What They Say: "Wrap your hands in the rich scent of crème caramel blended with a hint of sugar and vanilla. This lush crème will nourish your skin with vitamin E and rich plant oils from sunflower and jojoba seed to leave hands velvety soft and moisturized without a greasy feeling."

Jamie's Thoughts: This is a perfectly lovely hand cream - it softens, doesn't feel greasy at all, and is all that the company claims it to be. My only complaint is this: the smell is way too strong. There is no "hint" of sugar and vanilla - the smell of caramel and all things sweet basically slap you across the face the minute you apply the cream. It was really distracting.

I imagine some people might smell the cream and be metaphorically "whisked away" to an imagined private island vacation in the tropics. The only thing I was reminded of, upon first application, was this one tanning accelerator that I used prior to my sister's wedding. Each to their own, I guess.

If you like super strong, ultra-sweet scents (and don't mind that scent all over your sheets, pillows, and hand towels), then this might be something you'd like. Functionally speaking, it is average at best.

Retail Price: $12.00 USD (Quixtar.com)

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What They Say: "Thoroughly cleanse and refresh your skin with this oil-free mineral clay masque. It opens pores and draws out excess oil to help control oil and shine. Scented with a refreshing honeydew-blossom fragrance. Use as needed, 1-3 times per week. Ideal for combination-to-oily skin."

Melissa Says: I am in love. This mask smells amazingly refreshing (yet not too strong), which helps add to the feeling that you're pampering yourself. Even when you leave it on for the full 15 minutes, it doesn't dry into a hard, cracked, uncomfortably tight substance that you have to scrub at madly to get off. It still remains supple and therefore comfortable, and rinses cleanly. I was in desperate need for some blackhead intervention when I received this product to test, and was very pleased with the immediate results - cleaner-looking pores and refreshed skin. I would definitely recommend this to a friend.

Retail Price: $20.65 (at Quixtar.com)

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What They Say: "Part of Artistry's Spring 2008 Rare Beauty Trend Collection, this product shines lips in barely there colour and soothing moisture this season.

Discover your own rare beauty with three gorgeous glosses. With just a hint of colour, Artistry Lip Shine gives lips a simple shine that complements this season's most dramatic looks.

Create extraordinary lips with just a hint of gorgeous colour and shimmer. Formulated with aloe and antioxidants, Lip Shine nourishes, moisturizes, and protects for the softest spring kisses. Wear it alone or on top of your favorite lip colour and add a brilliant shine to your already fabulous smile!

• Subtle colour and glossy finish for lips.
  
• Lips stay soft and smooth without feeling sticky.
  
• Formulated with soothing aloe and antioxidants.

What Lisa Says: I received all three of these lip glosses that make up part of Artistry's Spring 2008 Colour Collection: Rare Beauty. "Gifted", which is pale pink gloss w/pink shimmer, "Signature" a gold shimmer, and "Adore" which is a deep red gloss w/ red glitter.

Once out of their box, I thought this an interesting collection of glosses for Spring/Summer. The Gifted and Signature looked lovely but I questioned Adore for this time of year, as it looked quite dark. All three come in their own box and have no taste or fragrance, which is something I like I lip products of any kind.

This was kind of a tough review for me though. I rarely wear gloss alone and when I do, it's to add high shine, add dimension to a lip color or both. I found the formula of this gloss to be very thin and, while it did impart a moisturized look, it wasn't much of a shine and not enough shimmer to show up by it's self OR over my lipstick.

I tried each of them alone, over lipstick and over lip pencil. I know they advertise "barely there" color but once on, I really saw NO color - maybe a tiny bit of shimmer and, in the case of Adore, almost a stained look that was very sheer but deep and glittery. Not a look I'd particularly want for summer though it did look nice over some of last fall's red lip colors. None of these glosses offer a high gloss shine, but instead, impart a simple moisturized look unless you add a couple of layers of product. And while it IS hydrating, my normally all-day-wear lipstick was gone in just an hour or so.

These glosses do not feel gooey or slippery and, in fact, within 30 minutes you're down to "Carmex" like feeling instead of a glossy feeling. I think I'll fall back on my usual glosses that I know & love for the time being. For those that like next to nothing in color, feel but want a little moisture, you might give these a whirl.

Retail Price: 0.14 oz./$13.50 (shop online here)

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What They Say: "Create lush, perfectly defined lashes with these long-wearing mascaras that measurably lengthen and thicken lashes up to 200%. Ophthalmologist tested and recommended for contact lens wearers. Waterproof formula is oil-based and resists water and flaking."

Jen's Experience: I am always on the lookout to find a good mascara, and have found only a couple in the past that I am able to wear on a regular basis without looking like a football player within hours. I tried both the black and brown versions of the Artistry Mascara, and found both colors to be nicely glossy and pigment rich. The brown actually was noticeable, and I don't find that with too many brown mascaras. As for being waterproof and non-flaking...well, these mascaras are definitely better than many that I've tried, but I still experienced some flaking and some color slipping, especially when I'm at work in front of a monitor all day. Out shopping or running errands, it's behaved pretty well, but I am still not terribly inclined to wear it because it just doesn't provide any real drama for my lashes. No lengthening, no curl, no thickening. Just color. At one point I would have settled for that, but now that I know there are one or two mascaras out there that can do it all, this product isn't making it into my make-up routine.

Retail Price: $16.30 (Quixtar.com)

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What They Say:

• Minimizes the appearance of fine lines by as much as 71% in as little as 2 weeks.
• Creamy, conditioning, concentrated moisturization.
• Available in a wardrobe of beautiful finishes including satins, shimmers and metallics."

Melissa Says: I'm not sure about the 70% reduction in fine lip lines, but I did notice a moisturizing quality to this lipstick that in itself helps to hydrate enough to make lips look a bit smoother while you're wearing it. However, I can't say it's the most hydrating lipstick I've ever used. The pigment, however, lasts quite a while (though it's not transfer-resistant) and is highly concentrated. For some reason, I don't really care for the scent of the lipstick when I apply it, but it's not something I smell once the tube is put back away.

Overall, I thought this was a decent high-pigment, comfortable lipstick, but it's not necessarily among my ultimate faves.

Retail Price: $17.55 (at Quixtar.com)

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What They Say: "Lip Polish and Lip Conditioner work together for softer, supple lips instantly.

The Lip Care Kit contains two products to create soft, supple lips. The gentle Lip Polish exfoliates and lightly buffs away dry skin cells from the lips while the Lip Conditioner's rich creamy texture moisturizes and hydrates the skin's surface. Together, the Lip polish and Lip Conditioner offer the ultimate protection without being heavy or sticky.

• Provides softer, smoother lip instantly
  
• Gently exfoliates lips
  
• Hydrates without being heavy or sticky
  
• Dermatologically tested

Melissa Says: Say hello to lip comfort with this duo. The Lip Polish feels like creamy sugar crystals and lightly removes dry, flaky skin from lips and leaves them revitalized, and the Lip Conditioner is incredibly emollient. A little of it goes a long way and it stays on lips to keep them comfortable for a long time (it is even glossy and pretty enough to double as a lip gloss). This set should last though many uses, and will keep your lips smooth and glowing.

Retail Price: $22.00 (online here)

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