Every year there are new skin treatments, fragrance, body products and cosmetics that stand out from the rest as unique, unusual, or just plain interesting. This week I am excited to bring you what I consider to be the Best of 2002.

Cosmetic Connection Product(s) of the Year 2002: boscia skin care
One of my favorite things about this job is the exposure to new and interesting products that might never have crossed my path otherwise. I was contacted in early October by boscia, a new line from Japan that is preservative free and botanically based. Every boscia skincare product contains organically grown jojoba leaf, an antioxidant that helps fight against free radical damage caused by environmental irritants like pollution, radiation and cigarette smoke; and, willowherb, an anti-inflammatory. Boscia also has a line of vitamin and herb supplements as part of the whole look better, feel better package. To that end, boscia's philosophy is to offer the freshest products possible without preservatives. Instead, they use a patent-pending combination of botanicals to create a preservative-free formula with long-lasting anti-bacterial properties. The pump containers (even on the tubes) alleviate the chance/need for fingertips and airborne particles to come in contact with the product, and it ensures that you get every last bit of product. Because there are no preservatives, the product containers are smaller than many on the market because the idea is to use them up in a few months so you get the freshest product possible. All the products are also fragrance free and safe for acne-prone skin. Here are a few particularly notable products from the line:

Soothing Cleansing Cream ($18 for 4.06oz)
Although this lotion cleanser is labeled for normal to dry skin, I think it would be a great fit for anyone. This lightweight lotion removes makeup with ease, even tough mascara, and rinses easily without leaving any kind of residue, unlike some lotion cleansers that are oily, greasy or filmy. For dry skin, I'd recommend skipping the toner to keep the soft, conditioned feeling that the lotion leaves on the skin. Just a note: when I reordered, the cleanser came with a package of cotton pads, which I assume are for "tissuing" it off. I don't see the need for removing it this way unless your skin reacts horribly to water. Considering how easily this splashes off, I think a warm washcloth would be more effective if you want some wiping action. This 4-ounce bottle lasted me about two months.

Purifying Cleansing Gel ($18 for 4.06oz)
With my dry skin, I typically avoid gel or foaming cleansers, but this one is different. The extremely gentle cleansing agents combined with plant extracts like jojoba leaf and green tea make this a lightly foaming gel cleanser that even I can use. My face doesn't feel dry or tight after using it. I use this one in the shower about three times a week, switching back and forth with the scrub.

Vital Daily Moisture SPF 15 ($25 for 1oz)
This is the first day cream with sun protection that I've used that works just as well for in warm weather as it does cold. Like most other boscia products, this lotion has jojoba leaf and willowherb, as well as rice bran oil, wine yeast and a marine complex for antioxidant benefits. The sun protection comes from octinoxate 5% and avobenzone 3%. I've been using this fairly small tube since the first week of October (two pumps once a day), and I still have a few days left before it runs out and I can start my next tube.

Willow Bark Breakout Treatment ($18 for .5oz)
My skin gets more and more sensitive over the years to topical breakout treatments like benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and vitamin A derivatives, and I was almost at a loss for anything that would help until I found this. I don't typically get huge breakouts, but I do get a lot of redness and inflammation, which this gel addresses beautifully. It never dried out my skin, and it really does get rid of almost all the redness of an active breakout. Whenever I feel something coming on, I apply a thin layer of this before bed, and more often than not, it's gone or significantly smaller in the morning. For me, that's enough reason to spend a little more for something that works. This half-ounce bottle lasted me almost two months with about every-other-day use (for both active breakouts and preventive maintenance on acne-prone areas).

Antioxidant Recovery Treatment C ($38 for 1oz)
This is one of my favorite products of the line. It's a cream-gel that leaves a velvety finish on the skin. The big plus with this vitamin C treatment is that I've noticed that my skin bounces back more quickly since I've been using it. If I get a blemish, it heals within 2 days rather than five to seven. I also notice more even color and less blotchiness on my face since using it. This one-ounce bottle lasted about two months with twice daily use.

After two months of using these products, I was hooked. I love the simple packaging, lack of fragrance, clean delivery systems (no messy jars or crusty tubes), and how clear and healthy my skin looks. When several of the products ran out suddenly at the same time, I didn't think twice about reordering. I've been looking for a long time for the skin care routine that works for me that I can stick with, and I think I've found it! You can find out more about boscia at boscia.net.

The Runners-Up
It was a long and thoughtful process to come up with my Product(s) of the Year, and from that process came a list of fantastic products that all deserve a spot in your makeup bag or powder room.

