Next week I'll have part two of my online shopping guide, so until then here are a few new reviews. Also in the coming weeks I'll have reviews of all the things I've purchased online for the shopping guides. Enjoy!

BlissLabs Spa-Strength SkinCare
Bliss has been quickly adding products to their extensive bath and body collection, but I always wondered when they would get into skin care. I'm glad the wait is over! Bliss has finally bottled their spa facial experience for those of us not lucky enough to live in New York City. The collection has three products - Cleansing Milk ($23), Finishing Rinse ($18), and Moisture Lotion ($36) - and your choice of four formulas: Low Fat (oily) with grapefruit extract, Middleweight (normal) with orange extract, Fully Loaded (dry) with peach extract and Quiet Type (sensitive) with apple extract.

I chose Quiet Type because although I am also dry, I wanted to see what the products would do for my somewhat reactive skin. The Cleansing Milk is fantastic and a very close second to my other favorite winter cleanser, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil. It is light and fluid, spreads beautifully on dry or slightly damp skin, dissolves makeup in a snap, and rinses easily away. The apple scent is subtle and somehow soothing.

Following cleansing is the Finishing Rinse, which is alcohol-free and has apple extract, linseed extract, black currant seed oil, apricot kernel oil, safflower seed oil, and macadamia seed oil. It is very gentle and soothing, even around the eye area; some nights when my eyes feel particularly tired I like to place cotton pads soaked in the Quiet Type Finishing Rinse on my lids for a few seconds.

Before the toner is completely dry, I like to seal in the moisture with the final product, Moisture Lotion. All four formulas are sunscreen-free, so either use them at night or layer them with your favorite sunscreen for daytime use. It takes about 6 pumps of lotion to get enough for the "generous layer" the label indicates, but sometimes I like to use a bit more and let it soak in (probably because I have dry skin). It's deceptively lightweight but still does the job - my skin feels supple and moist, and I haven't had to layer on multiple creams at night like I usually do in colder weather. Depending on the climate here in Portland this winter, I may also get the Fully Loaded formula for dry skin just to be on the safe side. I'd hate to get a bad case of tight and flaky skin :)

For all skin types, there is multi-purpose All Around Eye Cream ($26). I've been using it morning and night for general moisturizing under my eyes and around the outside corners (to plump up those fine lines), as well as for puffiness in the morning. It does a pretty good job and hasn't irritated my sensitive eyes.

You can find these great new BlissLabs products at Sephora.com and Blissworld.com. If you choose to shop with Bliss direct, you can purchase a Starter Set, complete with full-sized Cleansing Milk, Finishing Rinse, and Moisture Lotion, and get a free full-sized All-Around Eye Cream (through December 2001 or while supplies last).

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics
Considering that one of the biggest problems with foundation used to be just finding a decent color, I am amazed at how far the industry has come in offering so many choices now. I love the trend in disappearing foundation - the kind that covers everything perfectly but lets your skin still look like skin. Luminous Silk Foundation ($42) is just that kind of makeup. It has a very light, almost watery feel, but when it meets the skin it's like pure pigment, melting in and covering without looking like a mask. The finish is somewhere between velvety and dewy. LSF comes in 14 shades; I sampled 2 (neutral light ivory), 3 (peaches and cream light ivory), 4 (neutral medium ivory), and 5 (cool buff) and found 4 to be the best match for me. I love this makeup and have been switching off between this and my other new favorite, Linda Cantello Forget Foundation (reviewed on November 12th). I like to apply LSF by pouring some into my palm, rubbing my hands together and working it into my skin like a moisturizer. I find it goes on evenly this way, and you can use your fingers to blend and smooth for a perfect finish. I will definitely purchase a full size of Luminous Silk.

To complement my newly "flawless" complexion, I also tried Fluid Sheers ($42 each) in 1 (sheer gold), 2 (sheer petal), 3 (sheer bronze), and 4 (sheer berry). These highlighting liquids can be used on eyes and cheeks to add a touch of color or shimmer. I liked 4 the best because the its sheer berry tint makes a great blush. The fluid consistency isn't as convenient as a gel or cream blush stick, but it gives such a nice glow, I don't mind a little extra work :)

For eyes, I tried one shade of eyeshadow ($22) in 12. The pale shimmery pink is a great everyday color when you want to feel polished but not overly made-up. As long as I let my eye cream soak in completely, I had minimal creasing and no fading by 5pm.

Giorgio Armani Cosmetics are available at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York (212-940-2962; ask for Jeanette) and San Francisco, and the Giorgio Armani Boutique in New York and Las Vegas. You can also see them online at giorgioarmani.com, but I suggest you talk to someone at a counter rather than depending on the accuracy of the color swatches online. Comparing the products I have with the online swatches, I can definitely see a difference.