Looking for something new for your hair, or maybe a new skin care routine for summer? This week's reviews may help point you in the right direction. Coming up next week I'm planning an entire issue devoted to facial scrubs and exfoliating treatments, specifically the new pineapple scrub from BeneFit, the multi-enzyme skin resurfacing treatment from DDF, Caudalie's grape seed buffing cream, and drugstore-bargain Desert Essence facial scrub. I've also just gotten in some beautiful new colors from LuLu Beauty, Vincent Longo, and Make Up For Ever. Look for those reviews soon!

Longhairlovers Organic Haircare (longhairlovers.com)
I was recently contacted by Longhairlovers about their unique products designed just for long hair and hair that's growing out. I was curious if these products would work any better for my long hair than "regular" shampoos and conditioners, so I agreed to try some samples. The Organics line is small, with just 5 products; I tried the shampoo, daily conditioner and styling cream.

Milky Waves Organic Nourishing Shampoo ($12.50 for 12oz) is a creamy, rich shampoo that lathers well but still has gentle cleansing agents so it doesn't dry or strip your hair. It also contains milk and rice proteins, and panthenol. My hair tends to tangle when it's wet, but I found this shampoo cut down on that a bit, so it was easier for me to work the conditioner in without losing a lot of hair.

Milky Waves Organic Nourishing Conditioner ($12.50 for 12oz) is a light daily conditioner that adds moisture, manageability and softness without weighing the hair down. It also has milk and rice proteins like the shampoo. Because it's fairly concentrated, I find I can use less and still coat all my hair, unlike some conditioners that are so thin and runny that I have to practically use the whole bottle at once.

Organic Protection Creme ($14 for 4.25oz) is my favorite of the line. It's a styling aid and protectant all in one, so you can use it on wet or dry hair. My favorite way to use it is after blowdrying to smooth flyaways and protect the ends of my hair from drying out or frizzing. It's also perfect for touching up your style at the end of the day if you have an evening activity but don't want to style your hair all over again. One bit of advice: start very small, as a little goes a LONG way; if you use too much, your hair will feel like it's coated in plastic.

Longhairlovers Professional Organics were developed with the help of salon professionals. The products are certified organic in accordance with the California Food Act of 1990, are not tested on animals, and are packaged in recycled containers. For more information and ordering, visit their website at longhairlovers.com.

Sephora Collection Skin Care
Sephora has really made a dent in the beauty market, with stores around the world (but none here in Portland, OR - what's up with that??) and a full service website. You can literally get just about any brand or treatment you could want. Beyond all the amazing brands, Sephora has also gotten smart about marketing their own brand, with their own line of tools, accessories, makeup, and now skin care. Everything is reasonably priced but hip enough to make you feel like you are really treating yourself.

Soothing Eye Makeup Remover ($7.50 for 4.9oz)
This is one of the first eye makeup removers in a long time that didn't sting, redden, or in any way irritate my eyes at all. What a relief for my overly sensitive eyes. It removes all sorts of eye makeup quickly and without oiliness, residue or soapiness. I definitely recommend this.

Makeup Remover Towelettes ($10 for 25)
For quick makeup removal or just refreshing your face during the day or after a workout, premoistened towelettes are the way to go; unfortunately, for anyone with acne-prone skin, I can't recommend these (try Pond's or Basis instead). Almost half of the ingredients have the potential for causing or aggravating acne: isopropyl palmitate, ceteareth-20, cetearyl alcohol, glyceryl stearate. It's too bad, because otherwise they are soft, fairly thick, and large enough to cleanse your whole face. If acne is of no concern to you, try these out and see what you think.

Refreshing Cleansing Lotion ($8.50 for 6.6oz)
For summer, I opted for this cleansing lotion for normal to combination skin rather than the gentle version for dry skin. For cleansing and removing makeup, this lotion is fine, but it did irritate my skin a bit (minor stinging), especially near my eyes, so I would not choose it for myself again.

Refreshing Facial Toner ($8.50 for 6.6oz)
For someone with oily skin this toner might be an acceptable choice, but it was too drying for me, even on the hottest summer days. The second ingredient is alcohol, so although there is skin-soothing allantoin, it's not enough to make this a good choice unless you have really oily skin.

Gentle Facial Toner ($8.50 for 6.6oz)
Skip the "Refreshing" above and head for the "Gentle"! This toner is alcohol-free and has soothers like glycerin, panthenol, and allantoin, so it's refreshing without being drying or irritating. I don't use toners very often, but this is a nice one if you like that extra step.

Even though the product prices are incredibly reasonable, if you still want to try before you buy the full sizes, Sephora offers two great travel kits for just $20. Each one comes with Cleansing Lotion, Facial Toner, Soothing Eye Make-Up Remover, Cleansing Water for Face & Eyes and Quick and Gentle Nail Polish Remover in 1.65oz bottles. Visit Sephora.com for details.

In Cosmetic News
Just a few little tidbits this week to keep you up-to-date :)

- Sears has announced it is discontinuing its Circle of Beauty cosmetic line and will be paring down the Skinplicity skin care line to just body products. If you like this brand, stock up now.

- Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale starts this Friday, so keep an eye out for special gift with purchase offers, plus some great travel makeup and brush sets from MAC. I hear there are two amazing color palettes and a travel brush set that are worth checking out.