Prescriptives Camouflage Kit ($27)
Since I picked up this new concealer kit, I don't go a day without it. This is the kind of concealer/powder set I've been dreaming about for years! You get two complementary shades, a pressed powder, a small powder brush, and a small fan brush for applying the concealers, all in a thin mirrored compact. There are six shade sets to choose from, names level one through six, with one, two and three for light and medium skin tones, and four, five and six for tan and dark complexions. I use level one, and again, like Exact Matchstick, it's considered the lightest but if you are very, very pale, it will probably still be too dark.

Aside from the great packaging and usefulness of the two shades of concealer, which by the way are skin friendly and safe for the acne-prone (yay!), the real selling point is the concealer texture. It combines all the right elements of coverage, smoothness, blendability, and staying power so you can use it on dark circles, blemishes, broken red capillaries, as an eyeshadow base - you name it, it covers it. I like to lightly dab the tips of the brush bristles into the concealer (rather than swiping the side of the brush across, like you would for an eye shadow or a powder blush) because you get just the right amount (start with a little, add more if you need to) and it blends out seamlessly. A dab of powder on the concealed area and the coverage lasts at least 8 hours. For all that you are getting, I think $27 is a bargain for this terrific little kit.

You can find Prescriptives products at department stores like Nordstrom, May Company stores like Robinsons-May, Lord & Taylor, Meier & Frank, and Foley's, and online at Gloss.com. Outside North America, Prescriptives is only sold in the U.K., Australia, Japan, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. Harrods in London can take mail order requests; their number is 011-441-71730-1234.

Stila Creme Bouquet
You know that woman you've passed on the street, or in an elevator, restaurant, etc. (you know what I mean), and you notice and remember the perfume she's wearing? I am not that woman. I rarely wear perfume, and when I do it's for a special occasion or a date with my husband and he's the only one who notices. When I got Stila's new scent collection Creme Bouquet, I was skeptical that I would actually use it. Sure, I thought, I'll try it a few times for the sake of the review, and then everything will get shuffled into a drawer or the back of the bathroom cabinet like everything else. Well, that's not what happened. One try with the body lotion lead to experimenting with the lotion and the spray, which lead to purchasing another scent of the lotion and trying that with the spray, which lead to never leaving the house without wearing one of the lotions and the spray. Talk about a far cry from the perfumeless wonder I was before. I'm hooked!

Body Lotion ($30 for 6.7 oz)
The idea behind the Stila fragrance collections (creme bouquet and jade blossom, the other set) is layering, so naturally I start with this lotion. It's rich but still pourable and absorbs quickly. I started with Vanilla, then added Lily of the Valley to my repertoire there is also Pink Lilac, which I smelled in the Sephora store in Chicago and didn't care for. To each her own, I say. Vanilla has a hint of sweetness (but not sugary-syrupy) and a touch of baby powder, while Lily of the Valley is definitely floral.

Eau de Parfum Spray ($50 for 1.7 oz)
So that it compliments all three lotions, the perfume spray is a mix of the vanilla, lily of the valley and pink lilac notes. You could certainly wear it solo, but I prefer to layer it with one of the lotion so it not only accentuates the note I like, but it makes the scent last longer. One or two sprays is all you need for long-lasting (but not overpowering) scent that lasts for hours.

You can find Stila Creme Bouquet (and Jade Blossom) exclusively at Sephora.

BeneFit Glamourette ($38)
Get ready for the hottest new thing in cosmetics! I kid you not, this smart and pretty compact set from BeneFit is one of the best new cosmetic products out there. Designed like an old fashioned hand mirror, this black, dual-sided compact has all the essentials. Under the mirrored side, you'll find a translucent finishing powder with a puff, and another mirror. Under the decorated side, there is a natural blush shade, also with a puff and mirror. In the handle, a flattering shade of lipstick. It also comes in a black organdy drawstring bag with two extra puffs. All the elements are interchangeable and customizable. Each compact starts with set colors: coy (soft pink coral), fickle (warm rose), or divine (plum). From there, the combinations are up to you. There are three Blushing Beauty powder blushes (coy, fickle and divine; $11 each), two Finishing Touches (a translucent powder and a cream highlighter; $11 each), and nine lipsticks (coy, fickle, divine, keen, prim, swell and vain; $9 each). All the colors are gorgeous and very wearable. The powder and blushes are smooth and the lipsticks are creamy and light. This is a clever and pretty way to bring together everything you need for touch-ups wherever you are, and it's so much fun to use!

You can find BeneFit Glamourette at department stores, BeneFit freestanding stores and online at Sephora.com and BeneFitCosmetics.com.

I hope you enjoyed this issue of The Cosmetic Report! Have a safe and healthy new year!