My first order of some of SKINMARKET's body products got me totally hooked to this line, and now I am slave to their newest scent, "Feels Good" grapefruit ginger. I've smelled other ginger-scented bath products (like Origins) and was not tempted, but this one has just the right blend of warm spiciness and light citrus to be a new favorite of mine. The grapefruit ginger scent comes in Oh Yeah bubble bath ($6.95), Yes! Yes! Yes! shower gel ($6.95), Right There body lotion ($7.95), and The Glow shimmer lotion ($8.95). I now use the shower gel and body lotion daily and have foregone any other scents until I get my fill of this one. If you like spice, you must try it!

A very close second, for those of you who like a light, pick-me-up scent, is "Gets Fresh" cucumber vanilla. It smells stronger of cucumber than vanilla, perfect for those days when you want something more refreshing. It also doesn't compete with perfume the way the stronger grapefruit ginger scent can. Gets Fresh cucumber vanilla also comes in body lotion, shower gel, bubble bath and shimmer lotion.

Sugar Scrub 5-Pack ($14.95)
This pregnancy my skin is so itchy, so I've been using more scrubs and lotions to exfoliate and rehydrate. There are so many body scrubs to choose from, but I'm really drawn to the sugar varieties rather than salts, since salts can sting sensitive skin (ever try one on freshly shaven legs? ouch!). If you like to dabble in different fragrances, this multi-scent pack of tangerine, blackberry, pink grapefruit, blueberry and mango is for you. Each packet has enough sugar scrub for one very generous helping (or you could share with a shower buddy :) !). I tried both scooping the scrub out of the packet and squeezing it into my hand (like you would a packet of ketchup), and the scooping method definitely works better. One thing to keep in mind: some of the colors do temporarily stain your hands, so just remember to wash thoroughly with soap/cleanser before you dry off.

You can find these and other tempting goodies at SkinMarket.com.

review: 6/01

Shower Gel ($6.95 for 8oz)
As shower gels go, this one has great lather that rinses easily and leaves a subtle scent behind, but be careful what scent you choose. Of the three options, I selected "Pure Joy" nectarine-basil, but after using it for a week, I returned it for "World Peace" snow flower with the hope that it would smell better. It's not that nectarine-basil is bad, but I couldn't help feeling like I was washing with pesto! The basil smell is so overpowering it's like rubbing the herb all over yourself. I hoped it would be an acquired scent, but it's not. My second choice of snow flower is *much* better. It's soft and subtle with just the right level of flower power.

Body Washer ($9.95 for 16oz)
I'm honestly not sure why SKINMARKET offers this in addition to their Shower Gel - both are excellent additions to your shower and come in a decent selection of scents. The two main benefits I see with Body Washer over Shower Gel are the size (BW is twice the size of SG) and the choice of scents (BW comes in amber, french lilac, herbal pine, kiwi, peach, sea breeze, tangerine coconut, and fragrance free), but all in all the two products are very similar.

Boomerang Face Scrub ($9.95)
In a recent SKINMARKET order, I picked up a jar of this scrub, but no sooner did it meet my face than it headed right back to SKINMARKET. The texture seemed fine - grainy without being rough - but something in there gave my skin a very uncomfortable burning sensation. I tried using it less often, with less pressure, but nothing helped. Too bad, since it comes in cool scents like cucumber (the one I tried), kiwi strawberry, peach, pineapple, springdew, and watermelon. If you are looking for a good scrub and like the idea of a choice of scents, maybe see if they can send you a sample first...

SKINMARKET has lots of great (other) products, like my personal favorite Body Whip (now in tempting new grapefruit, tangerine, mango, blackberry, blueberry!), at SkinMarket.com and in their stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, and coming soon to New Hampshire (check their site for details).

review: 4/01

Lip Paint ($7.95)
I got two of these free after purchasing several other products at SkinMarket.com. They have 151 shades - some pretty unusual - so I thought I could find two for me. Spoiled, described as a burnt pink cream, ended up being way too light, and The One, described as a true red cream, was too bright pink with little red. The texture is creamy with a nice medium-weight feel, so now all I need to do is find some better colors :) .

review: 2/01

As much as I'm constantly online and in stores searching for interesting new products to try, many of the brands I end up reviewing come from suggestions from readers like you. I'd gotten a few emails about a brand/store called SKINMARKET, so I checked out the website and was immediately drawn in by the hip, fun approach to beauty. They've got a little bit of everything, but I managed to narrow my order down to these products.

Body Whip ($11.95 for 6oz)
Put simply, this unique whipped body cream rocks! The souffle cream melts instantly into the skin and has the most intoxicating scent - I bought the citrus berry, and every time I use it I feel like I should be sitting on a beach sipping daiquiris! The texture is light but rich on the skin - perfect for dry legs, elbows, hands. Body Whip also comes in fresh, ocean, pear and tropical. I would absolutely, positively order this again!