Sunday, February 10, 2008

TALIKA EYE MASK

If we're talking about product packaging, Talika's Eye Decompress treatment had me at hello. Its Tiffany-blue box, everything in French -- this Parisian cosmetics line knows the way to a girl's heart. But it's inside the box where the packaging truly is genius: nine penny-size cotton tablets (or pastilles, to use the company lingo). Once dunked in blue liquid, they bloom into tissue-light eye masks that smell like roses and supposedly soothe and revitalize puffy peepers.

While preparing my first mask, I worried that my big, clumsy American hands would somehow maim the dainty, fragile components before I had the chance to lie on my couch, cover my eyes and say "ohm." Crisis averted, I spent a quiet 10 minutes while the mask worked its magic. Things were restful until about halfway through, when "soothing" started to border on "stinging." (Luckily, follow-up applications went much more smoothly.)

But did it work? Let's just say packaging isn't everything: I'm not convinced my eyes looked any different after using the whole box of nine treatments. And though I won't knock the benefits of blocking out the world to rest for a spell, I also won't be tossing out my under-eye concealer anytime soon.

-- Rachel Machacek

$30 for nine treatments at http://www.talika.com.

MOMSPIT NO-RINSE CLEANSER

MomSpit, a new alcohol-free hand and face cleanser for children, seems at first like one of those products created to be given as a shower gift, laughed over and promptly forgotten. First of all, there's the name, which is both eew-gross and too cute. Then there's the concept. If it is "inspired by the original," as the packaging claims, the question must be asked: Is there really room for improvement?

As it turns out, there is. In a side-by-side comparison with the real thing, MomSpit won handily. My squirmy test subject reluctantly offered up two cheeks, each smeared in crusty sweet potato and well-gummed graham cracker. With a squirt of the foamy cleanser and a quick rub, all evidence of a messy lunch disappeared from the MomSpit cheek. After tackling the control cheek, all I had to show for my labors was a frustrated baby and a dry mouth.

Plus, MomSpit is available unscented and in two yummy scents: Fig & Green Tea and Lemon & White Tea. What, no Pizza & Yuengling?

-- Hannah Schardt

$9-$18 at http://www.amazon.com.

YSL TWO-IN-ONE LIPSTICK PALETTE

When I first held Yves Saint Laurent's Lip Twins palette in my hand, the magpie instinct kicked in: I marveled at the tiny mirror and shiny gold case, lingering over the pretty plum shades inside. It took more than a few attempts to extract the teensy lip brush from the rotating canister, and I knew I would struggle with such a minuscule applicator. (Even Barbie would have a hard time with this one, folks.)

Still, I liked the plummy colors enough to take a stab at applying them. I dabbed and swiped with the tiny wand for what felt like a lifetime. Then I tried a larger retractable lip brush I own. Then, I gave up and used my pinkie, which left me with less-than-perfect lips and a pink finger. Once I finally achieved a fully painted pucker, I was surprised by how bold the colors appeared: less deep plum, more bright raspberry.

YSL's pretty package might earn a spot on my vanity, but I'll probably stick with my steadfast MAC or Benefit tubes for regular use. One thing I loved, though: The palette made me glad I don't have the sumptuous pout of a Victoria's Secret model. With a brush so tiny and color that intense, it would be way too much acreage to cover.

-- Holly E. Thomas

$32 at Nordstrom stores and http://www.nordstrom.com.