Our Patriotic theme for the cover story of Agenda was specific in more ways than one. In order to pull off the perfect look on four distinctly different ethnicities, we had to choose our tools carefully.

One pump of this stuff and we quickly came to realize why it’s a cult favorite. Sunday Riley Good Genes is a skin accelerant. It promises to brighten, tighten, and tone in record time. And our opinion is it delivers.

Every year, in the month of July, we are reminded of who we are, and where we are as a country. We set aside politics, gender, ethnicity, and religion and stand as a nation to celebrate the day we declared our independence. At Agenda, we wanted to take a “fashionable” approach to this patriotic practice, with an intentionally diverse cover story.

Dr. Arthur Glosman is a general and cosmetic dentist based in Beverly Hills, and he says lips need just as much protection as any other part of the body. Lips can get sunburned, and make you susceptible for harmful oral and mouth cancers.

Put down the blow dryer and step away from that flat iron…

This summer, hair in its most “natural” state is turning heads. Forget ironing your hair within an inch of its life; veteran hair stylist David Harrington says: let it run free!

Shinto Clinical is the latest endeavor of former model-turned-businesswoman Kimora Lee Simmons. Hailed as a cozy line of skin care inspired by the women in her family, Simmons got behind this mid-priced selection of cleanser, toner, moisturizer and treatments.

We’re all getting older. That’s just a fact of life. But getting old doesn’t mean we have to take it lying down. These days, there are many practices (and potions) to keep us looking young and vibrant, long into our sunset.

Using a makeup primer underneath the base is key. It allows the makeup to last throughout the day without slipping off or disappearing. Keeping things light is also important; opt for a tinted moisturizer with SPF instead of foundation, to keep skin looking translucent, bright and fresh.

The runway ensembles at NYFW were all about the clothes, and designers made sure that we paid attention to that fact, with use of minimal makeup, or unusual touches that only served to further enhance the clothing.

In this high pressure world of professional and personal obligations, many women aren’t likely to spend more than a few minutes in front of a mirror to put on their makeup. Things get even more hectic when you have to take a look from “day” to “night.” Not to worry . . . it’s not nearly as complicated as it seems.