This week I am pleased to feature our Panelist Lisa and her take on some thumbs-up and thumbs-down products for this year. Here's a little more about Lisa:

Lisa is a 28 year old from Columbus, OH. She has very fair skin that tends to be "combination," with unexpected rages of sensitivity. Lisa's heritage is rather mixed - mostly Hungarian, with some Scottish and French mixed in with a dash of Native American. Her very fair skin tans like nobody's business and produces a myriad of freckles, so she has to be careful and wear plenty of sunscreen. She has green eyes with lots of gold, and red hair (not naturally, though - she's been coloring it every shade of red imaginable since she was 15). Lisa's main beauty concerns are puffy, sensitive eyes (which she remedies with Creme de La Mer applied at night) and blackheads on her nose. The best thing she's found so far for the blackheads is "Queen Helene" Mint Julep mask - it works great and has that fun retro packaging (and it's available for mere dollars at drugstores and beauty supply stores nationwide) - and the AHA mask from Tipton Charles (from indulge.com).

And now on to Lisa's report!

Greetings fellow cosmetic junkies! Hope your new year is off to a rousing start. I thought this would be a good time to share some new "beauty musts" I've found for 2001, as well as few products that I feel just "aren't up to snuff."

I received a bottle of Joey NY's new-ish product called Line Up about 3 weeks ago. I'd heard all the hype about it, but frankly, I thought that their tagline "Botox in a Bottle" might have been a wee bit of an overstatement. However, I'm still pretty young, and my problem areas are minimal - just some lines and puffiness around the eyes, which can be exacerbated by my allergies, and a few forehead wrinkles. So, I thought I'd give it a try and see how it worked for me.

I must admit that this is a pretty incredible product. Line Up is a gel-like serum that contains essential oils and other goodies you apply to areas on your face which show some lines and slack. It is meant to be used "when you need it" (you don't use it as a treatment at bedtime, but when you're going to be out and about - think of it as "makeup helper"). You need a VERY tiny amount of the product (you'll know if you use too much because instead of drying clear, it turns white), and it requires a little practice to apply, but the results are wonderful. I use smaller than a pea-sized dab for both eyes, slightly more if my forehead needs help. Lines will flatten out, and everything looks firm and healthy all day. Think of it as support hosiery for your skin! At $40 for an ounce, this is an affordable, practical item for your arsenal.

Line Up is available at ibeauty.com, or wherever Joey NY products are sold.

I also tried Urban Decay's Urban Defense Skincare line, which I picked up from Sephora.com (amazing, because they seem to be out of stock on this, and a LOT of items, constantly!). UD sells a great little starter pack, in both normal to dry and normal to oily formulas, which includes travel sizes of their Zen Clenser + Toner, Detox Cocktail treatment, and Guardian Angel lotion with SPF 15, all for $25. I choose the Normal to Dry combo, as my skin's oil production dwindles to almost nothing in the Arctic Tundra of Ohio (although the only difference between the Normal to Dry and Normal to Oily Combos is the moisturizer - the other two products are the same in either formulation). I also picked up a full-sized bottle of their Magic Mud Scrub + Mask, which is a 3.4 ounce bottle for $16.

I started by cleansing with the Zen Cleanser + Toner. Zen is a really nice gel formula that lathers slightly, and is non-drying and suitable for all skin types. It contains all sorts of lovelies: rosemary, aloe vera, and vitamins, just to name a few. I found it removed all my makeup easily (and it didn't sting my eyes) and left my face feeling fresh and soft, not dry or tight. I also love the exhilarating smell! A great product if you're looking for a new cleanser to try.

I followed with their Detox Cocktail, which is unlike anything I've ever tried. It's a liquid-lotion formula that you swab over your face after cleansing, much like you would a toner, but it doesn't strip skin, nor does it moisturize all that much. Detox Cocktail is basically a gentle formula with antioxidants, vitamins, and essential oils meant to calm your skin and combat environmental factors like pollution and free radicals. It also gently mattifies skin. All in all, it's a pretty neat formula that does help your skin look fresh, and add a nice glow, but I initially had a hard time rectifying an annoying problem; have you ever tried to spread lotion across your face with a cotton pad? It t'aint easy! I found that the cotton kept leaving little "fuzzies" on my complexion. The way around this? Use cotton pads that are tightly woven, as opposed to cotton balls.

I then followed up with their Guardian Angel SPF 15 Moisturizer. This is a super, lightweight day formula that moisturizes with a demi-matte finish. I like it because it doesn't look too dry or too dewy - it is a nice balance of both. Like the other UD products, it has a wealth of essential oils, extracts and vitamins. I had no break out problems with this formula, and must say that it is definitely something I'd purchase again! If you need a heavier moisturizer, this formula isn't for you, but I think makes an especially nice canvas for makeup!

Lastly, because I love to exfoliate, I had to try the Magic Mud Pore Clearing 2-in-1 Mask and Scrub. It's both a mud mask that can be left on for up to 10 minutes and a scrub you can use as you would any exfoliant. The ingredient list is impressive; clarifying Bentonite clay, 10,000 year-old Russian silt, Seaweed Extracts, Lactic Acid, Vitamin C, and touches of Tea Tree and Peppermint Oils, just to name a few. It also contains gentle, spherical microbeads, which won't exacerbate acne by scratching or tearing pores. I've used this product both ways, and it does a great job of vaccuming pores, and firming and refining my skin without being overly drying. Another great product from Urban Decay!

Urban decay products are available from Urbandecay.com, as well as Sephora.com.

I also recently tried The Gobi Stick Deodorant from BlissLabs. I admit I've had mixed luck with their products. Some items, like the Lemon and Sage Body butter, The "Scrub" cleansing gel, and Lemon and Sage soapy Sap are perennial favorites, while others, like their Moisture and Sunblock Sticks, I can do without. I'm sorry to say that the Gobi Stick falls under the "do without" category for a number of reasons. First off is the idiotic packaging; instead of a normal dial you turn to advance the product, you push up the bottom with your thumb. At first, it wouldn't budge! Upon pushing my heart out, it finally did only to become so loose that the thing shot up 2 inches every time I touched it. Grrrrrr! It also promised to work all day, without irritating my skin or leaving white streaks on clothing. Well, I thought the formula was mediocre at best - it didn't make it through a work day, let alone a Tae Kwon Do workout. It also DID leaves streaks on my clothing, no matter how little I applied, or how carefully I put on my clothes. While the Lemon and Sage Scent is luscious, that's about all that can be said for it! Did I mention the stuff costs $12? I'm sorry, but that is just far too much to pay for ANY deodorant! My favorite deodorant is Liquid Rock by Kiss My Face (about $3.50). It performs amazingly, all without stinging or leaving streaks on my black sweaters.

Bliss products are available from ibeauty.com, or through the Bliss Out Catalogue.