The first product to intrigue me was the Chai Soy Mask ($14/2.5oz) for oily skin. There is something quintessentially feminine and sexy about using any green mud mask, but the Chai Soy mask went far above the rest. Recommended for use once a week, even my husband has been using this product! The mud mask, “designed to pull toxins from the skin while replenishing vital nutrients and minerals”, leaves skin feeling clean and tight. It smells like Christmas on your face, and my favorite part is how easily it washes off. Unlike drugstore mud masks that require half an hour of scrubbing to remove, the Chai Soy mask washes clean with a few splashes of water.

Epicuren Hydrating Mineral Mask ($14/2.5oz) for all skin types is safe to use every day, and uses trace elements Zinc, Copper, and Magnesium to replenish skin and help produce collagen. I found this mask very refreshing, and it didn’t cause me to break out, even when I was lazy and removed it using just baby wipes. I like to use this mask immediately following my normal face wash just after plucking my eyebrows to soothe redness. With both of these face masks, a little bit goes a long way, making it a great buy.

The Cinnamon Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub ($45/16oz) was the Epicuren product I was most excited to use. It smells decidedly edible and tantalizing and, when used in the shower, leaves skin silky and fragrant all day (or night) long. You can use it after shaving for sting-free smoothness, but honestly, the 16-ounce container is a bit pricey for everyday use. I found this stuff so hard to use sparingly that I would save it for special occasions – It’s perfect for first dates, and sure to make you irresistible to any man.

Looking over the Epicuren Discovery website, I found heaps more products I’d like to try. Whether shopping for yourself or stocking stuffers, their sweet-smelling and effective beauty treats are sure to lift your spirits this winter season.

Top 13 Tinted Moisturizers

From Laura Mercier to Olay, check out the goods that keep our readers’ skin pretty and protected

Looking for a miracle product that will combine sunscreen, moisturizer and even out skin tone? It’s actually not far-fetched at all! The tinted moisturizers on this list do all that and more. See which ones TotalBeauty.com readers love the most. Here’s to hitting two (or rather, three) birds with one stone!

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No. 13: Jane Nearly Foundation Tinted Moisturizer, $4.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.5

One reader says, “it’s wonderful for women with pink undertones to their skin,” while another loved how it made her skin look tan …

No. 12: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, $42

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.7

“It is very natural, so you don’t look like you are wearing any makeup. You simply look like you have beautiful skin …”

No. 11: Clarins Hydra-Care Tinted Moisturizer SPF 6, $42

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 8.8

“Even if you have clear skin already, this will even out your skin tone …”

Want to see what’s no. 1? Click here!

I fell in love with the pretty scent that has the most delicious, warm undertones. Notes include tangerine, jasmine, patchouli, musk, and the essence of caramelized popcorn. Yum.

If you can’t get to a Sephora, they will ship you the set for free. If you love Miss Dior Cherie, go and grab your set!

Top 10 Hottest-Guy Cities

We so hope you single gals out there live in one of these U.S. towns, if not, call the movers — stat!

Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one woman’s George Clooney is another’s Steve Buscemi. But there are SOME things that all (or almost all) of us look for in a mate. According to evolutionary psychologist David Buss, Ph.D., women desire “intelligence, good health, emotional stability, ambition and industriousness, and good financial prospects.” We used these factors to find out where the hotties live. Do you live in one of these sexy-guy cities?

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Top 14 Drugstore Conditioners

Pantene was all over the list, but did it nab the no. 1 spot?

What we all want: soft, silky, shiny hair. What we all need: to save some cash (especially these days). The solution: one of these drugstore hair conditioners. TotalBeauty.com readers say all the conditioners on this list gave them salon-worthy hair at bargain bin prices; it’s the perfect combination!

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No. 14: TIGI Bed Head Superstar Conditioner, $11.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.1

“I get softness and amazing body from this conditioner …”

No. 13: Aveeno Nourish + Moisturize Conditioner, $6.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.1

“With just one wash my hair looked and felt better …”

No. 12: Garnier Fructis Fortifying Body and Volume Conditioner, $14.99

TotalBeauty.com average reader rating: 9.1

Readers say this lives up to its name. “This conditioner leaves my hair softer without bringing it down and making it look thinner …”

Want to see what’s no. 1? Click here!

My first mistake was attempting to use this mascara like I’d use any others I’d ever used. But after taking one look at the small, spiked wand, you realize that a different approach is needed.

To love Telescopic Explosion, you must learn how to work it, brush included. Even the thick, potentially clumpy formula I’ve learned to work to my advantage.

The formula, along with manipulation of the brush, gives me the most volume and lash separation I’ve ever experienced from a mascara. If you have naturally long or thick lashes, L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara could easily give you a serious false-lash look.

