Welcome to the Cosmetic Report^™ newsletter. It's our goal to bring you unbiased information about cosmetic products and trends so you can make educated buying decisions. If you've been searching for straightforward beauty information and advice, you've found it here. The Cosmetic Connection Panel of reviewers are consumers just like you who face the same issues and challenges, and look to the beauty industry to help solve them.

Kristen is 28 years old and from a Texas town just east of Houston. Kristen frequently makes trips to Houston for cosmetics and skincare and the people at the Laura Mercier counter and the Sephora store know her by name. She has combination skin that is exacerbated in the summer (due to the extreme humidity in Texas) and normal to dry in the winter. She is acne prone with redness around the nose and chin and a handful of red acne scars, which she is always looking for something to even those out. Kristen has large, almond-shaped blue/green eyes that she considers to be her best feature.

Dermalogica
This is an introduction to this line for me. I received a travel pack filled with some unassuming, but impressive goodies. I was quite surprised. There are several kits from which to choose and I got my hands on the Spa Body Therapy Kit. Life can be hectic with work and everyday stress and it was very nice to get a hold of a spa pack designed to relax me - and trust me when I tell you I need a whole lot of that! In the pack are the conditioning Body Wash, Hydro-Active Mineral Salts, Body Hydrating Cream, Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment, and Shine Therapy Shampoo and Silk Finish Conditioner. The products are infused with calming buzzwords like Eucalyptus, Tea Tree, Lemon and Rosemary oils, just to name a few, which give the products that nice relaxing scent.

I first started out with the pouring the salts in my running bath water. Now, I've never been a fan of bath salts, but I really like these. They absorb into your water easily and can also be doubled as an exfoliant for your body when used straight from the package. With its Sea Salts, Kelp and essential oils, it's not oily or greasy at all like I've experienced with salts in the past and the smell is very relaxing. I found it serves a better use when used as an addition to your bath instead of as an exfoliator. Next I washed with the Conditioning Body Wash. It's a nice basic wash that does the job, but it's the smell I love, which is like salts. Out of the bath, I used the Body Hydrating Cream which is a nice moisturizer that provides softness and smoothness to my body. The Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment is a hand cream that melts right into my hands and softens them up, including the dryness I get around my cuticles. I cannot speak for its brittle nail strengthening properties as I wear acrylics, but I do like it as a hand cream and the SPF 15 protects the delicate skin. My favorite products of the bunch are the Shine Therapy Shampoo and Silk Finish Conditioner. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a whole lot out of these two since the Dermalogica line is geared towards skincare. But what I got was silky smooth hair. The shampoo made my hair soft and silky, so I couldn't wait for what the conditioner would do. My hair was free of tangles, soft and styled with ease. I received samples which were one use, so I will definitely have to get the full sizes of each.

You can see Dermalogica's products at dermalogica.com.

Body and Soul Gigi Vanity Case
This is the first time I've tried anything from Body and Soul and I was quite impressed with this palette of highlighters/cheek colors and eyeshadows. Encased in a black, vintage-inspired palette with Body and Soul's signature design of the "classic glamour woman" lies some pretty nice products. Whatever your preference is regarding the colors you wear, there's bound to be something in this case you'll like. If you like dark and smoky, or if you like neutral shades, this palette has what you need. The color selection goes from day to night. There are six eyeshadows and three Cream/Rouge colors that can be used for lips, cheeks or as highlighters. The six eye shadows are Icon (beige), Cashmere (taupe with shimmer), Flair (smoky bluish-gray with shimmer), Define (dark denim blue with shimmer), Leather (shimmery brown), and Style (black without shimmer). The Cream Rouge/Lipsticks are from left to right in the palette and they are Crystal (a frosty beige shade), Leisure (pink with a golden sheen) and Nostalgia (a plummy wine shade). The eyeshadows are powdery light, go on easily and have enough lasting power to make it through the workday. The shadows can also be used wet to apply as a liner and I like to line with Style (black) and Denim (dark blue). I also like to line in black, then apply Style to my lids, then blend in the crease with either Icon or Leather. I also like to line with Denim, and then wear Flair on the lid, blending easy into the crease. Cashmere is a great inner-eye color to brighten your whole face or you can use it on the lid for a nice, easy daytime look.

