Valentine's Day is right around the corner, so I've been on the lookout for products that suit the occasion. As usual we have winner and losers.

You can find online shopping locations (where applicable) at the end of each review. I've tried to list all the locations where the products are available.

Astara Green Papaya enzyme mask ($34 for 2.2 ounce jar)
This is the newest addition to the Astara collection of facial masks, a collection that I think has some of the best masks on the market. The Blue Flame and Violet Flame are chock full of potent botanical extracts and plant oils, and the new Green Papaya is no different. These masks are not for the faint of skin, so sensitive readers, beware. The Green Papaya mask is a bit gentler than the others, but it still has clay to draw out excess oil and help clear up any blemishes, and plant extracts like chamomile, linden, comfrey, and calendula that you can definitely feel working on your skin. I am surprised that I actually like the Blue Flame and Violet Flame masks better than this one, simply because they feel more active on my face.

You can find Astara at astaraskincare.com and Sephora.com.

Renee Rouleau Honey Tangerine Body Scrub ($29.50 for 8 ounce jar)
For a quick spa experience at home, this sea salt and essential oil scrub is a nice change from plain soap and water. The gritty texture reminds me of Origins Salt Rub, but the tangerine oil and honey in this scrub are more emollient and leave an oilier film on your skin that for dry skin is nice, but does take some getting used to. The package recommends using it as the last step in the shower, but I find that I don't feel clean, and I certainly did not want to get the oils all over a bath towel. I would either drip dry or use it first before a regular cleanser. The scrub itself does a great job of getting rid of dry, flaky skin, and the honey and citrus oils smell heavenly. I'm not sure I would get it again, but I do plan to enjoy the jar that I have.

You can find Honey Tangerine Body Scrub at ReneeRouleau.com.

Dermalogica MultiVitamin Power Recovery Masque
(review by Connie of the Cosmetic Connection Product Panel)
This masque has everything in it but the kitchen sink. Here is how Dermalogica describes this product: "A powerful anti-inflammatory masque of concentrated vitamins and botanical extracts to calm environmentally stressed skin. Firming Vitamin A increases elasticity and moisture content, antioxidant Vitamin C aids in collagen synthesis, restoring suppleness, Vitamin E and Provitamin B5 promote healthy tissue regeneration, while anti-inflammatory botanical extracts of Licorice, Comfrey and Burdock soothe the skin."

Well, with all that I was expecting a lot. The product comes in a silver tube with a twist off cap. It is a thin, runny cream-like gel in an off-white color. When I applied the product to my face it was as if I was putting face cream on that did not absorb, but instead left a gel over your face. Unlike most masques that I have used, this did not dry or get hard. Instead it just laid on the surface of the skin supposedly using its magic to correct my environmentally stressed skin. It was a bit tingly on the face, but did not sting. It left a cool feeling immediately after applying the product which felt nice. After about 10 minutes, my face it started to feel a bit greasy. It was extremely hard to rinse off and I had to use face soap to remove the product. The morning after, my face was extremely oily, more so than usual. It did not look less puffy anywhere on my face (there goes the anti-inflammatory), nor did my skin ever appear to be more toned and tight. Within a couple of days after use I had some blemishes.

If you have normal to oily skin, this might not be the masque for you. However, if you have extremely dry skin this may be just what you have been looking for as a nice moisturizing masque that does not sting or dry out your face.