For the last few months I've been trying (so hard!) to stick to one routine for skin care, and for the most part I've been successful - until these new Urban Defense skin care products from Urban Decay landed in my lap. I decided to make them my new morning routine and stick to my "usual" for nighttime (SCO Purifying Cleanser II, SCO Clarifying Complex (scocare.com) or Komenuka Bijin Essence (Sephora.com) and Protect & Restore Classic Cream (skinbio.com)). I wasn't sure how my skin would react to the change, particularly since it's winter and I'm already slightly dry, but it's doing just fine.

Urban Decay has taken a minimalist approach with their skin care products, a change from the radical green and black nail polishes and fresh-from-the-street images many of us relate to UD. I find the difference appealing and appropriate - who would want to put something called Face Tar or Gutter Goo on their skin? The main premise of the line is defending the skin against damage through anti-oxidants and natural healing ingredients. The collection is small - Zen Cleanse 2-in-1 Cleanser & Toner ($16), Detox Cocktail Antioxidant Complex ($16), Guardian Angel Protective Moisture with SPF 15 (in regular or oil-free) ($20) and Magic Mud 2-in-1 Mask and Scrub ($16) - but Urban Decay plans to expand later this year with a half-dozen or so more products.

I've been using Zen Cleanse, Detox Cocktail and Guardian Angel every morning for several weeks and am pleased with the results. The cleanser is a foaming gel with rosemary, peppermint, sage, witch hazel, aloe, green tea and chamomile in a base of gentle cleansing agents. I've been surprised that such a foamy cleanser hasn't dried my skin out, but so far, so good. I follow up immediately with Detox Cocktail, a unique lotion-toner with aloe, oat, algae, chamomile, witch hazel, sage, echinacea, camphor, and lemon extracts, plus vitamins A, C and E. It's designed to fight free radicals and give you a smooth, shine-free base for moisturizer and/or makeup. The directions say to squeeze some on a cotton pad and wipe it on your face, but I've been much happier just dispensing a small amount into my hand and applying it like a regular lotion, right onto my skin. It's very refreshing and a great prep before moisturizer. The final step is Guardian Angel, a lightweight moisturizer with SPF 15 (from Parsol 1789), soy proteins, algae extract, tomato extract and vitamins A and C. You can choose from the original or oil-free version; with my normal-to-dry skin I automatically went for the original. You only need a dab about the size of your fingertip to cover your whole face, and it has a light, cool feeling and a sweet, almost tomato-y aroma. This combined with the Detox Cocktail make a perfect surface for makeup - not too dewy, not too matte.

The once-a-week treat in the line is the Magic Mud. It's both a gentle microbead scrub and a clay-based mask. It has a thick consistency but you only need about an inch or two (it dispenses like a long, thin ribbon from the squeeze tube) for your whole face. Personally I like it best as a scrub in the shower, since my normal-to-dry skin can't tolerate the oil-absorbing action of the clay for too long. I'm sure a more oily skin would appreciate both functions. To me, Magic Mud has a fresh cucumber scent, even though it contains no cucumber... I like this scrub and will continue to use it weekly in the shower.

If you have not yet experienced these new Urban Defense products, I encourage you to visit an Urban Decay counter near you, or check out the products online at urbandecay.com.