Really, the only con to this mascara from my perspective at this point is that to get it right, you’ll need to, at least, double the time it takes to apply mascara. This is no swipe-a-few-times-and-go mascara. You have to put in a bit more effort to see it work its magic on your lashes.

What I do first is curl my lashes, then apply a thin coat of Telescopic Explosion from root to tip to avoid initial clumpiness. Then, I use the base of the wand – where more product accumulates – to “clump” product onto sections my lashes. Then, I carefully work the product through from root to tip, working in all directions to separate, build volume, and add length before I move to the next section. That’s how I build volume and length, and working the brush through my lashes a few times prevents clumping.

The formula is thick but doesn’t dry too fast, allowing you to carefully build volume and length without it drying too quickly into clumps. The brush is superb at separating lashes. There is no flaking, so this mascara stays put all day.

I received this mascara for review, and even though I’ve got mascara stockpiled (unopened tubes and all – smh), I’m rushing out to buy a replacement of L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion as soon as it runs out.

If you pick up this mascara on my word, know that the reviews for this one are dramatic – ladies either REALLY hate it, or really LOVE it. I ended up switching teams.

Most drugstore cosmetics departments have fab return policies, so it won’t hurt to give L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion a try. Just come back and let me know what you think!

Refreshing Mandarin Fresh Effects ChapStick leaves a tingling, cooling sensation and smells great. I love that tingly feeling, which is also the reason I chose Peppermint Rush from the True Shimmer line – it’s the only True Shimmer that tingles. But both Fresh Effects flavors (Refreshing Mandarin and Invigorating Green Tea Mint) tingle, and all newer ChapStick formulations are creamy and leave your lips so smooth. True Shimmers also look great alone or layered until a gloss for added shimmer.

Either of these ChapStick options are perfect little indisposables for your clutch or wristlet and retail for only $2.99 at mass market retailers, making them cheap thrills in my book! I reapply these constantly when I’m not wearing lip color because I like the way they feel on my lips.

Plumped Pink, Plumped Plum, Plumped Tawny, Plumped Red

Plumped Pink and the plumping applicator

What I’ve found is that Infallible Plumping gloss seems to really work with your undertone to leave the most flattering hue of either shade on your lips. It seems to settle into your lips so that the consistency is that of what I would call a “lip gloss stain.” There is a soft shine, a bit of moisture, and a slight stickiness that I think helps it stay on for as long as it does. There is also a slight tingling sensation and lips appear a little fuller.

I went to lunch with a friend the day I first wore Infallible Plumping in Plumped Plum. Yes, it did kiss off on my napkin and straw, but even after eating, most of the color remained. Impressive for a gloss. I will say that I really like to layer this on – up to three layers – because I like the way this gloss looks and feels, so maybe that helps the color last at least a couple hours for me (even after lunch).

Plumped Plum looks warmer in the tube than it fares on me – on me it looks like more of a bright, cool pink. Cool pinks tend to look better on me than warm pinks, so I was impressed that this worked with my undertone so well.

Good thing hot pink is trendy this season so that I won’t feel awkward wearing Plumped Plum before Spring, because that shade is my favorite of the four.

Some natural light swatches for you on dark and fair skin:

These retail for $9.99 at drugstores, mass retailers, and at drugstore.com.

Skinn Cosmetics Sweet & Smooth Sugar and Shea Butter Body Polish fits both my criteria. It is the most perfectly blended sugar scrub I’ve ever used; actually, when I dipped my fingers into the jar to scoop out a bit of the product I was confused by how buttery the consistency was. “Where’s the scrub?” I wondered.

However, when I smoothed on the body polish, I could feel the sugar scrub doing its bit as well. It was love at first scrub.

The ingredients include cane sugar, shea , mango, and cocoa butters, and avocado, sweet almond and various fruit seed oils for a sweet-smelling, super-moisturizing exfoliating experience.

A little certainly goes a long way, so at $18.50 for a 4oz jar, Skinn Sweet & Smooth Body Polish is more than worth your pretty penny.

Also, I sometimes shower at night then again in the morning, so using a double-duty body wash for both cleansings can be a little stripping on the skin. This is especially true now that the weather is dry and chilly. I’ve found a little multi-tasking shower gem that is perfect for a gentle cleansing and moisturizes skin to boot. It easily eliminates the need to slather on body lotion before bundling up to head out into the cold – a plus for a rushed Monday morning.

H2O Plus Sea Pure Cleansing Body Oil ($22) lightly foams rather than working up a lather and contains shea butter and pure sunflower seed oil to aid moisture retention after cleansing. It has a light, pretty lavender smell. Of course lavender is calming, so the scent of this cleansing oil won’t wake you up per se – that’s what coffee’s for. But, its rich moisturizing benefit may get you out the door a little quicker by eliminating the need to apply body lotion.