I have had ups and downs with my skin. But recently, it’s been all ups. Totally delightful ups.

For example, I strolled into my apartment building the other day, and a normally unobservant security guard looks at me and says, “you’ve got such beautiful skin.” That was a total first. And I have one product to thank.

Jolie MD.

This two step kit has cleared most of my discoloration and hyperpigmentation, brightened my skin tone, and generally improved the texture of my skin. Not overnight, mind you. I used this product consistently for two months or so — enough to completely finish both bottles of product. So please know this about to be a thorough review.

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I’m looking forward to this weekend for the dorkiest reason — finally I’m going to unpack my suitcases, put away my summer clothes, and take my makeup and hair products out of my travel bag. Until February, when I go on another trip!

With all the traveling I’ve been doing, I’ve had to learn the art of packing intelligently. In these days of rising luggage fees, I need to be economical. That means packing products that are multi-use and uber-effective. Allow me to share some of my latest finds — the items that got road tested in Hawaii!

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I have a hard time reviewing skin care. I like to see a product demonstrate results before I share it with you all, and skin care products usually take a while to reveal results. The last thing I want to do is recommend some expensive tub of crapola that does nothing for you, dear reader. So know this: skin care is subjective. The following products are the few and the proud that made an impact on my regime and improved my situation. I hope they do the same for you, if you decide to try them out yourself! Without further ado…

1. MAC’s Volcanic Ash Exfoliator and Naked Honey Skin Salve — it was impossible to choose one MAC product that made a notable difference to my skin care regime this year – so I’m cheating with a twofer! I am SO sad both of these products are limited edition. MAC’s Volcanic Ash Exfoliator has made such a difference to the texture of my skin. It’s a gentle scrub that quickly dissolves to ash, and it works so well for my purposes. I even use it on my dry, flaky lips. And after my lips are smooth and soft, I slather on a dab of Naked Honey Skin Salve for the ultimate kissability. This is one of very few “beauty” products my husband will share with me. Released earlier this year as part of the Naked Honey collection, this is a light moisturizer you can use ANYWHERE. I love it on my lips, and when I feel like really splurging I use some on my hands and feet (and then slip on some socks). This stuff is no longer available through MAC online, but you can find it at Nordstrom and at this site here. Please note — these items are expensive, but I try so many products and in my opinion, they’re both worth it.

2. Me! Shower Sherbert. I’m so happy to be a member of BeautyFix (click here to join!) — every season a fresh batch of tried and tested beauty products lands in my mailbox. And I’ve found some real winners here — the ME! Bath line of products stands proudly among them. The Bath Ice Cream rocks, but the Shower Sherbert rocked my world. It’s hard to find a scrub that is both exfoliating and moisturizing, and this is that item. AND it smells positively edible. Amazingness! I need more Me! time, that’s for sure!

3. 3 Lab Perfect Cleansing Scrub. It takes cojones to call your product “perfect” when there are SO many other cleansers and skincare lines competiting with you…but if anyone can do this, it’s 3Lab. Since I started using their cleansing scrub, I’ve noticed less breakouts, less blackheads, and prettier skin overall. It’s a very very gentle scrub — more of a cleanser with occasional scrubbies in the mix. I use it daily and it’s made a remarkable difference in the texture and appearance of my face.

4. Mario Badescu. SO happy I attended the Powder Group’s Artist Summit here in Chicago (and can’t wait for their glorious return!). That’s where I was introduced to the wonders of Mario Badescu. The products I’ve tried are now daily must-haves for me. The Drying Lotion is like no other zit buster I’ve tried. It works overnight to dry those suckers out, and if you’ve got a razor bump or ingrown hair it works wonders on those too.

5. Prescriptives Comfort Cream. Why, Prescriptives? Whyyyyyyyyyyyy? *picture me on my knees in the middle of an empty street in the pouring rain* — I am SO sad this brand bit the dust in 2009. But good news — the brand is leaving store shelves, but will remain online as long as products last. So you can still order your custom foundations for now – and pick up a jar of lush moisturizing Comfort Cream while you’re at it. I used to have a bedside table full of clutter, now I’ve got three things — my Bobbi Brown oil cleanser, my Ponds makeup wipes, and this night cream. Can’t do without it!

