Makeup does wonders. When I worked in television, many of my colleagues would take a seat in front of the lighted mirror, get out the foundation and powder and apply various products to their face.

I’ve done it, too, whether it was before I had to go on stage or under the lights in front of a camera on the studio set. The more you know how to use makeup, the better look you can create for the audience.

"Good skincare is like the butter, sugar, vanilla and chocolate in a cupcake.  Eye shadow, lipstick and blush are just the sprinkles on the cupcake," said makeup artist Alex Sanchez.  "And remember, no one wants a dry cupcake."

Sanchez has worked with a number of models and actresses, including Isabella Rosellini, Paula Abdul and Kerry Washington. What he is seeing in the industry is a return to the matte cinematic complexions of the silver screen, which we will probably see on the red carpet before the Oscars on Sunday.

"This matte trend is especially flattering for clients who have texture issues with skin like enlarged pores and acne as pearlized and metallic textures that can highlight these surface imperfections," Sanchez said. "Another bonus is that these matte finishes are the most photo-friendly, so you will look extra- flawless sans editing on Facebook."

Sanchez is the National Makeup Artist for Lancome, and his expertise is tapped by designers for New York Fashion Week.  Next week, Boston Store is bringing Sanchez and his artists to its locations at the Regency Mall in Racine and the Mayfair Mall in Milwaukee. You don’t have to be a star on the big or small screen to get some help.

"The word make-over is passe and banished from my lexicon.  At Lancome we don’t make-over we update," Sanchez said.

So, no make overs, but Sanchez and his staff will consult and offer an "update" on Feb. 27 in Racine and March 1 in Milwaukee.

If you were looking for the opportunity to get some help with skincare and makeup, customers are asked to make a reservation for $50 to get personal time with Sanchez. The fee is then credited towards the customer’s purchase at Boston Store.  Contact the Racine store at (262) 553-9655 and the Milwaukee store at (414) 453-7500 for more information.

MORE HACKING: Yesterday I wrote about Burger King’s Twitter feed being shut down after it was hacked. Jeep, the company that makes the vehicles with the same name, also had its Twitter account taken over. One of the false tweets said that Jeep got bought out by Cadillac while others were laden with obscenities.

Apple admitted on Tuesday that a few of its Mac computers were infiltrated by some of the same hackers that hit Facebook. For Apple, it is a bit of a PR issue after years of claiming that its computers were protected from such attacks.

"The malware was employed in an attack against Apple and other companies, and was spread through a website for software developers," Apple released in a statement.