What They Say: "This non-abrasive liquid wipes-away spent surface cells revealing a smoother, clearer, more refined complexion beneath-and pores that are primed for maximum treatment and moisture benefits.
-Promotes skin clarity and smoothness
-Leaves skin looking soft, smooth and supple-with a healthy glow
-For all skin types"

Jen's Experience: For months and months, all I used to clean my face were products from Mario Badescu because they're so gentle. Now that I've pretty much cleared out all the breakouts, I thought I would branch out a little bit and check out some different brands. What better way to see if they irritate my sensitive skin than to start with a clean slate, right?

I'm still using Mario Badescu cleanser to remove all my make-up every day, but I've been following it up with Aveda's exfoliant, and I really like what I see. My skin has stayed breakout free, and I seem to have less blackheads and smaller pores. Just what you were looking for, right? Plus, it has a really nice smell (kind of like a margarita) and leaves your skin feeling like it can breathe!

I use this daily after I wash my face in the evening, and follow up immediately with a nice moisturizer.

Retail Price: $17.00/5 oz. (Aveda)

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What They Say: "Invigorating aroma-with certified organic rosemary and peppermint-awakens the senses. Gentle but thorough cleansing lets you wash frequently without overdrying. "

Jen's Experience: I love all of the Rosemary Mint products from Aveda, but this one may be my favorite.  The combination of rosemary and mint may seem like an unlikely medley of scents, but it really has an energizing effect on me in the morning.  This is a regular part of my morning shower.  The liquid gel consistency is easy to apply without feeling wasteful, and the peppermint feels like it penetrates my pores to make me feel extra clean.

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Sample Courtesy Of: Spa Japonika, Birmingham, AL

From Aveda: "Give soothing relief to skin suffering from excessive dryness, stress and exposure to the elements. Our intensely-hydrating, oil-free masque contains potent, plant-derived humectants. Cools and rehydrates with a surge of moisturizing aloe, kelp and lavender. Calms with rosewater. "

My Experience:  I got this product when I was recovering from a horrible case of poison ivy on my face.  The poison ivy creams had left my face dry and scaly and I was supposed to be a bridesmaid in a week!  I rushed to Aveda (you may have guessed that I am a big fan of Aveda products) and picked out this mask to see if it would rehydrate my skin and bring it back to life.  The results?  Well, for that problem, I wasn't too impressed.  Although it says it is intensive, I think my dry skin was more than it could handle.  However, since then, I have used it pretty regularly, and I've been happy with the results.  It does make my skin noticably brighter and more healthy looking for a few days.  If you have dry skin, I would recommend using this product a day or two before an important event for clearer, more radiant skin.

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Reviewed By: Jen

What They Say: "Feel energy from nature. Finely-powdered tourmaline-a naturally energizing mineral- mixed with marine and plant extracts and 11 powerful anti-oxidants. Hydrating. Protecting. Infusing visible life and radiance into your skin so it glows."

My DeLush Experience:  I think this moisturizer has some sort of magic in it.  It virtually fixes my sensitive skin breakouts.  It even makes poison ivy less itchy.  And when I wake in the morning, I do feel like my skin is more radiant as a result.  And like nearly everything at Aveda, it smells wonderful.   Bonus.

Tips:  I find it a little too greasy for everyday use but I do use it as a night moisturizer when my skin is in need of some R&R.  I generally apply two coats:  Once my skin drinks in the first layer, I apply another coat on any breakouts.

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Reviewed By:Jen

• 75% of women noticed fuller lips after 2 weeks (based upon two weeks of continuous use)
• Smooths appearance of fine lines by 26%(Average change based upon 8 weeks of use)
• Increases moisture by 26%(Average change based upon 8 weeks of use)
• With refreshing organic spearmint and vanilla flavor
• New packaging reduces waste by 33%

Jen's Experience:When I think of Aveda, I generally think about hair products, or maybe skin care products. But rarely would I think I could walk into an Aveda store and pick out a great lipstick. But as it turns out, Aveda has made an excellent lip color that I am excited to tell you about.

The colors I used in the Nourish-Mint lines were all shades of red. I find that with deeper pigmentations, I often have a problem with dry lips, and nothing looks worse than parched lips with a lot of color. This lipstick, though, really does the trick with the hydration. The moisture even seems like it lasts longer than the color! On that note, I do wish the color lasted longer or maybe just wore a little more evenly. For all the great things about it, I did find that the edges of my lips retained the color for longer, leaving a ring of color if I don't watch it and reapply every 1-2 hours. But the colors themselves, when applied are really pretty with my skin tone and surprisingly pigment rich. The cases, while minimal, are at least made out of plastic so you can throw them in your purse. You can also buy a reusable outer case if you are wanting something a little more substantial.

