Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash

Dove sent me Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash to try just in time for the drier autumn weather. It recently won the Allure Best of Beauty Awards, which honors the year's most innovative beauty products. How is Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash different? In Dove's words:

A breakthrough in the body wash category, only the new Dove Body Wash collection contains NutriumMoisture™ technology that cares for surface skin ten layers deep. Unlike other body washes, this first-of-its-kind body wash technology takes a dual approach to healthy, nourished skin by preserving both proteins and lipids during cleansing.

Can your body wash nourish this deeply? Other moisturizing body washes use a moisturizer that sits on top of the skin. Only Dove contains NutriumMoisture™, a breakthrough formula of soybean oil and natural lipids that can nourish deep down.

What's the experience like? These body washes are so rich and milky that you could almost skip moisturizer. I like the idea of a body wash actually improving your skin -- those suds are doing more than just getting you squeaky clean. Dove Nutrium Moisture Body Wash comes in three varieties -- Deep Moisture, Sensitive Skin and Gentle Exfoliating. My favorite is Deep Moisture for its super-hydrating properties.

My husband likes it too -- he remarked how thick it is. Dove Nutrium body wash doesn't smell too girly. It just smells subtle and clean. I like products that work for both of us. I can't tell you how cluttered our shower can get.

I'm a long-time Dove fan and look forward to trying their new products. Many are well-researched and effective. Their latest breakthrough did not disappoint. Now if only Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant made my underarm stubble a little softer...a girl can dream.

Maybelline Pulse Perfection

I bought Maybelline's new vibrating mascara, Pulse Perfection for $7. $3 off coupon plus sale at Target = major savings. Not bad considering Lancome's vibrating mascara, Oscillation, goes for $34. So, are vibrating mascaras a gimmick or a minor makeup revolution? First a few observations.

- I was surprised that you have to hold down the button the entire time to keep the wand vibrating. Maybe I'm a spazz, but I found it difficult to maneuver the wand while pressing the button on the end of the cap.

- The vibration tickles your eyelashes.

- The formula is dark dark black, but instead of building volume, it mostly left my lashes spiky. Not my favorite lash look.

- It didn't add much length for me. My lashes are short, so I need length.

- I disagree that it adds curl. It left my lashes separated yet straight.

- It doesn't clump, but I wouldn't advise applying more than two coats. It isn't all that buildable.
- It doesn't flake much and looks good even after 12 hours of wear.

- My lashes definitely didn't look like the model's. Why do cosmetics companies use fake lashes and CGI? Who are they kidding?

My verdict? Maybelline Pulse Perfection was fun to try, but the vibrating wand doesn't add enough for me to switch.

Next on my list to review is a cousin to my beloved L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara. Will it deliver on its claim of 12x the volume and usurp my long-standing favorite?

YSL Gloss Volupte Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick

My perennially dry lips have found salvage in the gorgeous new Yves Saint Laurent Gloss Volupte Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick. I am forever in search of gloss that's hydrating enough -- I'm done with sticky gloss. I want products that multi-task. It's all about healthy beauty. Here's what YSL says about Gloss Volupte:

Introducing YSL's first gloss stick, combining the femininity and sensuality of a lipstick with the comfort and shine of a gloss. Colorshine complex and Candellila resin result in a transparent, non sticky shine. Thanks to fluid silicones and melting microcrystalline waxes, Gloss Volupté leaves your lips feeling sensual, silky and full of comfort. Pomegranate extract and a delicate Mango fragrance provide a delicious touch of freshness. Available in 4 transparent, mouth-watering shades.

I'm obsessed! The gold tube is glam, and the gloss is smooth and sheer with just enough pigment. I adore the delicious mango fragrance. I purchased shade #2 Chilled Raspberry, a bright fuschia, and I'm considering #4 Chilled Plum for fall, but alas, it's currently out of stock, so I must be patient. Oh, I forgot to mention the gloss even has SPF 9 to protect delicate lips from the sun. Now that's healthy beauty.

L-O-L-A Lola

Seeing how it was completely sold out at the South Coast Plaza Sephora last weekend, I'm clearly not the only only who's obsessed with Marc Jacob's new floral perfume, Lola.

This man has an uncanny knack for anticipating what women want.

From the instant I saw the gorgeous swirly explosion on top of the bottle to the first time I sprayed it on, I was hooked.

Can you believe I haven't snagged one of the gorgeous bottles yet? Department store saleswomen hate me -- I keep pretending to try it out for the first time to "see how it wears on my skin." Oh, it wears so amazingly well.

It's only a matter of time before I cave. Until then, I'm eyeing the dreamy promotional web site.

MAC Love That Look

I've resisted most makeup purchases recently since my collection has gotten so full. I did pick up Smoke & Diamonds ($14.50), a gorgeous gray eyeshadow, from MAC Love That Look. Smoke & Diamonds is one of four top-selling shadows in Love That Look originally introduced in Starflash last year. It sold out quickly -- and I missed the boat.

Starflash reminds me of veluxe pearl except a little more glittery, a little less pearly. Highly pigmented. Gorgeous.

MAC calls Smoke & Diamonds a frosty dirty taupe. I'm using it to create a metallic eye for fall. It's gorgeous wetted and used as a liner for day, or swept all over the lid with black liner like Blacktrack for a more dramatic evening look.

I am less thrilled with my other MAC purchase, Dazzlelash mascara ($13). The makeup artist claimed it provided great lift to the lashes with special polymers. It gives a nice natural look for day, but there's nothing really dazzling about it. I prefer L'Oreal Carbon Black at half the price.

Nivea Sun-Kissed Beautiful Legs

How much do I love this multitasking lotion?

Nivea Sun-Kissed Beautiful Legs not only gives your legs a gorgeous summer glow and keeps them well moisturized, but also helps slow hair growth so you don't have to shave as often. Honestly, who enjoys shaving?

It contains a low dose of self-tanner yet it smells better than most self-tanning lotions.

Slathering it on several times a week gets my legs softer than they've ever been.

What a wonderful product -- not only for summer, but year-round.

Dove Visibly Smooth

For the past six weeks, I've been using Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant. While not in the category of most glamorous new product, it's a bonus when your daily grooming products provide additional benefits to keep you looking beautiful and healthy. I went out and bought it at Target right after I starting seeing the ads with the dark-haired gal tossing the cactus (cute!).

Dove Visibly Smooth deodorant contains something called Pro-Epil Complex that's supposed to minimize the appearance of your underarm hair over time. The Visibly Smooth web site doesn't offer much information about what exactly Pro-Epil is -- "a mixture of many ingredients, including natural extracts like sunflower oil." I chose the Nature Fresh fragrance, which smells as good as I've come to expect Dove products to smell ever since I encountered my first bar of Dove soap in my grandmother's bathroom. The other fragrance is called Wild Rose and smells equally as lovely and feminine.

Dove Visibly Smooth provides the same odor and wetness protection plus underarm conditioning found in Dove's other deodorants, which is a moderate amount. It's fine for temperate days when I'm working, but it's probably not suited to those gals who sweat a lot or who live in a hot climate like Miami.

Does the Pro-Epil Complex work? I'm sorry to say that even though I really wanted to love Dove Visibly Smooth, and even kept using it for several additional weeks before reviewing it just to see if the effects would kick in, I have seen no difference in my underarm hair. I need to shave just as often. Maybe it doesn't work for everyone. Dove Visibly Smooth is a good deodorant, so I'll keep using it, but I'll think twice about buying it again since it does cost a little more than Dove's other deodorants.