What are your thoughts, bellas? Tried any breakthrough skin products lately?

I’d definitely love the five golden rings, but the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas gifts? You can keep em!
What would you even do with all those maids-a-milking and lords-a-leaping, not to mention all those birds?

This holiday season, there’s a new spin on the classic holiday song. Instead of 12 Days of Christmas, The Body Shop is offering 12 Days of Giveaways. And I’m day #9!

Do you wanna win a specially packaged prize set of bath and body goodies valued at least $100? Or enter to win $1200 of The Body Shop’s finest offerings?

Of course you do!

The prize package you can win right here by leaving a comment is truly delish. It includes:

Merry Cranberry Body Butter
Merry Cranberry Lip Balm
Nutmeg & Vanilla Body Butter
Nutmeg & Vanilla Body Scrub
Nutmeg & Vanilla Lip Balm
Black Velvet Apricot Body Butter
Black Velvet Apricot Shower Nectar
Black Velvet Apricot Lip Balm
and the Merry Aromas holiday reed diffuser gift pack.

That nutmeg and vanilla stuff sounds DELICIOUS and the Black Velvet Apricot — to die for!

One lucky winner from the United States will win this wicked prize pack. All you have to do is leave a comment and tell me: which fragrance best describes your holiday style? What makes you a Merry Cranberry chica, a Black Velvet Apricot bella, or a Nutmeg and Vanilla mama? I love knowing how you celebrate the season! I’ll close these comments on Friday morning and choose a winner at random.

Don’t forget to click here to enter for the grand prize of $1,200 worth of Body Shop products!

Good luck, bellas!!

**edited Friday at 11:00 – comments are closed! I’ll choose a winner ASAP. And keep reading – next week is GREAT for giveaways!

Every year we say the same thing, but seriously — does it not seem as though the holiday season just crept up on all of us? I am SO not ready for Christmas. But here it comes, with the lights and the festitivity and the expectation of presents. And so it’s time once again for the Afrobella gift guide!

This year I plan on featuring quality, not quantity — 12 gift posts, one for each day of Christmas. Expect to hear only about the products I truly think are unique, under the radar, and totally gift-worthy. Over the past twelve months I’ve been receiving and reviewing some amazing items, and I can truly recommend something fresh and fun for every kind of bella.

My first suggestions will combat your skin’s urgent needs as the weather grows colder. Because ashy isn’t a good look for the holiday season!

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Recently a reader left a comment here, along the lines of “I’m glad you’re doing hair posts again.”

This sparked an internal guilt trip that I won’t recount in great detail, but I want to let you all know that I’m gonna try my bestest to do better. It’s hard out here for a full time blogger, y’all. I’m trying my best to keep all the plates spinning and sometimes I lose track of my main focus. It’s extra challenging now that I’m the main hair blogger for AOL Black Voices, and contributing posts about ethnic beauty for The Fairest — I may be assigned a certain topic, or need to do a product review there ASAP, and then I forget to post it here on Afrobella as well. Or sometimes (to be really real with you), I just get burned out on writing about hair all the time and then I’ll switch it up to keep my passions burning.

Either way, mea maxima culpa and I’m gonna do better! Here are some of my recent reviews:

I love, love, love the hair products of Karen’s Body Beautiful. On my cruise, I took products from two hair care brands with me — Jane Carter Solution (review to come!) and KBB. The Hair Butter kept my hair frizz free and pretty from Chicago’s coolness to South Florida’s heat. Click here to read my whole review.

I recently did a review on luxury hair products — click here to read details on such high end brands as Leonor Greyl, Phyto, and Oribe. I’m gonna work on a longer, more detailed how-it-really-works-on-natural-hair post for y’all soon. But trust me, don’t sleep on Leonor Greyl!

And finally — let’s talk makeup!

Over on Who’s The Fairest, I break down the prospects now that Prescriptives is about to shuffle off this mortal coil. Clicky click for breakdowns of my favorite products by expected giants like MAC, Make Up For Ever, and Three Custom, as well as some unexpected recent faves like Black Opal and Fashion Fair. Yes that’s right, I said Fashion Fair! More to come on that historied cosmetics brand soon!