Friday came and went, and no newsletter. Many of you swiftly emailed me to make sure everything was okay :) , but not to worry - we are simply moving to Mondays. We hope you enjoy The Cosmetic Report at the beginning of your week now, a little pick-me-up to help you through those Monday blahs.

It's been a busy few weeks here at Cosmetic Connection. I'm testing spring colors, body lotions, "body betterment" creams, and some new fragrances, as well as signing on three new Panelists! I hope to have details and reviews up from them soon.

For the last few months I've been trying (so hard!) to stick to one routine for skin care, and for the most part I've been successful - until these new Urban Defense skin care products from Urban Decay landed in my lap. I decided to make them my new morning routine and stick to my "usual" for nighttime (SCO Purifying Cleanser II, SCO Clarifying Complex (scocare.com) or Komenuka Bijin Essence (Sephora.com) and Protect & Restore Classic Cream (skinbio.com)). I wasn't sure how my skin would react to the change, particularly since it's winter and I'm already slightly dry, but it's doing just fine.

Urban Decay has taken a minimalist approach with their skin care products, a change from the radical green and black nail polishes and fresh-from-the-street images many of us relate to UD. I find the difference appealing and appropriate - who would want to put something called Face Tar or Gutter Goo on their skin? The main premise of the line is defending the skin against damage through anti-oxidants and natural healing ingredients. The collection is small - Zen Cleanse 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner ($16), Detox Cocktail Antioxidant Complex ($16), Guardian Angel Protective Moisture with SPF 15 (in regular or oil-free) ($20) and Magic Mud 2-in-1 Mask and Scrub ($16) - but Urban Decay plans to expand later this year with a half-dozen or so more products.

I've been using Zen Cleanse, Detox Cocktail and Guardian Angel every morning for several weeks and am pleased with the results. The cleanser is a foaming gel with rosemary, peppermint, sage, witch hazel, aloe, green tea and chamomile in a base of gentle cleansing agents. I've been surprised that such a foamy cleanser hasn't dried my skin out, but so far, so good. I follow up immediately with Detox Cocktail, a unique lotion-toner with aloe, oat, algae, chamomile, witch hazel, sage, echinacea, camphor, and lemon extracts, plus vitamins A, C and E. It's designed to fight free radicals and give you a smooth, shine-free base for moisturizer and/or makeup. The directions say to squeeze some on a cotton pad and wipe it on your face, but I've been much happier just dispensing a small amount into my hand and applying it like a regular lotion, right onto my skin. It's very refreshing and a great prep before moisturizer. The final step is Guardian Angel, a lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15 (from Parsol 1789), soy proteins, algae extract, tomato extract and vitamins A and C. You can choose from the original or oil-free version; with my normal-to-dry skin I automatically went for the original. You only need a dab about the size of your fingertip to cover your whole face, and it has a light, cool feeling and a sweet, almost tomato-y aroma. This combined with the Detox Cocktail make a perfect surface for makeup - not too dewy, not too matte.

The once-a-week treat in the line is the Magic Mud. It's both a gentle microbead scrub and a clay-based mask. It has a thick consistency but you only need about an inch or two (it dispenses like a long, thin ribbon from the squeeze tube) for your whole face. Personally I like it best as a scrub in the shower, since my normal-to-dry skin can't tolerate the oil-absorbing action of the clay for too long. I'm sure a more oily skin would appreciate both functions. To me, Magic Mud has a fresh cucumber scent, even though it contains no cucumber... I like this scrub and will continue to use it weekly in the shower.

If you have not yet experienced these new Urban Defense products, I encourage you to visit an Urban Decay counter near you, or check out the products online at urbandecay.com.

I am such a sucker for anything new, so as soon as I spotted Almay's new Wake-Up Call! Energizing Makeup SPF 15 at the drugstore, it was in my basket. I have both good things and bad things to say about this makeup. First, the bad: all the claims of waking up your skin, energizing it with minerals, firming it, and so on are ridiculous and should be ignored. It's foundation, for crying out loud! If you want serious skin care benefits, look to your skin care. Now for the good things: medium coverage, lightweight formula, slightly matte finish, safe for acne prone skin, good range of colors, and sun protection from titanium dioxide and octinoxate. It also comes in a convenient pump dispenser (no mess or contamination from fingers); I like to put it on almost like moisturizer, using just a pump or two, rubbing my hands together and applying it to my whole face. Then I smooth it down with my fingers to make sure it's well blended. Wake-Up Call is good for just about any skintype except very dry, since it has a thin texture and matte finish. If you just ignore the label and consider this a basic foundation, you'll be as happy as I am :)