The Cream Rouge/Lipsticks are wonderful with their slippery texture which makes application easy. Crystal is great as a highlighter for the brow or inner eyes and cheeks. I didn't care for it on my lips, though. Leisure is my favorite shade because it just goes with everything. It's pretty on the lips, but I like it much better as a cheek shade. Nostalgia is not as scary and dark as it looks. Like the other two colors, it's very sheer and you can apply it sparingly for a barely-there flush or layer it for more color. I found that I like these better as cheek colors instead of lip shades, but not because of the colors, but the texture on the lips. It's soft, but not very moisturizing and I just don't like the feeling of my lips when it's on there.

This is a really nice palette and I am so glad I got my hands on it. I certainly want to try out some other things they have. You can see Body and Soul at Sephora.com or bodyandsoul.com. Happy Shopping!

Estee Lauder Pure Pops
These lip colors are pretty nice and I like the application. They come in tubes with brush applicator that gets filled with the product when you squeeze the tube. It also comes with a cap over the brush applicator to keep it safe and sanitary. I received Berry Twist, Melloyello, and Watermelon. Berry Twist is the darkest of the three and is a berry shade, as the name says. Melloyello looks yellow with glitter sparkles in it. Don't freak out like I did - it doesn't go on yellow at all, rather a nice gleam with subtle sparkles in it. I really like it to wear alone or over a matte lipstick. Watermelon is a beautiful shade of - you guessed it - watermelon. These products have no smell and the texture can be a bit thick if you get too squeeze-happy with the tubes. Just blot and you'll have a nice color to your lips. They don't have the longest staying power, though, as I was reapplying right before lunch.

You can find Estee Lauder Pure Pops at gloss.com.

Zia Ultimate Day Renewal Cream
This is a nice, lightweight face cream that melted right into my combination skin and didn't leave me with a case of the greasies. It claims to smooth lines, aid tissue repair and improve hydration. I don't really have lines, but I did notice my under-eye area was a bit smoother, but that is as far as the benefit I saw. As far as aiding tissue repair, I really didn't see a noticeable change in my skin. It did leave a soft feeling after application, though. I found it to be useful as a good daily moisturizer.

You can see the large collection of Zia products at zianatural.com or uncommonscents.com.

Avon Anti-Cellulite Slimming Cream
First, before I tell you about this product, I have to come to terms with the fact that I do have a bit of cellulite on the back of my legs, right beneath my behind. Then I have to tell the world I have it, or at least the Cosmetic Connection fan base. I've never really bought into the hype of anti-cellulite creams, so I was skeptical when I got a hold of this one. Although I've had success with the other Avon products I've recently used, I still wasn't sold on this one. Fortunately for me, my skepticism didn't ruin it for me. This cream is pretty nice. With its non-greasy, lightly scented formula, this cream says it will tighten problem areas after four weeks with twice a day use. Well, I didn't exactly find this to be true. I noticed a difference after two weeks. I quit using it to see if I wasn't just seeing what I wanted to see, then I started back up again after two weeks and I noticed a difference again. I will say that constant use doesn't completely get rid every trace of the small dimples I do have, it sure does look a bit smoother. And with the price of a mere $16.00, it's a fraction of what other anti-cellulite creams are going for, and I think product is worth it.

You can find Avon Anti-Cellulite Slimming Cream at Avon.com. If you shop this month, you can take advantage of a new Coupon Code LSGIFT when you check out to get 10% off any $50 order, Free Shipping and Beauty Gift Set! The offer is just through the month of November.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report!