Despite the fact that the wear isn't the best I've seen, I really like the yummy taste, great colors, and especially the hydration of these lipsticks. I'm definitely going to have to consider Aveda as an option when I'm looking for cosmetics as well as hair and skin care from now on.

Retail Price: $14.00 (Aveda.com)

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* Exclusive plant infusion--a blend derived from organic aloe, maize and guar bean--creates a smooth surface on hair
* Organic tapioca defends against humidity for up to 12 hours
* Hydrolized wheat protein protects against surface damage from heat styling

Features our Smooth InfusionTM aroma, a fresh spicy citrus-floral featuring certified organic bergamot, certified organic palmarosa, Bulgarian rose and Australian sandalwood."

Jen's Experience: The area where I live is very humid, and lately it seems like it's been about 90% humidity or higher every day. And when that happens, all the stuff I put in my hair to give it body backfires on me and makes my hair have lots of volume of the frizzy variety.

I was pleased that this product totally delivered on protecting my hair from humidity. My hair looks sleek like it was flat-ironed for hours after using this and feels incredibly soft and silky (and smells good too!). The problem with that is that my hair has very little in the way of volume and is difficult to do any sort of styling. It doesn't look greasy or limp, just a little deflated. So while I don't think it necessarily makes styling faster and easier, if you get the frizzies in the rain or humid summer air, this might be something to add to your hair care arsenal.

Retail Price: $24.00 (Aveda.com)

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What They Say: "Lifts fine hair up and fills it out. Hair looks fuller, feels thicker, stays more abundant."

Jen's Experience: My hairdresser talked me into this shampoo and conditioner after my last haircut (after recommending their hair powder). She told me that I could return it with 2 weeks if it didn't work for me, so what did I have to lose?

Turns out, not much to lose, and a whole lot to gain. This shampoo and conditioner really live up to their promise of making my hair look fuller and thicker. One thing that they don't mention that I find really noticable is the amount of shine that they lend to my hair. Even when I'm wearing hair powder, the shine comes through. Unfortunately, the shine plus my hair's natural oils sometimes lend to greasy hair the next day. After using the hair powder, I can generally get two days of wear out of a shampoo with the Pure Abundance products.

My favorite part about these products? I thought it was just my new haircut, but after trying various products on my hair, I find that my style just falls into place when I use this set. I can actually blow-dry my hair and walk out the door. For me, this is a true time-saver, since I generally use a curling iron or rollers every day.

So, needless to say, I won't be returning these products. In fact, I think they'll keep a spot on my shower shelves for a long time to come.

Retail Price: $14.00 for each product, 6.7 oz (Aveda)

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What They Say: "Our innovative formula transforms in your hands—from a powder to a light, absorbent lotion—then makes magic in your hair, increasing its diameter and creating an abundance of texture and volume."

• instantly thickens hair by 17%
  
• relies on natural bulking agents acacia gum and kaolin clay
  
• creates matte texture
  
• great for creating a gritty, “second-day hair” look
  

Jen's Experience: I'd been hearing the buzz on hair powder, so when I had my hair done at an Aveda salon, I was happy to heed my stylist's recommendation for the hair powder. This is definitely a strange hair product for the uninitiated, and I'm glad she was able to demonstrate it for me. The container seems very small, but what's surprising is how light it is when you pick it up. Turning it over dumps out what looks like a greenish-blue powder, and when I use it, I shake it prodigiously directly over my roots, including my bangs. Once you start working it, it turns into more of a styling cream (see, strange!) that can really help you to do amazing things with you hair. I tease my hair at the roots after applying it to give lasting volume. On my bangs, I use the powder to help train them to do the side-swept look. This is not a hair powder that can be used to texturize the hair like the Bumble and Bumble spray hair powder, but as a root volumizer, it really works as advertised! I was a little timid about using this product at first, but now I use it regularly to help create body in the high humidity of summer.

One thing to note about this product: it does tend to make my bangs a little greasy if I overuse it, but I have never had a problem using it with abandon on the rest of my hair.

Retail Price: $22.00 (Aveda)

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What They Say: "Our patented formula—which includes certified organic honey, burdock and marshmallow root—creates weightless volume on fine and medium hair. Adds shine without build-up or weight. Uses air-infused technology."

