As soon as I get home in the evening and know I’m in for the night, I immediately put back the hair and put on the PJs. Using a headband and then pulling the rest into a ponytail is not the most comfortable but it does get the hair off my face. Now I am happy to say I’ve found something better and we’re happy to make their Internet introduction. The TASSI ($14.99 @ amazon.com) headwrap will become the only way to comfortably get your hair off your face and neck.

There’s only a two beauty conventions I go to every year looking for the latest debuting on the beauty scene and this was one of the most useful ones I came across. Put the stretch terry cloth band over your head, pull hair through, push it up into the front like a headband and then pull the back up to catch the back of your hair. It’s the most comfortable thing to wear on your head! Use it for everything: getting a facial, putting on makeup, while tanning, showering. Basically anywhere you need to get your hair outta the way. Available in 8 fun colors! Big recommendation.

This one has a lot of firsts under its belt. This was the first cheek stain on the market and the first product that came out from this line. It was also one of the products that started me on my journey of weeding out the good from the bad. TARTE’s Natural Swirl Cheek Stain in Full Blossom ($28/1oz @ sephora.com) is the latest stain to be unleashed on the world. It is two shades swirled together in one - the Natural Beauty shade (sheer berry rose) and their T5 Super Fruit Complex. Hmmm, so what “shade” is a T5 Super Fruit Complex?? I guess it’s the color you would get if you mix together the five most active superfruits that this complex is made up of: goii, acai, maracuia, acerola and pomegranate. From looking at the picture, it looks pretty light. The other benefit of this complex is that they are natural antioxidants and vitamins. So a great color and skin benefiting ingredients. I’m in!

I have been on a LUSH tear! I mentioned a few weeks ago that I went to one of their stores when I was back east and in addition to Fever, I also picked up some new ones to try and one of them was their new Jasmin and Henna Fluff-Ease ($19.95/7.8oz @ lush.com) and wow, is all I can say.

It is a hair treatment you plaster onto dry hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Thinking that I just got lucky with my amazing results, I used it again and again, the same tah-dow results! Being the Queen of Excess when it comes to products, you’d think this one was right up my alley – instructions say ¼ pot for short hair, ½ pot for medium length and whole pot for long. I was able to restrain myself and only use about ¼ of it for my medium length and was still able to cover it all. Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Jasmin and Henna Fluff-Ease!

There’s nothing like a soothing hand cream to really make my dry hands feel better and this one lasts well after I’ve put the cap back on the tube. LA MER The Hand Treatment ($70/3.4oz @ neimanmarcus.com) may be a bit on the pricey side but as I’ve mentioned before, isn’t it worth it to pay a little extra for something that really works for you? This is certainly one of those products. And this formula contains an exclusive Skin Lightening Complex that helps jazz up how the skin on your hands looks. I’m also a fan of the light scent it leaves behind. Nice job La Mer.

SHU UEMURA’s Pressed Eye Shadow N ($20 @ shuuemura.com) is a new formula of powders (I’m guessing the “N” at the end of the name stands for New). I always thought the original ones were a nice quality and the clear cases were neat. These new squares of finely milled micro-pressed powders and light capturing powders.

So these new recipes not only seem to adhere to the skin better but they still have the superior blending ability I came to love. And they ever sleek-a-fied the Lucite packaging. I’m not sure if they are converting all 100 or so colors or just a big handful of them. Either way, if you have not tried these shadows, here’s a great reason to now.

Is the cold taking its toll on your skin? DARPHIN’s Aromatic Purifying Balm ($75/.5oz, $220/1.6oz @ dermstore.com) is perfect for this time of year. It contains Tea tree, Lavender, Sage, Geranium and Grapefruit essential oils; Hazelnut and St. John’s Wort oils and Beeswax.
These ingredients really hydrate the skin and it is recommended for use before you hit the hay. And where does the “Aromatic” part come in? Some of the above ingredients are pretty fragrant, especially the Lavender. This one’s nice after a long day.

Need to keep every hair in place? Cream or spray, these use different formulas for different holds.

PROFOUND BEAUTY Structure Luxe Cream ($28/4.75oz @ naturallycurly.com) – This cream is the modernized version of the 60’s/70’s setting creams. Wanna create some waves but afraid that they won’t last long? You could do it with hairspray but the finished look always has that hard crunch effect. This one leaves a more natural look.

L’OREAL Elnett Hairspray ($12/2.5oz, $21/6.7oz @ ulta.com, amazon.com) - This hairspray has such a cult following and after discovering it a few years ago, I can see why. It brushes out so it allows a woman to change her mind! And thankfully it is not hard to find anymore.

PAUL MITCHELL Extra-Body Firm Finishing Spray ($12.99/11oz @ amazon.com) – Here’s a hair staple. You need to hold your hair style; I mean really hold your hair style firmly in place. Here’s your answer.

Everyone is onto the N Collection from MAC since it just came out a last week, but I am still caught up in the Originals. The colors and shades have stood the test of time and this has to be one of the most diverse collections they've ever put together.
New to MAC and don’t know where to start? Or maybe you just need to stock up on some good basics? Here’s our picks:

• Lipstick - Russian Red, Supersequin, Twig-Twig
• Tinted Lipglass ($14) – Full On Lust, Avarice
• Eye Shadow ($14) – Ochre Style, Parrot, Memorabilia, Charred
• Pigment ($19.50) – Melon, Kitschmas
• Glitter ($16.50) – Reflects Antique Gold
• Eye Pencil ($12.50) – Coffee, Ebony
• Mascara X ($12.50) – Black, of course!

All @ nordstrom.com

Create a sense of well being in the bath with a few products from New Zealand’s LINDEN LEAVES. Their Aromatherapy Synergy collection is scented with rose, geranium and ylang ylang. Joyous! Picks: Bubble Bath ($18.95/9.1oz), Foaming Shower Gel ($13.95/6.7oz), and Memories Body Oil ($29.95/8.4oz).

From this collection and the others we have tried over the years, this line never disappoints. All @ lindenleaves.com.

Just in time for the start of award show season, ESSIE partnered up with E! Entertainment Television and just unveiled the ultimate Nail Polish called E! Live from the Red Carpet ($8 @ ulta.com). This shade is the ultimate candy apple, bright, and simply gorgeous red! Add this one to your collection of polishes pronto.