This week I am pleased to bring you some reviews from Alchemy, the cosmetic line from NYC pharmacy Bigelow Chemists. If it's sheer color and light formulas you favor, this line is worth a look. I'm also featuring a few reviews of Stephen Knoll hair care products at the end of this issue. Enjoy!

Alchemy Pressed Powder ($26)
Unlike most pressed powders that come in a mirrored compact, this one has a screwtop lid and powder puff housed inside. I like the unique design, and the powder's not bad either - except for the color I got. "Diffusion" seems like the lightest shade, but it's too sparkly to use every day. The texture is nice and light, but I would definitely choose a different color next time. Alchemy pressed powder comes in 3 colors: "diffusion", 25, and 33.

Alchemy Eye Shadow ($15)
The two colors I tried are such different shades, it's hard to review this as one product. Ginkgo, a soft taupe gray, is a great all over color that goes on smoothly and lasts all day without creasing or fading. I can definitely see wearing this as an everyday shadow. Juniper, on the other hand, is a vibrant magenta that still has a sheer quality to it, but it's more of an accent color for light to medium skin tones, and a crease shade for darker skin tones. If you like color, this is a bright one! Other colors include Shittake, Celery, Lavender, Iceland Moss, and Catnip.

Alchemy Sheer Lipstick ($16.50)
This is a light sheer lipstick that's nice for subtle color that looks like a stain but feels like lipbalm. I tried "juniper" (light grape purple), "henna" (light red brown), and "rhubarb" (light fuschia pink) and didn't really have a favorite. These are okay but didn't wow me enough to want to wear it every day.

Alchemy Refreshing Lip Gloss ($15)
The packaging of this gloss is practically identical to Bobbi Brown and Revlon Professional (small, squarish, clear tube so you can see the color inside), except it has a sponge applicator rather than a brush. I actually prefer the sponge because it's easily to apply and doesn't get squashed in the tube like a brush can. The color I have, "heartsense," is a very pretty medium fuschia-pink, but it doesn't quite suit my complexion; I have very fair skin with pinkish undertones and some blotchy redness on my cheeks, so this shade of pink makes the redness in my skin really stand out. Not quite the look I am going for! The gloss itself has a fresh minty flavor and feels slightly tingly on the lips.

Alchemy Lip Gloss ($15)
This gloss comes in a little screwtop pot and is shinier and thicker than the Refreshing Gloss. It comes in shimmery, gold, and silver shades that are designed to layer over regular lipstick. If you like to mix your own colors or add sparkle to your regular lipstick, this might be a fun product. For me, it's just makeup drawer clutter.

Alchemy Medic Blemish Treatment Concealer ($15)
This lightly medicated concealer is designed to heal blemishes using salicylic acid while it covers. I couldn't really say that it had enough medicine it in to do very much, but it is a decent concealer that doesn't cake or turn orange when layered over a pimple. Medic comes in 4 colors (from lightest to darkest): 33, 38, 41, 74.

For more information on Alchemy or other products sold by Bigelow Chemists, call 1-800-793-5433 for a catalog, or stop by the pharmacy if you're in New York City - Bigelow is located on Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) between 8th and 9th Streets in Greenwich Village.

Besides Bigelow, Alchemy is available at Sephora stores in San Francisco, Southcoast Plaza in Los Angeles; South Beach, Miami; Virginia and soon in Las Vegas, Nev. and Rockefeller Center in New York City. Alchemy products also will be available in the UK in March and in Japan in May.

Since cutting my hair relatively short while I was pregnant, I had stopped reviewing hair care products because basically anything worked on my no-frills style. Well, after months of brooding over my hormonally-darkened hair, I finally took the plunge and got highlights! I am so glad I did it, and my husband even asked, "Are you going to go lighter next time?" I'm now back to some semblance of my original blonde (rather than that "dirty dishwater" color), but the coloring process made me more aware of what I was putting on my hair. Thankfully I discovered a line of hair care products recently that work great on my newly color-treated hair.

Stephen Knoll is apparently a well-known colorist in New York City, but I've never been there! A close friend got me these products :) and I have been happily using them for the last month or so.

Stephen Knoll Clean Daily Wash for Normal Hair ($14.50 for 8 ounces)
Gentle cleansing agents together with kelp extract, aloe vera gel, panthenol, vitamin E, vitamin A, and a touch of menthol and camphor make this a refreshing and effective shampoo for every day. It is low lathering, so don't expect a mountain of suds or use a whole handful trying to get lots of bubbles - it just won't happen and you'll waste a perfectly good shampoo.

Stephen Knoll Totally Amazing Transforming Spray ($26.50 for 8 ounces)
I love this spray! I was skeptical at first at its lofty "transforming" claims, but it really does make my frizz-prone, difficult to control hair softer and more relaxed. I used to use straighteners and sticky gels on my hair just to get it to stay smooth and straight - now all I use is this and a little Alterna shine cream. It's not a gel or a hairspray, but a blend of plant extracts and essential oils; the chamomile and nettle extracts, panthenol, vitamins E and A, biotin, and lavender, chamomile, and tangerine essential oils must be doing something right!

Stephen Knoll Obedient Sculpting Gel ($13.50 for 6 ounces)
Unlike the aforementioned Transforming Spray, this gel is fairly standard and nothing to write home about. It contains PVP (a hairspray ingredient), dimethicone (to smooth), and chamomile, nettle, quince and kelp extracts. It does give nice control with just a pea sized dab, but it's a bit sticky and stiff for my taste.

Stephen Knoll's salon is located at 625 Madison Ave. in New York City (phone 212-421-0100). You'll find these products as well as some rather expensive hair services (like $225 highlights!). You can also buy online from Drugstore.com.

Online Shopping Feature Updated
Be sure to visit Cosmetic Connection for the latest update to our Online Shopping Feature. I've added a review of Bellisima and the Aesop products I got there. You won't want to miss this!

CosmeticConnection.com Product Review Spotlight
Check out this week's new reviews on Cosmetic Connection, L'Oreal Turning Point Instant Facial and Christian Dior Diorlight foundation. You'll find them in the new Spotlight section on the Product Reviews page.