You see, as a New Englander, The Beauty Bug welcomes more heat into Her life wherever She can find it and this cleanser is one hot ticket. A part of the boscia Black Collection, which includes the Luminizing Black Mask,the Pore Purifying Black Strips, No Pres No Shine T-Zone Treatment, and the Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel, the new Detoxifying Black Cleanser gently and effectively unclogs and refines the appearance of pores and refines skin’s texture.  The smooth gel-based cleanser feels great on skin and gets the job done.  It contains activated charcoal (absorbs excess oils and impurities), glycolic acid (exfoliates), Artichoke Leaf Extract (mproves elasticity to help tighten pore walls) licorice root (an antioxidant that calms and soothes), Vitamin C (an antioxidant that stimulates collagen production), Vitamin P (Alpha Glucosly Hesperidin – helps enhance blood circulation and causes a warming sensation), and Jojoba Leaf (nourishes, calms and reduces redness).

The cleanser has become a nighttime comfort for The Beauty Bug. It’s not drying or stripping and leaves skin remarkably refreshed. Over time, pores are minimized and skin is rejuvenated – black magic!

bosica Detoxifying Cleanser is available at Sephora for $28. 

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

This jar of gingerbread delight  is dessert for your mug! It’s a dream and a half – super-whipped and airy. In terms of exfoliants, it’s one of the most gentle that The Beauty Bug has ever tested, yet it’s clinical strength! It contains glycolic acid, antioxidants, unripened papaya enzymes and teensy-weensy spherical dissolving beads . These little guys are what make this product a stand-out – they polish without being excessively abrasive.

The Beauty Bug applied a thin layer to Her cleansed face and worked the product around in a circular motion for 15-30 seconds. Her skin felt immediately smoother, and then even more smooth after waking up the next morning. Score one for the little exfoliator that could!

The Jan Marini Gingerbread Holiday Exfoliator is $80.

Disclosure: A press sample was provided to The Beauty Bug.

RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks are pillows of moisturizing goodness, infused with soy and other skin-nourishing cleansers. They lather up a storm when circulated on the face and feel as silky as  mousse.  Seriously, the Barefoot Contessa could whip the lather into peaks and use it for a dessert…

The Beauty Bug uses them after cleansing to remove the final, stubborn traces of Her makeup. It’s the step in her nighttime regiment that She most looks forward to. The disks help to achieve that clean, bare feeling that cleanser sometimes can’t, and allows Her to see what has been removed from Her face. Instant gratification –  if you choose to look.

The pads are double-sided and dual-textured. The smooth side is creamy – it conditions and nourishes. Use this side to cleanse around your eyes.  The opposite side gently exfoliates and polishes. The Beauty Bug loves using it in the crevices near Her nose to remove any pesky dry skin.

Some tips for usage – try them in the shower and use them on your chest and neck, cut the pads in half (they are fairly big) and make them last longer, and wash your face with your cleanser of choice first.

They lather extremely well, are gentle, self-foaming, affordable, offer light exfoliation without irritation, and perfectly prime your skin for other treatments such as serums, etc. In terms of beauty products, what more can you ask for?

RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks are available at drugstores for $8. 

Disclosure: The Beauty Bug paid $8 at CVS for the disks!

Had The Beauty Bug known that Suki Pure Skin Care was literally right in Her backyard when She was in college, She would have done everything in Her power to land an internship there soley to stock up on products. It’s clear that She missed Her chance, but hey, who thinks organically in college? Chances are, The Beauty Bug wouldn’t have even appreciated Suki’s scientifically-formulated, completely organic, aromatic approach.

Well, ladies, times have changed – The Beauty Bug is slightly older, and a whole lot wiser, and appreciates natural hand-made products and original blends. While the entire collection is rave-worthy, the stand out product with the deserved cult following is the exfoliate foaming cleanser. It smells (and tastes – but only when The Beauty Bug is messy and manages to get a bit in Her mouth) like you’re rubbing Lemonhead candies on your face. Made with lemongrass extract, natural sugar and natural aha (alpha bet hydroxy) and bha (beta hydroxy) treatments, the cleanser/exfoliant is a bit thick and granular at first, but after some scrubbing and rubbing, it dissolves, thins and mildly foams. Rub a bit between your palms to activate. Immediately after one use, The Beauty Bug’s skin feels softer and smoother, and refreshed, and the lemon scent is unique and calming. While the jar (scoop-out method) and the consistency may seem a bit unfamiliar/unconventional, that unfamiliarity will quickly turn to an addiction.

Some quick cleanser tips – take your time with this cleanser, enjoy the sweet, fresh smell, and let it do its work. If you’re not seeing any foam, you haven’t exfoliated enough, so keep those circular motions going and give it time to melt and foam into the skin. Also, make sure thoroughly wash it all off your face. Because it’s made with natural sugar, it can tend to be a bit sticky if even the slightest bit is left behind.

suki exfoliate foaming cleanser is available on sukipure.com.

The Multivitamin Exfoliant isn’t your typical everyday exfoliator or exfoliating cleanser. In fact, because She’s applying it to bare skin, The Beauty Bug has only been using it 2-3 times per week. It contains physical and chemical exfoliants (these are just acids that come in varying strengths and dissolve the glue-like bonds that stick dead cells to the skin’s surface) which help stimulate cell turnover and accelerate cell growth to keep your skin looking fresh and polished.

The best part? It’s self heating. It warms so the skin can better absorb the active ingredients including lactic acid, citric acid, salicylic acid, pure vitamin A, Vitamin E, a stable form of Vitamin C, white tea leaf extract, licorice root extract and soybean seed extract.

Just remember, since you have exposed new skin cells to the surface, you MUST use sunscreen!

Dermalogica MultiVitamin Thermafoliant is $48.

The Seikisho Exfoliating Massage Gel is the answer to one of the most frequently asked skincare questions – how much exfoliation is enough? Women are often quick to deem skincare products ineffective, when in fact most are just simply not exfoliating long enough to allow the product to be effective. Short of getting a timer for your bathroom vanity, the exfoliating gel is the easiest and best solution. It contains tiny scrub particles, and once you’ve thoroughly exfoliated, the gel turns a gray color. And you’re done. No questions asked.

The jet-black gel, which is similar is in consistency to gel-based cleanser, is a bit gooey in texture, but not messy in the slightest. It’s heat activated, so apply it directly to a cleansed face and do not rub your hands together first. Massage the face until the gel turns a medium gray color – a tone much lighter than the gel in its original form. The scrub sloughs off dead skin cells revealing softer, brighter skin.

The Seikisho Exfoliating Massage Gel is $28 and is available at select Neiman Marcus stores, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel, select Bath & Body Works and C.O. Bigelows.