Jen's Experience: I generally use a whole menagerie of volume-building and shine-building products with my hair, starting with my volumizing shampoo and ending with the shine serum that ends my daily hair care routine. Here's a product that claims to help in both respects, so I had to give it a whirl. I like that it's similar to a mousse, which is tops for volume, but that it doesn't contain alcohol. It appears to be liquid in the bottle, but pressing the pump a couple of times results in a handful of light foam. Using the right amount (which appears to be two pumps) is perfect for light, fluffy volume that lasts for a couple of days. Too much, though, and I get stiff, greasy hair with no volume at all. It's a fine line. When it's works, it's great, but when it doesn't, my hair looks pretty pathetic. Would I recommend it? If you've got fine to medium hair, and don't mind experimenting, this may be a great product for you. But if you're like me and are looking for something more foolproof, you should pass on this product.

Retail Price: $13.00 (Aveda stores and online)

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What They Say: "This remarkable tonic creates maximum volume on fine and medium hair. With certified organic aloe and wheat amino acids to help build body and add shine. And plant-derived detanglers to help combability. Enhanced with a Pure-FumeTM aroma containing essential oils to uplift your senses."

Jen's Experience: My desire to create volume in my fine hair is probably bordering on obsession on this part. If it says volumizing on the bottle, it's mine. If it adds some extra shine in the process...well, that's a major bonus.

I've been very happy with Aveda's volumizer. The first few times I used it, it made my hair a little greasy looking. It's easy to overdo it with this one. But after my third try or so, I've been very pleased with the results. It gives very touchable body to my hair and makes it extra shiny and healthy looking. I don't even have to wear any of my Frederic Fekkai styling product stash when I use volumizer; my hair looks just fine without it.

Tips: As it instructs on the bottle (which I neglected to read the first 2 times I used it), try to spray this just on the roots. I like to comb it down into the rest of my hair for that little bit of added shine, and to reduce extra build-up near the roots.

Retail Price: $12.00 (Aveda)

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So, remember how I was all in love with my Alterna Caviar Shampoo?  Well, I still am, and it is still my primary shampoo, but I am sad to say that it does cause build-up in my hair that causes my hair to look a little weighted down after a while.

Enter Aveda's Detoxifying Shampoo: "Formulated with certified organic aloe—to help maintain hair's natural moisture—while detoxifying.  Contains no synthetic reducing agents or ingredients that can damage the hair shaft.

Recommended use: daily for swimmers; once or twice a week for ordinary build-up. "

Jen's Experience:  I chose Wednesdays as my hair detoxifying day.  I think I am going to move it to the weekend, though, because the day I use this stuff and for a few days after, my hair is absolutely full of life.  It doesn't get weighted down from all the other products I am testing.  It seems to hold its style longer.  My hair just looks healthier.  This is an essential product for anyone who uses conditioning shampoos or heavy conditioners.   

Tips:  I was told by my Aveda salesperson that I should only use this product once a week, any more and my hair would become damaged.  Also, I use Aveda's sap moss conditioner with this shampoo, which I believe aids in re-moisturizing my hair.

Retail Price: $9.00/8 oz. (Aveda)

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This week I will be writing to you about my beauty goals for the new year.  Because who doesn't want to look stunning in 2005?

Now, I think my natural hair color (last time it was natural, which was like 1992 maybe) is dirty blonde.  However, I have been dying it or highlighting it so that it is light blonde ever since high school.  It might be black under there.  I just don't want to know.

What I do know is that when I use cheap hair products, my highlights turn really brassy really fast.  My last hair stylist in Atlanta, GA recommended using two of Aveda's products to prevent that from happening. 

I use Blue Malva shampoo on my hair to strip off whatever it is that makes my hair turn brassy.  If you have any gray hair strands, this will actually turn them white with continued use.  It does not seem to be harsh to my hair or scalp, yet doesn't cause my hair to be extra greasy.

For conditioner, I currently use Sap Moss.  It is pretty thick, and may be overkill if you don't have really dry hair.  If I am washing my hair daily, I tend to use a very small amount and apply it only to the ends, which really need the extra detangling power that Sap Moss provides.

The biggest drawback of both of these products is that they don't smell very good.  (In fact, they may be the only things Aveda makes that I don't want to eat.)  Luckily though, the smell doesn't persist in my hair throughout the day.

Last year I went off of these products twice, both times with bad results: one bad haircolor experience and one scalp allergy.  My new year's resolution is to take care of my hair.

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Reviewed By: Jen