safe way to carry your makeup. The cooler feature protects makeup from the outside temperature and cushions it from bumps and bruises.

ever get enough makeup, alconebeautyclub.com's Beauty Club sends makeup-artist-caliber cosmetics from mascara sets and tools (brushes, applicators, sponges, etc.) to lipsticks and glosses for either six months ($179.40) or 12 months ($358.80). The lucky recipient of your gift will need to check in with the site before the first installment so that her skin, hair coloring and preferences (no purple shadow, if she doesn't like it!) are taken into consideration.

The Bridesmaid Collection features Lip Chic, a lipstick base that promises to keep your lipstick on for the entire day, Antishine, a gel that works to keep your face hydrated and oil-free, and Fast Lash, the only mascara that truly elongates lashes. Sponges, makeup remover clothes, and a lash comb round out the kit, which includes instructions for proper use of the products.

Skip cosmetic confusion at the stores for a monthly kit, complete with instructions, from Alcone Beauty.
Alcone Beauty, the place where the pros go to buy product, is offering a yearlong membership for a monthly kit that tells you exactly how to use the product, from mascaras to brushes to eyebrow kits.

Perfect Eyebrow Kit.

(Natalie) Portman also uses the Alcone Beauty Club Lip Palette Kit.

What's hottie Rebecca Romijn's beauty secret for a luminescent complexion? Company rep say the Fireworks Kit from Alcone Beauty Club!

For years, Alcone's Interferenze Crème Eyeshadow was available exclusively to top makeup artists for use on their celeb clientele like the Hilton sisters. Finally, the kit is available to civilians. The kit features 16 bold and glamorous metallic shades, a sponge applicator and, most importantly, tips from Alcone's advisory-board makeup artists on how to work the metallic look.

New York City: Alcone where top makeup artists stock up. Small and unintimidating (yes, the salespeople will answer questions from non-pros), Alcone is onestop shopping for hard-to-find professional lines like Joe Blasco, Research Council of Makeup Artists, and Visiora. Want to be on top of the trends? Get a minipalette from Kryolan - every makeup artist working the recent runway shows did.