While in NYC last April (1998), I was determined to at least see the much talked about Japanese skin care and makeup line, Awake. Located in Henri Bendel's department store on 5th Avenue and West 56th Street in Manhattan, Awake skin care and makeup contain botanical ingredients, anti-oxidants, and specially treated pigments that help prevent irritation to the skin. When a very friendly salesperson invited me to a free consultation and makeup application, how could I refuse?

My face was first cleansed and conditioned with Awake's Lotion Refresher, an alcohol-free, botanical toner designed for all skin types. It was cool and refreshing, leaving my skin feeling soft and supple. Next, Awake's signature product (and the most expensive item in the line at $60), Nano Essence oil-free gel moisturizer, was applied all over my face as a moisturizer and base for my makeup. Nano Essence contains a cucumber-derived ingredient called SOD (super oxide dismutase) that is supposed to be the most effective anti-oxidant and free radical scavenger you can get. I couldn't tell if it was working (how can you, really?), but the lightweight gel felt incredibly refreshing while still giving my normal to dry skin the moisture it needed. I liked it, especially compared to the heavy creams and lotions I normally use, so I might consider spending the $60 for it...

The final skin care step was a thin layer of Hydro-Plus Eye gel around each eye. The gel contains liquid crystals, vitamin E, ginseng, and horsetail extracts to help reduce puffiness and keep the eye area moisturized. Again, the gel was nice and light, and very refreshing.

My makeup application included a base of Bisque oil-free foundation and Bisque cream concealer topped with a light dusting of Ivory loose powder. Although the oil-free foundation is considered full coverage, I found you can adjust the coverage to suit your needs, and it still looks fresh and natural, not heavy or masky. This mid-morning application lasted all day and looked fresh into the night through dinner and the theater without caking, streaking, or changing color.

For color, the artist used Peach Ivory and African Violet eye shadows (both gorgeous), Raisin blush (a fantastic light pink-plum shade), and Pine lipliner (neutral brown pink) with Gypsy Rose lipgloss on my lips. All the color cosmetics are soft and wearable shades that would look great on anyone.

As far as skin care treatments, Awake has two masks, Sebum Clear Mask ($40 for 2.1 ounce tube) and Smooth Clear Mask ($40 for 2.8 ounce tube). Both are peel-off and designed to deep clean your pores and leave your skin looking fresh and smooth. My results were, unfortunately, mixed.

I first tried Smooth Clear for all skin types, and was pleased with how smooth my skin looked. This mask is a bit thicker than most peel-offs I've tried, so it seemed to pull more dirt and gunk out of my skin. I'd give Smooth Clear 4 out of 5 stars (at $40, it's too expensive to be perfect).

Sebum Clear was another story. I knew it was designed for more oily, blemish prone skin (like the T-zone), but I never expected the mask to be like rubber cement! Unless you have very tough skin, I can't stress enough how uncomfortable this mask is to remove. I must have peeled and pulled for 5 minutes trying to get it all off, and by the time I did, my face was as red as a tomato. If I lived in New York City and could return this mask to the Awake counter, I would. It gets my lowest 0 out of 5 stars.

If you find yourself in New York City, I would highly recommend a visit to the Awake counter at Bendel's.