I never step outside without a) sunscreen and b) antioxidants -- and this is my current antioxidant fave: Avene A-Oxitive Antioxidant Water Cream, $42. It has a potent dose of both vitamin C and vitamin E, and the texture is awesome: It's creamy, light and falls somewhere in that sweet spot right between a serum and a moisturizer. I also love that, like all Avene products, it won't irritate sensitive skin.
I have two kids who also function as an early-morning alarm clock. Plus, I am forever staying up too late working... or, OK, watching Netflix. So in addition to drinking copious amounts of coffee, I also count on the aromatherapy power of Bath & Body Works Energy Nourishing Body Oil, $16.50. I rub it on dry areas or even just add a little to my pulse points, and breathe in. It's got zingy hits of orange and ginger that perk me right up.
I have long-loved this incredible oil that softens hair and smells ah-may-zing. (Pretty much every hairstylist I know is obsessed, too!). Well, I thought I couldn't love it more until I met its fun new packaging for holiday. Shu Uemura Super Mario Bros Essence Absolu Protective Original Oil, $69, dresses up the classic model with a smattering of Super Mario Bros character art, sure to please your inner 10-year-old.
How much do I love the It Cosmetics Love Beauty Fully Love Is the Foundation, $30, limited-edition brush? Let me count the ways. First, it's shimmery pink. So, big points there, obviously. Second, the bristles are supersoft. Third, for every brush sold in October, It Cosmetics will donate a second brush to the Look Good Feel Better program, which helps women dealing with cancer. And fourth, the bristles are shaped like a heart. I repeat: THE BRISTLES ARE SHAPED LIKE A HEART. Too. Cute.
Unbeknownst to most of us over here, Madonna launched a luxury skin-care line three years ago in Japan. Now it's finally coming here, and number one on my list is MDNA Skin Chrome Clay Mask, $120, a purifying mask based on Montecatini clay and magnets. (She recommends removing the mask with a device called the Magnetic Flow, $180, which is sold separately.) The whole thing is luxe, fabulous, and maybe even a little bit kooky -- kind of like our favorite Material Girl.
