The Little Luxury: St. Ives Apricot Scrub

Relationship status: During one lonely jaunt to my local drugstore, I stumbled across this find right in between a super expensive Oil of Olay option and a menacing generic type. For less than the price of a Subway Sandwich I slipped this baby into my basket and have since been completely committed.

What is it for? How often does your face just feel saturated with makeup, dirt, moisture or all of the above? Just splash a little water all over your face and get to scrubbing twice a week and your skin is guaranteed to feel like new.

Aromatherapy in a Bottle? Close. One up on your typical scrubs is that it doesn’t smell like some yucky hospital solution. Sweet and delightful, apricot is one of the sweetest smells you can ever imagine.

Why St. Ives? Aside from the ridiculously cheap price, I’m dedicated to this scrub because it lives up to it’s packaging and does what it says. It wakes up the skin cells through an invigorating mixture of exfoliating beads, Swiss Botanicals, and Pure Swiss Glacial Water. After just one use my skin felt clean, tout and refreshed.

Who does it work for ? It’s good for all skin types. Oily, dry, prone to breakouts– it works magic for everyone.

Add this gem to your regimen: If you’re anything like me and you enjoy the thought of splurging but hate to see the negations in your bank account then take the cheap but good route. This scrub is just as capable of delivering the glow you crave sans the sticker shock of Yves Saint Laurent. Cleanse, exfoliate, tone and moisturize!

Good, cheap fun: $4.29 (6 oz/ 170 grams). Order online at Drugstore.com

Get scrubbed like a pro: I have to say, St. Ives great for frequent usage, but there truly is nothing comparable to a scrub at a spa. Don’t believe me? Try one yourself for just $50 during Spa Week — see which spas are offering scrubs near you.

Hot Stone Scale: 5 out of 6

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Candace Amos

Why we instantly loved The Company Store’s perfectly sized striped towels when they were donated to our kickoff party gift bags:

- They’re colorful and cute no matter your bathroom decor
- Great for wiping your face on a hot day like today
- The perfect size to throw in your bag and take to the gym, to work, to everywhere!

Best of all, they’re on sale – pick out your favorite color and size, and go for two!

Today we’ve invited Jeannine Morris, founder of BeautySweetSpot.com and dedicated advocate for Women In Need, to tell us about one of her all-time favorite little luxuries.
The Little Luxury: MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

Relationship status: In September, it was love at first sight.  Before being introduced to Teddy  I always wore the blackest black eyeliner I could find.  This color literally makes my hazel eyes pop.  I couldn’t believe the difference.  Immediately, I was addicted.

How it works: For a nighttime look, I line the inner rims of my lower lash line and the outer rims of my upper with it.

Does it do what it says it’ll do? Yes, it claims to be a soft pencil that defines, lines and shades with rich color.

Advice for First Time User: I would advise to test the color before purchasing.  It looks great on me because it goes with my skin tone and brings out the green in my hazel eyes, but may not look right on everyone.

The thing you’ll love most: With MAC Eye Kohl in any color you can make the line as precise or smudged out as you’d like.  I love the flexibility the pencil allows.  Depending on my mood, I’ll opt for different looks.

Why it’s worth the splurge: It lasts a long time and stays put.

The moment I fell in love: I was doing a makeover photo shoot for DailyMakeover.com and the MAC makeup artist used Teddy on my eyes.  I was amazed on how bright, yet sexy my eyes looked and asked him what pencil he used.  It was key to my look.  I bought it the very next day and have been using it since.

Bottom Line of the liner: $13.55 from Cosmeticamerica.com

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Jeannine Morris, Founder of BeautySweetSpot.com

Guest Little Luxury Reporter: SHYEMA of BEAUTY AND THE FEAST, winner of Spa Week Daily’s best-beauty-blog-post-of-2009 contest, shares one of her favorite little luxuries that she’s loved since childhood.

Parachute Coconut Oil

The Little Luxury: Parachute 100% Pure Coconut Oil

Relationship Status: My mother set us up. Going strong for years now with regular bi-weekly dates. So in love.

Nickname: Coco

What is it? No mincing words here – this is just straight up coconut oil.  It’s been used in India and other parts of Asia for years as a hair treatment that when applied, penetrates the hair shaft to give bounce and shine to damaged locks.

The thing you’ll love most: Besides the price, coconut oil works wonderfully with your natural hair protein to strengthen each strand – who doesn’t love shiny, healthy hair? It’s also amazing at treating dandruff.

The thing you’ll hate most: Smelling like coconuts. And finding time to hang out at home until you shampoo it out.

Advice for first timers: Don’t overdo it! Use only a thin coat, otherwise you might end up over-shampoo’ing, which will only dry out your hair instead of moisturizing it. I also use less conditioner than I normally would, and only apply it lightly to the ends, in the shower since too much conditioning will weigh your hair down.

If you want to take it a step further: For deep conditioning, put a towel over your pillow and leave it on overnight. I like to braid my hair after oiling so it’s less messy!

The Price is Right! Yours as low as $1.98 at Amazon.com (Buy new for $7.99)

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6

This Little Luxury Report was brought to you by: Shyema

The Little Luxury: Posietint by Benefit Cosmetics

Rhymes with: Rosie Hint

Relationship Status: We’ve been very serious for almost a year now. When we’re not together I get so distraught that I lose color in my face.

Don’t get confused: It looks like nail polish… but it’s not.

So… what is it? A petal-pink tinted cheek and lip stain.

Say goodbye to: Blush. This gem of a beauty product has the potential to make your blush obsolete.

How it works: Brush a dot of Posietint onto your cheeks with the brush, then rub it in circles with your fingers until it gives you level of pink you desire. The lip tinting is secondary… for me, this Posietint is all about the rosy cheeks.

Why I’m head over heels in love: It lasts the ENTIRE day, and then some. It’s like pinching your cheeks to get the blood to rush to them in case of non-blush emergency… except the blood never rushes back.

Be careful: It’s a STAIN… so guess what. It stains. This means that once you brush it on, you can’t respond to a text or even stop for air before you rub it in. If you’re not quick enough you will get a line on your face. FOREVER!!! Well, till you wash your face.

A peculiar phenomenon: For reasons beyond explanation, every time I put it on, I get a small chip of metallic pink glitter on my cheek. You’re probably thinking I’m being dumb because obviously it’s the container chipping. I know. BUT WAIT— it’s ALWAYS, ONLY my left cheek. Never once on my right. I think it’s destiny of some sort. And pretty darn cute.

The price of tinted, tainted love: $28 at Sephora, but it’s nothing when you consider CPU (cost per use)… and how much you’ll save not reapplying blush.

Hot Stone Scale: 6 out of 6