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octors, beauty care experts and aesthetic surgeons seem more likely to know about Jane Iredale s pure cosmetic products, but word is leaking out. Editors at the UK Vogue told editors at the Italian Vogue and women worldwide who try the products become crusaders, sending them to family and friends. So what s the story?

Half the story is miracles delivered. Iredale s powder base, sold in loose and pressed form, covers everything you want covered, evens the tone of the face, stays on until taken off and looks and feels like perfect skin no caking, no mask-like look, no thick, powdery finish, nothing unnatural. To do all these things it must contain something lethal, I thought. The very opposite is true. These products are so pure, with no chemicals, that they can be used on lasered skin. In fact, there s a picture on her website showing Iredale with half her face inflamed and blotched from laser resurfacing and half looking absolutely perfect with her base and other products.

Add to this a gorgeous array of colors in eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks and glosses, brow color, lash conditioner and mascara and more magic in a pot like the under-eye nourisher that functions as a superb concealer, and it s easy to see why Iredale s cosmetics are passing from friend to friend as a best kept secret.

The first week I tried her base I counted 18 comments from people who knew me, from You look so rested to Did you have a face lift or what?

I m the worst with makeup. I have very oily skin, large pores on the nose, and inherited under-eye circles. Since my teens I have applied makeup in the morning only to have it disappear before noon, and if I wanted a finished look all day I had to carry an assortment of clanking bottles and powders that made my purse a serious weapon. Now I make up carefully in the morning, knowing that in the afternoon I will still have a look so natural looking and feeling that I have to keep glancing in the mirror to be sure it s the enhancement is still there.

The woman behind the miracles has a background in film, theater and television, working with models and actresses from Lauren Hutton to Sarah Jessica Parker. She eventually formed her own production company and produced more than 50 programs for public television, winning an Emmy and nominated for a Tony Award.

  When I was working there was no capability for digital correction as there is now, she says. If you didn t have beautiful skin, you didn t work. And I was never happy with the makeup, especially the stage makeup.

One reason she wasn t happy with available products was that Iredale has always been interested in natural products: organic food, natural deodorants and shampoos. So when she turned her hand to cosmetics 10 years ago, she wanted to eliminate all the chemical dyes or preservatives. We were left with the also may contain ingredients, she says, which are the minerals.

Iredale s product line is expanding with development of technology. Technology has helped so much in the development of a variety of colors produced with iron oxides, she says, and we ve been able to develop a new liquid base that clearly diminishes the appearance of lines. An airless pump is filled with spheres that are actually liposomes entrapping liposomes, released by the skin temperature over a period of time and visibly adding light to the skin. The product is used heavily for high definition television, where every detail shows, and it certainly works wonders in real life.

Her new spring products include an eyelid primer and a tanner and shimmers that use food-grade 24-carat gold. She has a wonderful Lip Drink made from macadamia nut oil (no petroleum) and an incredibly soft Magic Mitt, which removed makeup when dampened without any cleanser. Iredale says it cleanses efficiently without affecting the acid mantle of the skin.

Besides the effectiveness and benefits of her products, Iredale has kept her prices down. Her loose powder Amazing Base, for example, generally costs around $25, her blushes $16.

Salons and spas, makeup artists and stylists worldwide are stocking Iredale s cosmetics and devotees find them online as well. But it is the spectacular results and the concept of cosmetics as skincare that is really spreading the word on apparently perfect skin.

Jane Iredale s complete range of products can be found on her website at www.janeiredale.com.

Spa Selections

STAR SPRAY

Coolio sprays, so do Pink and Christina Aguilera. They've discovered Sprayology(r), a system of homeopathic oral sprays to rejuvenate and rebuild the body, relieve ailments, and restore balance. Now, with an easy spray or two under your tongue, you, too, can sharpen your mind (BrainPower); help to balance metabolism and curb appetite (DietPower); support bone integrity (Bone Builder), rejuvenate the male body (ManPower), relieve jet lag (TravelEase), and much more. The products sell for between $20 and $48 and are available at fine spas, salons, athletic clubs, and specialty retailers worldwide. For more information, visit www.sprayology.com.

LEAVE YOUR SNEAKERS AT HOME

If you're tired of packing our bulky sneakers every time you travel just so you can work out in a hotel gym, consider the ExerSock(TM). Developed by California-based Crescent Moon Yoga (www.crescentmoonyoga.com) as a non-slip sock for low-impact exercises such as Yoga and Pilates, the ExerSock is also finding its way into many a travel bag as a lightweight, easy-to-carry alternative to sneakers.

The patent-pending ExerSock was created by Geb Masterson, President of Crescent Moon, after he could not find larger sizes of the non-slip socks his children had worn as toddlers. "If you like to work out while traveling, and you're just going down to the hotel gym these socks are a perfect alternative to bulky sneakers for any low-impact exercise," says Masterson. "Let's face it, for hygienic purposes or the simple reason that sneakers take up a lot of room in your overnight bag -- if you could find a sock that offers you the non-slip functionality of a sneaker and the anti-bacterial protection of a sock -- why wouldn't you wear it if the activity allowed?"

ExerSocks retail for $9.99 and are available in both men and women's sizes and in four colors, black, white, oatmeal, and gray. For more information, go to www.crescentmoonyoga.com.

NUTTY FOR HAZELNUTS

Did you know that hazelnuts are rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, iron, calcium and vitamin E? That they are low in sodium and sugar, and, like other tree nuts, contain no cholesterol? Though they'd certainly make a beneficial addition to your diet, we're suggest
ing tha
t you use these versatile nuts not as a snack, but as a way to enrich and polish your skin.

A whopping 98 percent of all hazelnuts grown in the United States come from region's gentle climate and abundant rainfall, which produces larger nuts with an excellent flavor.

The Sunriver Resort's Sage Springs Club and Spa uses the nuts as the key ingredient in its signature Hazelnut Body Scrub. When pulverized and drenched with moisturizers, the vitamin-rich, indigenous hazelnut polishes the skin to a radiant glow.

Now Sage Springs Spa's signature Oregon Hazelnut Body Scrub is available for home use. An eight-once bottle and a two-ounce travel size are priced at $18.25. For more information, visit www.sunriverstore.com.

LUSCIOUS LIPS

We've tried dozens of lip balms. Some give temporary relief from dryness and chapping, some leave the lips even dryer. That's why we are fans of Epicuren Lip Balm with an SPF of 15, which is a uniquely formulated enzyme protein emollient with tea tree oil, aloe vera, and antioxidants. Not only does it feel good, this product offers protection from the elements. The balm, priced at about $13, is available at fine spas and some doctors' offices. For more information about the Epicuren line, visit www.epicuren.com.