As you lay out your outfit and choose the night’s most romantic makeup, don’t forget about feeling clean and smelling great.

In both of those cases, you may want to try the LUSH Sweetheart Soap.

This limited edition chunk of vegan soap can either be kept by your sink for hands-on cleaning, or in the shower if you want to go full-body.

The scent has notes of jasmine, vanilla and sandalwood. I found it a cross between fruity and flowery. While the scent isn’t cloying, it is strong, and my entire bathroom smells like a Sweetheart.

If I had to put my own name on the scent, I think it smells like a mash of peaches and roses. If you like that kind of scent, then you may not mind smelling that way as you sample appetizers at the restaurant on your Valentine’s Day date.

It’s Valentine’s time!

Get this soap if…

• you like the scent of fruits and flowers mixed together.
• you’re in dire need of some vegan soap.
• you want to smell nice for your Valentine’s Day date, but you don’t want to load up on perfume.

You can pick up the LUSH Sweetheart Soap on the LUSH website or $6.95 for a 3.5 oz bar.

So, the idea of Pacifica as a beauty brand is kind of exciting. In addition to candles, they have 100% vegan fragrances, lotions, lip tints and other natural body products.

I recently got to try the Sephora-exclusive Pacifica Take Me There Set in Island Vanilla. It’s a travel kit featuring products in the Island Vanilla scent.

It comes with…

• 0.33 oz Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On
• 2.5 oz Island Vanilla Body Butter
• 0.25 oz Island Vanilla Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tint

Notice that each of the products are under 3 oz so they can go in your carry-on as you jet off to your island vacation (or in your purse to only feel like you’re on vacation, as in my case.)

I’ll start with my favorite first.

Island Vanilla Body Butter

Normally when you get a lotion labeled “body butter,” it comes in a big unruly tub. You have to dip your fingers in to get a big glob of the stuff.

When I saw that this Pacifica lotion was called a body butter but came in a tube, I was skeptical. Could it really be thick enough and quenching enough to be called a butter?

The answer is a resounding yes.

The lotion was thick and quenching without being oily or greasy. It soaked right into my skin and made me feel soft for hours.

And then there was the scent (and this is the case for all three items in the Take Me There Set): I loved it. The vanilla was warm and sugary and not perfumey at all. It didn’t irritate my fragrance-sensitive skin. I loved it.

Here’s a bonus: I rubbed this onto my hands and forearms right before bed. In the morning, I woke up to skin that still smelled like lovely Island Vanilla. In other words, this stuff lasts.

I couldn’t find anything wrong with this body butter. Anything. The only downside would be if you don’t like vanilla-scented items, but then you would be avoiding this set anyway.

Island Vanilla Perfume Roll-On

The perfume roll-on features the awesome Island Vanilla scent in a long glass bottle with metal roller ball.

I question their choice of a glass bottle. If I’m taking this on my travels, I ‘d worry that it might break, leaving me soaked in an Island Vanilla scent that would probably take ten showers to remove (any scent, no matter how good, can be too much when spilled all over you.)

I also question their use of the metal roller ball, as opposed to plastic. It has gotten stuck several times through my many uses. But when it does work, it works well.

Despite these few complaints, I still liked the perfume roll-on. The scent was lovely and not cloying or perfume-y, and the scent lasted all day.

Island Vanilla Color Quench Natural Moisture Lip Tint

This lip tint has the same Island Vanilla scent, though it’s a bit more understated, which I like in a lip tint.

Part of the name of this tint is “Color Quench” and I’d have to disagree. I didn’t find this moisturizing or quenching at all. It felt like a lip-drying balm. But, in that way, it’s preferable for people who don’t like super glossy or wet lip tints.

I also wish the tint was a bit more sheer. The color was a light pink that had a white base. It looked slightly chalky on my naturally-dark lips. If your lips are super light naturally, then you’d probably like it better than I did.

I did like the scent and the shimmer, though. Still, this is my least favorite part of the Pacifica Take Me There Set.

The Final Verdict

If I was grading this purely on the Island Vanilla Body Butter alone, it would get an A+. But I’m not. I’m grading the Pacifica Island Vanilla Take Me There Set as a whole. Since I found some problems with the Perfume Roll-On and Lip Tint, this makes the grade a bit lower. I give the travel kit a…

Basically, I’m trying out one of their regimen kits for 30 days (it started Monday) so I can tell you all how it works.

I’m trying the Naturopathica Normal to Dry Regimen Kit. It comes with products for washing, exfoliating, seruming (I made that word up) and moisturizing your skin with both an AM and PM routine.

