Although I am a frequent customer at the Soho FACE store, I usually only buy make-up there. I rarely venture beyond the array of eyeshadows, lip glosses and powders on the mirrored tables in the front of the store to the skin care area in the back. I am, however, a devotee of their Foaming Facial Cleanser and was excited to try more products in their skin care line.

I love FACE because they have trendy but fairly inexpensive make-up and friendly, low pressure salespeople. They are not the usual dragon ladies of the department stores. They are young, attitude-free, and wear a minimal amount of make-up. In addition, FACE doesn't stock thousands of products, so the salespeople really know the products and how to use them.

Unfortunately, they don't give out samples, but most of the skin care products come in small, medium and large sizes, so that you can try them out before committing to the large -- oh! and save those small bottles! They are great for travel.

But enough gushing... here's what I found out about FACE's skin care line:

Apricot Gel Scrub $16 for 4 ounces
I was a little afraid of this product because the words "apricot" and "scrub" remind me of that horrible stuff they used to make (or still make?) that practically rips the skin off your face. I still had make-up on, so I washed it off with FACE's Foaming Facial Cleanser ($12 for 4 ounces), which I always use anyway. I'm so used to it now I won't use anything else. It smells great, lathers (I don't like goopy non-lathering cleansers), and doesn't dry out my skin.

After that, I tried the gel scrub and was pleasantly surprised. This is really cool stuff! The scrub is suspended in a clear, soft gel so it is gentle and rinses off easily. It smells sweet in the container but doesn't leave a scent on your skin. Use it sparingly, though. Last night I tried it again and ended up with my hairline full of apricot granules!

The product may seem expensive, but it's not for everyday use, and a little goes a long way.

Botanical Toner $12 for 4 ounces
Again, I was a little bit afraid to use toner because I usually find toners either way too harsh and full of alcohol, or too oily. I also never really understood the reason for their existence, but I suspect it has something to do with the marketing of "skin care systems". In other words, I don't think swabbing alcohol on your face is necessary. I was very pleasantly surprised with this toner, however. It has a clean fragrance and really felt refreshing. It is subtly fragrant but not overpowering, and there is absolutely no alcoholic/Sea Breeze scent. I have been converted. At $12 for only 4 ounces, however, it is an expensive conversion.

Aloe Vera Facial Lotion $14 for 4oz
To top of my wonderfully scrubbed, cleansed and toned face, I used this light, non-greasy and effective moisturizer. Although it is fragranced with lavender, it doesn't have that cheap potpourri scent. Like the other FACE skin care products I tried so far, it just smelled clean. After using it, my face felt smooth and soft. It is also light enough apply just before putting on your make-up. The $14 price tag may seem a little steep for only 4 ounces of lotion, but it lasts much longer than I thought it would. I have been using it at least twice a day for two weeks because my skin has turned extremely dry with the arrival of fall, and the bottle is still pretty full.

I was really impressed with the four products used together and even though I had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning the days I was testing these products, I have to admit I looked great!

But there's more!

Sage and Aloe Gel Mask $16 for 4 ounces
This is a clear gel that looks deceptively gentle. When I applied to my entire face, however, it turned into a monster. The directions are "Apply to entire face and neck. Leave on for 10-15 minutes", which I did. A few seconds after application, however, my eyes started to burn from the sage and aloe "fumes" and I REALLY wanted to wash it off. Stupidly, I didn't. I waited for it to turn into a super-sticky film before rinsing it off (it does come off easily) and vowed never to touch it again. But as I said, I can do stupid things, and I tried it again. My eyes burned. My face turned into a sticky mess. I closed the jar, and hopefully won't be tempted to subject myself to such deep pore cleansing in the future. I suppose that this may work if you have super oily skin and/or are a glutton for punishment. Otherwise, I would not recommend it.

AHA Lotion $8 for 4 oz
I loved the Aloe Vera Facial Lotion and am a big fan of AHAs so I was ready to love FACE's version. I didn't. What bothered me most about this lotion is the scent. I thought that it smelled like sour milk in the bottle, but it smelled even worse on my face. I had to wash it off soon after applying it. Later in the evening I noticed that my hands smelled sickeningly sweet. I grabbed the bottle and read the ingredients....aha!...the sour milk smell must come from the lactic acid and the super fruity smell must come from mango. I was disappointed in this lotion and would stick with the regular, AHA-free, aloe vera lotion.

After sampling all these fun products on my face, it was time to try out the shower gels:

Rosemary and Lavender $4 for 4 ounces is a perfect product for the shower. It is a clear, green gel that smells strong enough to notice but doesn't leave you smelling of herbs all day. You can also wear perfume after using it without it affecting the scent. Like the other FACE products that I loved, it has a subtle, clean scent. Read the directions, though, and use it with a bath sponge or a washcloth. I forgot to the first time I tried and used way too much.

Jasmine $4 for 4 ounces is a pretty purple foaming gel, but it's nothing special. Unlike the unique and fresh smelling Rosemary and Lavender, the Jasmine has a more traditional soapy smell. The Jasmine shower gel is similar to the Rosemary and Lavender in every way (lather, texture, cost), but I would sooner recommend the Rosemary and Lavender because of its refreshing, unique scent.