I am pleased to have a very special guest on Cosmetic Connection this month - Andrea Pomerantz Lustig, Editor-in-Chief of Sephora.com Beauty Cyber-Space magazine. She shares with us some amazing looks for Valentine's Day with easy-to-follow how-to instructions so you can duplicate the looks for yourself. See her Romance, Seduction and Sensuality looks in this month's Feature.

This week we have a mixed bag of reviews from our hard-working Cosmetic Connection Panelists. Enjoy!

Hair Care reviews from Lisa
(learn more about Lisa here)

During the cold, dry winters here in the Midwest, my hair gets quite dry. Since I get my hair colored and cut every 6 weeks (at the exceptional Stephen Colatruglio salon, which was visited by Dolores O'Riordan of the Cranberries before her performance), I don't really have a problem with split ends, but I do need gentle products that will keep my red tresses hydrated, smooth, and shiny. I have found three products which stand out for accomplishing this task well.

Stephen Knoll "Healthy" Intensive Conditioner (6oz for about $30)
Created by the famous color guru, this conditioner is meant to be used once a month (or more/less as needed) for lasting results. And last they do! You leave this treatment on anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the level of conditioning you need, and how much time you have to relax. I leave it on for about an hour and a half while I'm mucking about my apartment, and the end results are great. Hair becomes shiny, smooth, and full of volume. While it seems expensive, this product is so effective and concentrated that the 6 ounce bottle will last a long time. I use it once every 4-6 weeks with great success.

You can find Stephen Knoll products at drugstore.com and ibeauty.com.

Komenuka Bijin Shampoo (350 ml for $33)
The name Komenuka Bijin in Japanese means "rice bran beautiful person". I have been hearing buzz about this line in all the fashion mags for over a year, so I was excited to see how they would work for me. This shampoo is a wonderfully concentrated formula that makes your hair shine with a capital "S." Its luxurious, lightly-scented lather shampoos in moisture and body without stripping color. I know the price will cause a bit of "sticker shock," but this formula is so rich, and you need so little, that the initial investment pays off.

Komenuka Bijin Hair Conditioning Treatment (200 g for $33)
This conditioner is sooooo rich and moisturizing, your hair will literally drink it in! When paired with the shampoo, your hair will thank you with amazing shine, volume, and very few "fly-aways." It's also nice that you only have to leave it on for a few minutes, (only 3-5 will do the job!), considering that I almost never have time to dawdle in the morning. I even applaud the easy to grip tube. All you need is a small strip of product (3/4" to 1", depending on hair length) for great results. Sure, it isn't the cheapest thing, but I guarantee you are worth every penny :).

You can find Komenuka Bijin products at beautyhabit.com and Sephora.com.

Heavy Duty reviews from Nava
(learn more about Nava here)

TurboScrub body scrub ($20 for 10.5 ounces)
Now that winter has arrived (after a four year hiatus here on the East coast), my skin couldn't be any drier or flakier. It's been quite a challenge lately to keep the skin on my body moist and comfortable. Oddly enough, my face has followed suit by being especially dehydrated. But, that's another story altogether.

Heather was nice enough to send me some of Heavy Duty's Turbo Body Scrub. It, along with their Hand Cream, has been a godsend during this long anticipated deep freeze.

It is clearly printed on the label that Turbo Body Scrub is "Industrial Strength." Believe me, in this case the label is not lying. Along with pumice, this product contains walnut and apricot shells - after water, they are the first three ingredients. In addition to these powerful exfoliators, kiwi extract and aloe vera gel are included to soothe dry skin. Essential oils of orange and peppermint provide a much needed wakeup call on these dreary winter mornings. After using it in the shower, Turbo Body Scrub left me feeling soft and scale-free. For best results, follow up with your favorite body moisturizer.

HandGear hand cream ($15 for a 3.5 ounce tube)
If dry, cracked hands are a problem for you, give Heavy Duty Hand Cream a try as well. Its rich, greaseless formula sinks in quickly and provides needed moisture to vulnerable hands. Since I pay so much attention to my face, it would be tantamount to treason to neglect my hands! The 3.5 oz. tube is very portable and you only need the tiniest bit. I used to think nothing could sway me from my beloved Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream, but Heavy Duty is a great alternative.

You can find the complete line of Heavy Duty body care products at Beauty Cafe, Sephora.com, Beautydoor.com, or ibeauty.com.

J.F. Lazartigue review from Connie
(learn more about Connie here)

I recently had a chance to try 4 products from the J.F. Lazartigue haircare line. Lazartigue has several lines to choose from, including everyday, dry hair, oily hair, frizzy hair, volumizing, styling, and special treatments. I tried products from the everyday, dry hair, volumizing and styling lines.

Rapid Drying Shampoo ($17 for 5 oz.)
Yes, you read right - $17 for 5 ounces, but hey, if it dries your hair faster, I'm in... I was so excited to try this product, because my hair is thick and long and takes forever and a day to dry. The product claims to "enable you to cut your drying time by up to 30%" (either naturally or with a hair dryer) depending on length and type of hair. Well, it did not work for me. It took me the same amount of time to dry and sometimes even felt a like a longer amount of time to dry. I did everything - no product in the hair, air dry, towel dry than blow dry, but nothing seemed to speed up the total drying time. This is a nice shampoo, however, and I did like the way my hair looked and felt after using it. Again, it did say drying time depended on the hair type and maybe this kind of shampoo just won't click with my hair.

Hair Volume Tonic ($32 for 3.4 oz.)
This is a leave in product which is supposed to help you style and maintain volume and body to your hair. I did like this product. My hair had lots of life to it and shine after using it. It lifted at my roots a bit and held the curls towards my ends when I used a hair dryer. The drawback is the price. It is a bit steep and I have tried several other products like Paul Mitchell's "Heat" or Matrix's "Volume", for much less money and they held my hair just the same.