I’ll tell you more about my experience with this toward the end of the 30 days, but here are some of my initial reactions:

• “Are some of these products really going to last 30 days? We’ll see.”
• “Hmm. My skin is soft.”
• “Yay! No allergic break-outs!”
• “Mmm, my face smells like tea.”

Intrigued? Come back in a few weeks for a full review.

For Valentine’s Day, you might want to try a body scrub from SheaMoisture.

The SheaMoisture Organic Red Bush & Sage Body Scrub features sugar as the main scrubby ingredient. Plus, it has red bush to help exfoliate and sage to calm your skin afterward.

The big 12 ounce tub features a huge chunk of the soft sugar scrub. It’s easy to take some and rub it over your skin while you shower.

Because of the sugar, plus all natural plant material, it smells like a super sweet and sugary tea. In other words: yummy.

This SheaMoisture body scrub does a great job of buffing skin and making it feel ultra moisturized. It does leave a bit of a greasy residue though, so make sure you rinse thoroughly after using it.

It’s Valentine’s time!

Get this body scrub if…

• you want glowing skin for your big Valentine’s Day date.
• you’re giving yourself a single girl’s spa day instead.
• you just really love a sweet body scrub.

You can pick up the SheaMoisture Organic Red Bush & Sage Body Scrub at Target and Walgreens (in stores) for $9.99 suggested retail price.

Speaking of getting ready, you might want to prepare for the big day with some hair removal action from Japonesque.

The Japonesque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers come in a wide variety of colors and designs. Red, pink and cheetah print are the most Valentine’s-centric. Sassy.

These heavy-duty metal tweezers are easy to use and feel very high-quality.

They also come with a black carrying case. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t feel nearly as high-quality as the tweezers themselves. It actually feels pretty cheap. Still, it’s nice that they provided this extra in the first place.

The slanted tip grasped hairs easily and there was no slippage. It made tweezing unwanted hairs a whole lot easier.

It’s Valentine’s time!

Get these tweezers if…

• you want to spruce up for your big Valentine’s Day date.
• you’re single and you’re giving yourself a spa day.
• you’re just in dire need of some good tweezers.

You can pick up the Japonesque Artisan Slant Tip Tweezers online at Naimie’s and Ulta for $20.

It reminds me of an episode of “Friends.” Ross and Rachel are fighting in the living room so Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Chandler are stuck in Monica’s bedroom while they wait for the fight to end. And all they have to eat is leg wax. Man, I miss that show.

When I was asked to try the new Nad’s Facial Wand and Eyebrow Shaper, I couldn’t resist. It makes me just way too nostalgic!

The kit comes with…

• Nad’s facial wand
• Cleansing wipes
• Washable cloths

Before you do anything, you’re supposed to cleanse the area with the wipes. They smell awesome and fresh and like melons, which I liked.

The facial wand solves one of the main problems with the Nad’s from the ‘90s: it’s a lot easier to use.

You twist the bottom of the wand until some of the green goo comes out the top. Then you spread the wax over the area where you want to remove hair (eyebrows, lip, whatever).

Then you smooth on a cloth, in the direction of hair growth, then rip it off in the opposite direction. Hair gone!

While the wand was easier than the original tub of Nad’s goo, it was still a bit tricky to use. You have to start applying it to your skin as soon as it comes out of the applicator or it may get too hard to stick to the skin.

Still, the stuff worked well. It removed my hair without any problems, and residue is easy to wash off. Plus, you can rinse out the cloths and use them again.

The Final Verdict

I liked how much easier the Nad’s Facial Wand Eyebrow Shaper was to use than the original, though it was still a bit tricky. For these reasons, I give it a…

B

You can pick this up at Drugstore.com, Amazon and local drugstores for $9.99 suggested retail price.

Today, I’m talking about Obliphica. This brand uses the sea buckthorn fruit to rejuvenate hair with its vitamin C and antioxidants. Plus, it has John Blaine, celebrity hair stylist, as the official spokesperson.

But, as you probably already know, you can’t really know a product is good until you try it (or read a trusted and honest review).

I did the legwork for you and tried three products from the Obliphica Original Treatment line:

• Obliphica Treatment Shampoo
• Obliphica Treatment Hair Mask
• Obliphica Treatment Hair Serum

All three products are formulated to help dry, damaged or color-treated hair. And, since I dyed my hair black a few weeks ago, my hair fit perfectly with that.

Obliphica Treatment Shampoo

This shampoo works like any other, except that it uses a pump.

