This ExfoliKate face exfoliate from the KATE SOMERVILLE line has made just about every Top 10 list I have seen so I was super excited to try it. Besides having mass appeal (it’s good for all skin types), this one uses super good ingredients to do the exfoliating and it’s a two-fold-er – you have the physical microbeads and the chemical of fruit enzymes (the 3 p’s of papaya, pineapple and pumpkin). So if you don’t feel you are giving yourself and every inch of your face the full scrubbing, the chemical in this one will help. Why isn't every exfoliator like this?

Also inside is Salicylic Acid for hydration as well rosewood and cinnamon extracts for its anti-aging properties as well as aloe vera, honey, and vitamin E. Don’t let the brightish green color or slight minty feel on the skin turn you off as I was mildly shocked at both traits but quickly warmed up to them after a few uses.

Yes, this one is a little on the expensive side but consider it one of those investment products. For me, one of mine is Kiss Me Mascara every few months @ $24 and a few others I know I just can't live without!

Overall I’d give it a B+ and not an A only because of the price of $85/2oz, $175/5oz @ sephora.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

The season once again is on deck to change! Will you be updating your hair styling products and tools? Here are a few to get you at least thinking about it.

NEXXUS Maxximum Super Hold Styling and Finishing Mist ($10.55/10oz @ ulta.com) – transitioning from one season to another can wreak havoc on strands. They don’t know what to do! This one will keep strays and flyaways at bay.

REDKEN Guts 10 Volume Spray Foam ($6.99/2oz @ walgreens.com) – we have all seen that big hair is coming back in a big way. And where does big hair start? The roots of course! This foam will boost strands to get them standing at attention.

BUMBLE AND BUMBLE Mending Masque ($37/5oz @ sephora.com) – let’s face it, if your hair is ratty and out of shape, nothing you try is going to help so make sure you get it back in line with a good hair mask like this one.

A change in the season means a change in my hair brush. After all, the materials that style and go though your hair have a life span as well. And they don’t have to look all boring and functional anymore. Take these two for example. This SPORNETTE Hypnotique #5902 Purple Paddle Brush ($26.95 @ spornette.com) combines nylon and 100% boars bristles and is a great staple everyday brush while SEPHORA’s Bamboo Boar Brush ($12 @ sephora.com) has a ceramic-coated barrel and, as the name states, all boar hair bristles. And the thinness of it makes it easy for wielding.

Disclosure: Some of these items were provided for review purposes. Some I bought.

Me. Love. Balms. They are multi-purpose, usually contain a high % of super-good-for-skin ingredients and really nourishing overall. The latest one I have been using is from ONE LOVE ORGANICS. It goes by the name Skin Savior Waterless Multi Balm, is for the face and all about pure cold-pressed plant oils and extracts.

Let’s give a look at the most important part, the ingredient - organic virgin coconut oil (cold processed for its superior skin ingredients), organic soybean oil (for its superior nourishing properties), oat extract (rich in minerals and helps improve elasticity), chia seed (for its omega-3 fatty acids), unrefined beeswax (an superior emollient), orange peel wax (for its richness in carotenoids – antioxidants and vitamins, and flavonoids) and lastly vitamin E (for its powerful antioxidant properties). These are pretty much the whole list of ingredients with a few others but nothing bad and I like love that!

And like a good balm is, it is completely multi-uselful – cleansing, moisturizing, soothing, massage and they even recommend mixing some of it with your mineral powder! What will you be using this one for? $68/3.5oz @ dermstore.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

Since I almost went to dental school after high school, I’m always curious when it comes to the latest in toothbrushes as they just seem to get better and better with each one that hits the market. The latest I tried is from COLGATE and it’s their 360º Optic White toothbrush ($5.99 @ target.com) and besides looking oh-so-fun, it’s quite functional. To start, the bristles form small cups for what I’m guessing it so all the surface area is covered when brushing. But what I really like about this one is the rough texture it has on the back of the brush head as it massages the cheeks! This is a first. Love it!

(a note about the photos here – that’s Barney in the background. Anytime I go outside to take some pictures in the back of the house, he follows me and plops down on the pavement to roll around and purr. And yes, he's a huge 20lbs. He made a good background for the toothbrush!)

The other new product they just put out is their Optic White Toothpaste in Sparkling Mint ($4.29/5.5oz, $3.79/4oz) and this one claims to whiten teeth within one week from the inside out using the same hydrogen peroxide technology that whitening strips use. As I read the small print, the whitening starts at one week but for the best results continue for 4 weeks, so I will do just that as I didn’t really notice any big whitening difference. Pick up both @ drugstores nationwide.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

There’s nothing more fun than trying out a new hair tool. It is from the CONAIR line and is their Infiniti Pro Spin Air Brush and this one gets better with each use. It’s kind of like this one but this may be the next version of it? Not quite sure yet.

