One of the fun and interesting things about this job is the opportunity I and my team of reviewers have to let you know about brands and products that maybe you haven't heard of before. Circle of Friends is one of those brands. Unless you have kids, you may not have seen this unique line of hair care for kids that teaches them about about culture and the people of the world while it helps with great looking hair. Our Panelist Kristen had the privilege recently of trying Circle of Friends at her house, and here is her review.

I recently had the opportunity to try out some new products. Instead of trying out the latest glitter product or phenomenal hair conditioner for myself, I switched gears and asked my 8-year old daughter, Taylor, to help me out. Circle of Friends is a professional line specifically targeted for the mini-you in your life. What I find to be really nice about the products is that on all of the bottles, a child of the world is featured on the back and has a "letter" written to the readers, giving us information about his/her country. So, your child can learn a bit about the world and pamper themselves at the same time.

First, to tell you about my little one, Taylor. Unlike me, she has long straight hair all the way down her back. It's thick and soft. She used to have the curly mop I currently have, but when she was 4, the curls fell out and went straight. She does have some wave around her facial hairline, but it only shows up when it's damp. She is prone to tangles and after a day of playing and swimming, her hair needs some help in the conditioning department.

Circle of Friends has several shampoos to try, depending on the needs of your child's hair, which I find to be really cool. In past years, products for children didn't target their specific needs. There is the Regular, for children with normal hair, Conditioning for some help in the moisture department, and Clarifying for special needs, such as after swimming or oily hair. Taylor used the Ana Banana Conditioning Shampoo ($9 for 12.5oz) from the "Conditioning" set. While her hair is not frizzy, damage, or coarse-textured, I like to use moisturizing shampoos on her to keep her hair soft and make my life easier when it is time for brushing. Infused with banana scent, this yellow shampoo really gets the grime out of her hair. She's an active child, so she needs all the help she can get to get her hair clean. We followed shampooing with Chehn Dragon Dance rinse-out conditioner ($10 for 12.5oz), which is specifically for long and thick hair. This conditioner is also yellow in color, nice and thick and works great. I generally have problems with the ends of Taylor's hair, but not so with this stuff. When it rinses out, her hair is super soft. I'd definitely purchase the shampoo and conditioner again. They smell so wonderful and look pretty in the bathroom. Oh, did I mention how well they work?

After we washed her hair, it was time for brushing. This is the part Taylor doesn't like (which child does?). Abedi Safari Detangler ($10 for 12.5oz) to the rescue! In pump-spray form, this leave-in conditioner works fabulously to get rid of any tangles. Sometimes, no matter how well a conditioner works, it doesn't work very well if your child doesn't spread it around. Taylor is guilty of that, so it leaves a mess come brushing time. I liberally sprayed this detangler in her hair and it was like spraying softness in a bottle on it. Her strands went soft and brushing was effortless. One day, after swimming at the pool all day, she came in to wash her hair and didn't do it very well. Her hair was still "nappy-looking" after having washed it. I sprayed this stuff in her hair and got all the tangles out. She was so happy that I didn't hurt her head, she actually said she wanted to kiss the person who made this stuff. She settled for kissing the bottle instead.

Circle of Friends also has body products and styling products. We tried Erik Aurora Borealis ($12 for 8oz) medium hold styling gel. It's a blue gel. I don't put gel in Taylor's hair as she really doesn't need it. I put this in Taylor's hair and dried it upside down. Since she does still have some wave to her hair, I wanted to see what this stuff would do because Taylor normally wears her hair straight and smooth. After drying, she had tousled locks and it held very well and wasn't sticky. I liked to use this gel along her hairline where her hair can get curly so it will stay settled because the rest of her hair is straight. We also used Valerie Vanilla Freeze ($9 for 8oz), a soft hold vanilla scented hairspray in a pump bottle. I am not sure if I've ever seen a hairspray for children, by the way. I liked this stuff a lot. It's not sticky or flaky. I actually used it myself for a few days because I ran out of hairspray and I liked it. Taylor and I loved the smell.

Leilani Halakahiki ($9 for 12.5oz) is a body cream designed for after-sun play or for dry skin. I think this is one of my favorite products. Also in pump form, this yellow cream is nice and thick and smells like pineapples (not so much so that you can't put it on and go somewhere - it's not that obvious). Since Taylor and I love the pool and the beach, this is a wonderful product to condition our skin. This will also last a while because a little goes a long way. Mom's Little Helper ($11 for 8oz) is a cream that can be used for hands or feet. It's nice. I actually like it better than the hand lotion I normally use. Oh wait, I keep forgetting this isn't for me, but I like it and will get this again - for me! Taylor can borrow it :) . The last product that I tried from Circle of Friends is the Marina Buenas Noches Bubble Bath ($9 for 12.5oz). I was quite impressed with this product and not for the bubbles it produces. My daughter has always been sensitive to bubble baths. Every one we've ever tried, with the exception of baby products like Johnson's or Baby Magic, has caused her some irritation and chafing. So, needless to say, we've never bought her any form of bubble bath or shower gel that wasn't made for the sensitive skin of babies. I was expecting this product to irritate her because it is scented. To my surprise, it didn't. Not one bit. Now, Taylor can enjoy bubble baths. She usually takes a shower, but now all she wants to do is take baths so she can play with the bubbles. I guess I don't have to say that I'd buy this again.

You can check out the Circle of Friends website at circle-of-friends.com. While their prices are slightly higher than drugstore products for children, they last a whole lot longer. Good luck!

Thanks, Kristen. I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!