Pump it into your palm and work into damp hair. Rinse.

It has an oily, thin consistency  that you don’t normally find in a shampoo.

Here’s something I didn’t like, that’s true for all three products: I hated the scent. I didn’t like it at all. When you hear that the star ingredient, sea buckthorn, is a fruit, you think it’ll probably be sweet and fruity and fresh. It was none of those things. Instead it smelled bitter and harsh and like chemicals. It reminded me of the scent you get with home hair dye kits. I was really disappointed.

As far as the quality of the shampoo, it cleaned my hair okay and left it feeling pretty soft. Still, I can’t get past that scent, so I give the Obliphica Treatment Shampoo a…

C

You can pick this up on the Obliphica website for $33.

Obliphica Treatment Hair Mask

This hair mask, used as a conditioner, comes in a wide-mouthed tub.

After shampooing, spread a thick layer of this mask over hair. Let sit for a few minutes, then rinse.

By the whipped butter consistency and the name of this product, I expected it to deep condition and make my hair ultra soft and hydrated. Unfortunately, it didn’t work that well. Instead, it seemed to do about as well as standard drugstore conditioner formulated for normal hair. Not the super conditioning for dry and colored hair that it promised.

Add in the scent problem, and I give this one a…

C-

You can pick up the Obliphica Treatment Hair Mask on the Obliphica website for $32.85.

Obliphica Treatment Hair Serum

This oil promises to help style and improve dry and damaged hair.

Pump a bit of this thick oil into your palm, rub hands together, and apply it to damp or dry hair. Style as usual.

And the disappointment continues. Since this is formulated for dry, damaged and color-treated hair, you’d think it would tame frizzies and make it smoother and nicer.

Nope. None of the above. I tried it on my damp hair and, once dry, my hair was a complete frizzy mess. As in, frizzier than normal. When I tried it on dry hair, it didn’t seem to do anything at all. When I tried it on straightened hair, it made it a tiny bit smoother, but didn’t get rid of frizz by any means.

All it seemed to do was make my hair super frizzy. I’ll stick to my Suave Professionals Captivating Curls Whipped Cream Mousse, thanks.

For these reasons, and because of the scent issue, I give the Obliphica Treatment Hair Serum a…

D-

You can pick this up at the Obliphica website for $34.95.

It’s always a bummer to write negative reviews, but it had to be done.

Just the idea of the derma e Vanilla Bean series made me excited. I love vanilla scented beauty items! The scent is usually very gentle and yummy and doesn’t irritate my skin.

So, I tried the derma e Vanilla Bean Cleansing Mousse and derma e Vanilla Bean Revitalizing Toner for a full face-washing experience.

You start by splashing your face with some warm water. Then you shake up the Vanilla Bean Cleansing Mousse, pump it into your palm, and work it into the skin on your face and neck.

I loved the scent. It transported me back to my childhood when I used to get Luzier Vanilla Bean Body Lotion from my grandma. It smelled just like it.

The cleanser was delicate and did a good job removing my makeup. It only left a little bit of tough-to-remove eyeliner residue. It also left my skin feeling soft.

After the cleansing mousse, it’s time for some Vanilla Bean Revitalizing Toner. Add a dash of this liquid to a cotton square and spread over freshly washed skin.

This one is alcohol-free, so it doesn’t dry out skin. And it has the same yummy and sugary scent as the cleansing mousse.

But did it really do anything? That’s the big debate about toners in general. I didn’t notice my pores get smaller, but it did make my skin feel fresh and it removed any face makeup that may have escaped the cleanser.

The Final Verdict

The cool thing about derma e is their insistence on using natural ingredients and vitamin E. This cleanser/toner duo had a great scent, a gentle formula, and left my skin feeling soft and supple. Still, the toner seems a bit pointless and the cleanser didn’t remove ALL of my makeup (though, that’s usually the case for cleansers. You almost always need a separate makeup remover). For these reasons, I give the derma e Vanilla Bean Cleansing Mousse and Revitalizing Toner a…

B-

You can pick up the cleanser on derma e’s website and Amazon for $15.50 suggested retail price, though usually on sale for much less.

You can pick up the toner on derma e’s website and Amazon for $15.50 suggested retail price, though usually on sale for much less.

Rawr!

LUSH has come out with a body soap bar to celebrate the new year: Red Dragon Soap.

This bar is shaped like a dragon with a blood orange-colored bar dusted with gold.

Red Dragon Soap is scented with Karma, one of LUSH’s best-selling fragrances. To me, it smells like mango with a large dusting of patchouli and a pinch of cinnamon.