What It Is - This multidirectional brush rotates in both directions to volumize and shine. The true ionic generator releases up to 100x more concentrated ions from natural sources to protect hair from damage and seal in moisture for silky, smooth results and gorgeous shine. With even, gentle ceramic heat to safely dry hair with more protection and less damaging hot spots.

My Take – I have to admit, I was ready to write this one off after 2 uses but I kept coming back to it to use it more day after day. As I mentioned above, there is a learning curve and this one gets easier to use as you use it and get used to how it works.

Pros – cuts down on styling time since you are drying and styling at once. Makes strands blowout bouncy and shiny.

Cons – hard learning curve as hair can get tangled if you don’t know what you’re doing. No place to put your hand not(it) holding the handle. Would give better leverage if there was some kind of bar to rest it on. No way to get close to the roots.

Choose from 4 colors – Black, Plum, Teal and Red for $68.99 @ ulta.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I can’t remember what famous person stated that before leaving the house, you should take off one item, and for me, the “taking off” is usually toning down the blush. I’m glad that I recently came across LAURA GELLER Air Whipped Blush as they are very subtle and pretty much goof-proof. The formula is like a whipped mousse that will impart just the slightest hint of color, which you can see in the picture here. Ms. Laura amp’d this one up with antioxidants, a dash of Squalene and Shea Butter and paraben-free. Available in Whisper Petal (soft pink) and Whisper Rose (sheer mauve with a touch of luminescence) for $26 @ nordstrom.com.

Disclosure: Samples of these items were provided for review purposes.

Have you ever thought about how your makeup brushes are sourced? Where the hairs that are used come from? Are they even made from real hair? The PETA certified line EMANI takes the guess work out of it with their line of vegan makeup brushes. They are made of nylon filament but my question is, how do they make them so darn soft? I think they could be softer than those made with real hair!

Liquid Foundation ($24)
Powder ($24)
Blush ($16)
Kabuki ($29)
Shadow ($12.50)
Contour ($12.50)
Brow/Liner ($11.50)
Lip ($11.50)

Check them out @ amazon.com. What kind of brushes do you like?

There’s a big push on ESTEE LAUDER’s reformulation of their Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator and I have to say I am a fan. This serum is a good one if you are looking to even out your skin’s tone and fade some of those dark spot or other discolorations, without using the controversial ingredient hydroquinone. It uses a blend of ingredients like plant extracts as well as salicylic acid and stabilized vitamin c to do the work. And while I didn’t see it totally remove a spot I have up on my temple, it did seem to improve my overall tone. So I wouldn’t use this one as a hardcore spot fader but instead more as a skin booster. $58/1.7oz @ neimanmarcus.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I’ve been looking at ways to cut corners lately when it comes to my beauty routine. It recently dawned on me one morning, “why can’t I do my own hair color?” I’m an easy single-process girl, so I decided to investigate the latest in hair color technology, which led me to this one. UMBERTO BEVERLY HILLS U Color Italian Demi Color is an all-in-one packet, in that there is no mixing bottles and measuring and all the jazz. And actually, there are no bottles involved at all! It’s a large packet sectioned off into three sections – color, developer and equalizer. And you simply fold all three on top of one another, snip off the tops and apply to the hair.

It requires 25 minutes on the hair, rinse off, shampoo and condition and you’re done. Easy, right? I used their Golden Brown 6.32 color and it’s not a solid medium brown color. Some of my strands are a tad lighter than the rest so it looks pretty natural.

And let’s face it, this price point really works more with my budget then the $100+ I usually pay to get my color done in the salon. Available in 24 shades for $12 @ target.com.

Disclosure: A sample of this item was provided for review purposes.

I was at a BBQ over the weekend and got to talking with a few girls about beauty (go figure) and face exoliants and what makes for a good one. One of the girls said all the ones she tried were much too harsh and irritating until she discovered the Daily Microfoliant from DERMALOGICA. This was odd timing as I had used it three times in the past few weeks and didn’t think it really did much for my skin but this girl swore up and down that it worked for her and that she has super sensitive skin.

It comes in a powder form you mix with water and uses a unique rice-base enzyme powder to exfoliate. It also has salicylic acid and a special skin brightening complex as well as a blend of green tea, ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal. So maybe that’s the secret with this one – since my skin is quite normal acting, it just doesn’t do much for me? Not sure but I'm going to keep on using it as she really was super into it. What about you? Have you tried this one? $50/2.6oz @ ulta.com.