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.

Lisa is in her early thirties, and hails from from Columbus, OH. She has very fair skin that tends to be "combination," with unexpected rages of sensitivity. Lisa's heritage is rather mixed - mostly Hungarian, with some Scottish and French mixed in with a dash of Native American. Her very fair skin tans like nobody's business, and produces a myriad of freckles, so she always wears plenty of sunscreen (Peter Thomas Roth Ultra-lite spf 30). Lisa has golden-green eyes, and mop-thick brown hair, which she keeps under control with Terax Conditioner. Lisa's main beauty concerns are puffy, sensitive, "circled" eyes, (which she remedies with Creme de La Mer applied at night, and Avon Lighten Up Plus in the daytime) and keeping her sensitive skin calm and clear.

Happy Holidays to you and yours! What a hectic time of year this is - it seems that everyone's life is kicked into overdrive during the autumn and winter holidays. Millions of people around the world celebrate the advent of cold weather with all sorts of different holidays and festivals - while religions and ethnicity differ, many of these celebrations are very similar: sharing gifts, spending time with loved ones, and gatherings galore.

Bath and beauty companies debut some of their most wonderful new items and gift packages during this time of year, which is enough to give any makeup maven an intoxicated flush. With a plethora of items from which to choose, pick your winter celebration of choice, and treat yourself to at least a few of the items below. Think of them as your own, personal "7 days of holiday beauty."

On the first day, get ready for all your numerous parties and gatherings by preparing your hands and feet for their manicure and pedicure with the Manicure line by OPI. Manicure is a system of products to soothe and soften, as well as reduce the sign of aging. The Skin Renewal Scrub ($8.95) is sugar-based, gentle, and contains a host of moisturizers. The Effervescent Soak ($7.95) feels marvelous, brightens nails, and further soothes hands (and feet!) with nutrients and minerals. The Rejuvenating Serum ($23.95) feels so silky, and contains grape seed and licorice extracts to brighten skin, and help lighten any pigmentation or discoloration. The Finishing Butter ($25.95) has SPF 15, to help protect your baby soft hands and feel, and moisturizes without making you feel like a grease slick. I loved these products, and think that they would make an amazing gift as a set.

On the second day, after your nails have had a chance to "breathe," pick a color from OPI's Holiday Harmony or Tuxedo collections. OPI makes some of the toughest nail lacquer ($7.50) around; it resists chips, and maintains a great shine. For this, I am truly grateful. I work retail, and my nails take quite a beating during the holiday mish-mosh.

Holiday Harmony is a collection of six golden shades, ranging from amber to peach to mocha, that celebrate the first holiday season of the Walt Disney Concert Hall, which is the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. While these shades would be gorgeous on medium and darker skintones, most were just way too yellow-orange for my pale complexion. Although I did like the sophisticated "Glitter Bit of Music" topcoat (very fine golden glitter) and Melody in Mocha (a cool, shimmering brown). Far more intriguing was the Tuxedo collection, a line of, quelle surprise, black and white! I love the idea, and found that on short, perfectly groomed nails (no room for hangnails and ragged cuticles with these colors - hands must be in good shape to pull this look off), the shades were modern, and a little bit edgy. I loved "Midnight Blue Glitter" (black with fine sapphire glitter) and Black Satin and Alpine White for a "backwards" french manicure or pedicure. While they might not be the perfect choice for the office, these shades will look amazing at your next kringle mingle.

You can see all these OPI goodies at opi.com.

On the third day, when you notice that absolutely everyone around you has a cough or the sniffles, protect yourself from the Yuletide yuckies with Anti-Bacterial Hand Wipes from Bath and Body Works ($6). These wipes come in a handy, pop-up container, and are scented with fragrances like warm vanilla sugar and lime-coconut verbena, so you'll smell sweet while sanitizing - a wonderful departure from those alcohol-scented horrors of the past. Check these out at bathandbodyworks.com or at a Bath and Body Works shop near you.

On the fourth day, find thyself some mistletoe, a cute boy (or girl, depending on your persuasion), and color your sweet kisser with lipstick from the Vintage holiday 2004 collection from Estee Lauder ($22 per lipstick). The shades are inspired by a 1960's vibe. Vintage Rubies and Vintage Sherry are deep, rich berry/red shades with a subtle hint of sparkle. Vintage Frost (soft, golden champagne) and Iced Blush (soft pinky-rose) serve to gild lips with sheer, nude color. I like Vintage Sherry with a swipe of gold eyeshadow, black mascara, and a hint of powder. A perfect face to go with your little black dress.

On the fifth day, prepare to make eyes at that little cutie from IT at the office holiday party with Pure Color Cool Eye Mousse ($20) from Estee Lauder. Cool Twilight (my favorite) is a lavender-mauve, and Cool Champagne is a, well, a golden champagne. These eye shadows are whisper-light, and feel very nice and cool when applied. The shades do have a fair amount of shimmer, so save them for after hours. I also liked using them as "liner" for a softer, yet slightly-smoky look. If your skin is pale, sometimes black or charcoal liner can make you look like you got a shiner - these lighter colors are a nice alternative.

You can see these Estee Lauder items at esteelauder.com, gloss.com or the Estee Lauder counter in your town.

On the sixth day, work a little bit of LA into your own look, or give it as a gift, with holiday color from Smashbox. I absolutely love their Melrose and Fairfax lip collection ($32.50), a trio of glosses in rose, peach-beige, and pink, neutral lipliner in a black patent case with mirror. All the shades are shiny and smooth - not sticky, and work perfectly to add a little lift to everyday makeup. "Smashing Beachwood" cheekcolor ($24) is a true pink blush, with just a little bit of silver glimmer - very understated, and an excellent color for pale skin that needs a bit of flush.

Smashing Rodeo and Brighten is such a great little gift idea - an adorable silver clutch with six of Smashbox's best selling brushes. Pick one up for your favorite makeup fan, especially "she who travels many miles."

You can find Smashbox cosmetics at smashbox.com, qvc.com, or a Smashbox counter near you.

On the seventh day, you deserve to rest your holiday-harried self. What better way to do it than with a warm, luxurious bath? Bath goodies from Lush are, hands down, my absolute favorites. Try their limited-edition bath bomb in Honey Bee ($4.60) for a very sweet, skin-comforting soak. If bubbles are more your thing, try the Two-Timing Tart Bubble bar ($5.95). You'll only need half the bar for a bath, and you'll get mounds of fruity, creamy-scented bubbles. After you soak, slather your bod from head to toe with one of the best body creams known to humankind, Dream Cream ($17.35). The herbal smell is a little different, but it grew on me really quickly. The real draw, though, is how it calms and soothes even the grumpiest of skin. A friend of mine even noticed a real improvement in her eczema with regular application! A wonderful product I always have in my cosmetic closet.

If you have not visited lush.com or a Lush location, you haven't lived. Click here for a list of US stores!

Seven days of holiday beauty and pampering! While all of these items make great gifts, be sure to treat yourself a little this year. You are definitely worth it.

We hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report! Also, be sure to check in on our updates to the Gift Guide. You won't want to miss these amazing deals!