This is a body soap, so you can use it in the shower or bath over your entire body. Red Dragon Soap leaves your skin squeaky clean. Some people don’t like that feeling, so keep that in mind.

It left me clean and smelling yummy. And I loved the shape and color of this bar soap.

Yay for the year of the dragon!

I give LUSH Red Dragon Soap a…

B-

You can pick this up at LUSH’s website for $7.95 for a 3.5 oz bar. This one’s online-only.

But, one of my favorite hair colors was actually something pretty tame: black.

I first dyed my hair black my sophomore year of high school. Here’s some photographic evidence:

The picture on the bottom was from the first day of my sophomore year, 1998.

(As a side note, that hairstyle was the last time I ever got my hair styled or cut by a pro. I do it all myself now.)

Frankly, dying my hair black was a bit of an epiphany. I realized that I look way, way better with darker hair. I mean, can you deny how adorable I look in those pictures?

But let’s fast-forward to the end of 2011. I’m 28 and I’ve been sporting red hair for the last year.  While it was fun for a while, I’ve been getting really sick of it. It’s just too light and brassy.

And what do I do when I don’t like my hair? I change it.

That’s where Bigen Permanent Powder Hair Color comes in. After trying the Semi-Permanent hair color from Bigen, I knew that it would come out pretty.

There are several shades of black in this hair dye, but I went with Black Brown because I wanted something somewhat natural-looking.

By the way, look at that cute red bowl! I used that for mixing. It doesn’t come with the dye, but you can get it separately, or just use a plastic bowl you already have.

I used the tricks I teach in Home Hair Dying 101 and busted out my skills to turn my hair black in the comfort of my own bathroom.

But…one of my fears came true.

See, I have long hair now. And every time I dye my hair, I worry that I’m going to run out of dye. It never happens, though. Until now.

I got about halfway through applying the mix to my head, starting at the roots, and then I ran out. I tried to spread the dye through the dry parts as best I could, but, as I rinsed the dye out of my hair 30 minutes later, I knew I didn’t succeed.

I ended up with a few large chunks of red poking through the black in the back of my head. Bummer #1.

Luckily, I’m not one of those girls to refuse leaving the house like that. I’ve left the house with far worse hairstyles and colors, I promise.

So, the next day I went holiday shopping with my mom, and we ended the day at Sally Beauty Supply.

I got my original box for free from Bigen’s PR people. When I entered Sally, I fully expected to find a price of $4.99 for the dye, or less. After all, $4.99 is the suggested retail price. But, for some reason, Sally sells it for $6.49. Bummer #2.

At home, I took extra care to apply the dye to the missed chunks of leftover red hair, then rinsed it out as usual.

Finally, my head was fully black. Here’s the before and after:

See? So, so, so, so much better black.

Yay! Even though I ran out of dye (if you’re going to use this stuff, get two boxes just in case), I love the way it turned out. Just like I wanted!

Bye bye, red hair.

Then she might like the Brazilian Citrus Body Lotion from Earthly Elements.

This lotion comes in a bright orange bottle that totally reminds me of summer.

As the name would suggest, the Brazilian Citrus Body Lotion has a light citrus scent reminding me of oranges and cream.

The lotion consistency is thin, so this is best for normal-skinned beauties as dry-skinned beauties may not find it moisturizing enough.

As with all Earthly Elements products this lotion is paraben-free and doesn’t contain artificial fragrances, silicones or other nasty ingredients.

As an added bonus, it comes with a removable charm emblazoned with “LOVE.” Awww.

It’s gift time!

Ready to see if this is right for the one you love?

This is perfect for…

• those you love
• citrus-lovers
• ladies in need of lotion
• normal-skinned gals who need just a bit of moisture
• ladies who prefer natural ingredients

You can pick up the Earthly Elements Brazilian Citrus Body Lotion at Amazon for $7.99.

If you have a fragrance-lover left, maybe she’ll like the Gorilla Perfumes from LUSH.

While the scents come in many sizes, I recommend the 0.3 fl oz spray tubes. They’re 5 inches long and can fit into most small purses and makeup bags.

Love is a flirty scent that features notes of lemon, lemongrass, apple, cinnamon, rose and bergamot.

When I first tried this scent, my first thought was “I smell lemongrass!” That’s the strongest of the notes in Love, and gives it a fresh, nature-y vibe. And this one’s vegan!

