1. Biore Pore minimizing refining exfoliator
$12.99 AT RETAILERS AND DRUGSTORES
Who doesn’t want healthy, glowing, blemish-free skin? Biore’s new exfoliator promises just that — and it claims to smooth skin and reduce the size of pores. After a few washes I got used to its sandpapery “superfine microcrystals.” Within days, my skin was noticeably smoother, especially on my chin. I even got a little hooked on the scrub’s soothing, flowery scent. Though my pores may have been unclogged, they didn’t disappear. Worse yet, I continued to have breakouts. After a bit of experimenting, I found that using the exfoliator once a week, supplemented by my regular cleanser, was just about right for my skin type. [LAUREN WISEMAN, THE WASHINGTON POST]
2. Refinery face mask
ABOUT $49 AT WWW.THE-REFINERY.COM
The Refinery boasts basic but useful items (moisturizer) and more specialized goodies (line-reducing eye gel); its fast-acting face mask is a little of both. Smelling predictably botanical, the pastelike cream goes on a bit thick but dries nearly clear, which is how you’ll know when it has finished working its magic. White clay proves surprisingly effective at drawing gunk out from pores, and the aloe and peppermint felt tingly and cool on my slightly sunburned cheeks. Best of all, the whole thing takes only five minutes. [CORY OHLENDORF, THE WASHINGTON POST]
3. Kenra Platinum Silkening Mist
$15 AT ULTA STORES
Kenra’s lightweight aerosol spray, which promises to eliminate frizz and repair split ends, is touted by Brad Pitt’s hairstylist as the secret behind his splendiferous coif. First off, it smells like cotton candy — bad — but doesn’t feel heavy or sticky. It delivers on its promise to provide a whole lotta luster, but the effect wore off by the middle of my workday. Worried that my short hair might be to blame, I asked my long-locked girlfriend to try it out too. She agreed with me: The shine is nice, but it won’t last you through all 163 minutes of “Troy.” [CHRIS RICHARDS, THE WASHINGTON POST]
4. Clarisonic skin care brush
$195 AT SEPHORA, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE AND CLARISONIC.COM
My adult acne wasn’t bad enough to send me to a dermatologist, but it was sending me over the edge. Mount Everest would sprout on my forehead one week, fading just in time for the Rockies to erupt along my chin. Then I gave Clarisonic’s brush a whirl. The bulbous hand-held device buffs your skin with a vibrating head. You wet your face, slather on cleanser and slough away dirt morning and night. The kit has two replaceable heads, one for sensitive skin and one for normal. And the rechargeable gadget is waterproof, giving you yet another reason to sing in the shower. [DEBRA LEITHAUSER, THE WASHINGTON POST]
5. Yves Saint Laurent Nail Touch brush pen
$23 AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE STORES
YSL’s nail polish pen looks like the most luxe click-top pen you can imagine: A few presses on its glossy brown canister and you’re ready for your manicure. The pen has a short, soft brush that seems as if it would be perfect for smudgeable eye shadows and creamy concealers. But sticky, drippy nail polish? I couldn’t fathom the idea of something so viscous sliding cleanly onto my nail. At first, the polish looked streaky and uneven, but as it dried it settled into a smooth, slick first coat. I wouldn’t complain if the brush were a wee bit longer, but otherwise this baby is effortless, spill-proof and portable. [HOLLY E. THOMAS, THE WASHINGTON POST]