1000 Kisses Deep, or 1000 Kisses for short is a sweet and musky scent.

(The name always makes me think of the song “I’ll Cover You” from Rent. “With a thousand sweet kisses…I’ll cover you…”)

This scent has notes of mandarin, myrrh, musk and osmanthus. It has a distinct incense vibe.

It’s gift time!

Are these scents good for the ladies left on your shopping list?

This is perfect for…

• stocking stuffers
• fragrance-lovers
• vegans (for the Love scent)
• ladies who love natural scents and ingredients

You can pick up the 0.3 fl oz spray tubes of Love and 1000 Kisses Deep at LUSH for $15.95 each.

See for yourself:

Honestly, I think she looks even better now.

Cindy has been working with Dr. Jean-Louis Sebagh to create an anti-aging skin care line to help women stay beautiful longer, without cosmetic surgery. It’s called Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford.

I got to try the Crème de Serum.

You just pump this out into your hand and apply it to your clean skin either once in the morning or once at night (but not both.)

It was very moisturizing and left my skin silky smooth. However, I felt it left a bit of a greasy residue, so I recommend using it at night rather than day.

The scent was pretty subtle, which was good because it was a bit odd. It smelled like lilac and chemicals. Luckily, I could barely smell it once it soaked into my skin.

As for anti-aging, it features melon-complex, peptides and hyaluronic acid to make skin look younger. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I don’t really have wrinkles on which to test this theory. But, judging by how smooth my skin felt when using it, I’d say the odds are in our favor.

I give the Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Crème de Serum a…

B-

Right now, you can pick this up at Amazon for $39.99. The Crème de Serum was listed in the Meaningful Beauty starter kit, but isn’t currently.

Maybe she’ll like the Murad Rejuvenating Lift for Neck and Decollete.

This neck- and chest-only cream is meant to give you an instant lift, reducing wrinkles and firming sagging skin.

Just smooth it on your skin in between cleanser and moisturizer. It promises a 42% improvement in skin firmness in just one use.

I found it to be tightening and left my skin silky smooth.

As for scent, it reminded me of an alcoholic drink that uses lime. But subtle, and the scent goes away as the cream soaks into skin.

It’s gift time!

Let’s see if this is right for anyone still on your shopping list for the holidays.

This is perfect for…

• women who want to keep their neck and chest looking youthful
• men (yes, men) who don’t mind trying anti-aging products
• people who won’t be offended if they get an anti-aging gift
• beauty gifts at $50 or more

You can pick up the Murad Rejuvenating Lift for Neck and Decollete at Murad, Ulta and Sephora for $55 suggested retail price for a 1.7 fl oz tube.

They came out with a daytime anti-aging face and eye skincare duo that originally sold on ShopNBC.

The Skin&Co Eye Gel and Truffle Serum Duo comes with two products: The Hydro-Toning Day Tuber Melanosporum Face Serum and the Tuber Melanosporum Restructuring Eye Contour Gel.

Yeah, those are long names. From here on, I’ll call them by their nicknames: Truffle Serum and Eye Gel.

The Truffle Serum feels a lot like a gel you might put in your hair in the ‘80s and ‘90s, but a lot less sticky. You pump it into your hand and spread it over your face and neck.

The serum is supposed to tighten up skin and reduce wrinkles and sagging. While I don’t really have wrinkles or sagging to test it with, I did feel my skin get a bit tighter.

While the directions don’t say anything about putting on moisturizer afterward, I highly recommend it. This stuff not only doesn’t really moisturize, but it’s also somewhat drying. That’s fine if you have oily skin, but anyone with normal or dry skin will need something else over it.

Plus side: It smells pretty nice. It has a sort of pina colada scent that reminds me of summer vacations to visit my grandparents in Arizona when I was a kid, laying by the pool slathered in sunscreen.

The Eye Gel has the same gel feeling as the Truffle Serum. You pump out just a bit and lightly dab it into the skin around your eyes.

One pump of this stuff is way too much for just your eyes. Instead, you have to pump it really slowly to get less, just enough to use on your eyes.

Beyond the difficulty in pumping this, the Eye Gel is supposed to tighten skin just like the Truffle Serum, and I didn’t feel that. It didn’t seem to tighten at all.

But it did have something in common with the Truffle Serum: it was drying, too. Bummer.

Plus side: This one didn’t have a scent, which is good for something that gets so close to your eyes.

The Final Verdict

Besides the coolness factor in using truffles in their beauty products, I wasn’t impressed by the Skin&Co Eye Gel and Truffle Serum Duo. While the face serum tightened a bit, it was drying. And the eye gel didn’t tighten at all. Would I use this again? Probably not.