17 Best Skincare Products

BLACK GLAMOUR

The next best thing to pouring yourself into one of Givenchy's spring LBDs: indulging in the brand's new ebony-colored luxury moisturizer, Le Soin Noir ($360). Infused with rare black sea algae (rich in nourishing fatty acids) discovered in Japan, plus soy and wild-pansy extracts to firm and smooth the skin, the opaque treatment leaves a transparent, glowy sheen.

SKIN GENIUS

Sounds improbable, but I'm a foundation-phobic beauty editor. So I was thrilled to find Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation, $50. It erases blotchiness and pores with just a hint more coverage than tinted moisturizer—and packs SPF 30. 

FLOWER POWER

As a fan of fashion stylist Linda Rodin's essential-oil face blend—with calming jasmine and nourishing neroli—I've made her new Olio Lusso for body, $80, a weekly ritual: A few drops sweetly infuses my bath and soothes parched skin afterward.

Victoria Strips Down

Without parabens, petrochemicals, or strong scents, Victoria's Secret's new Naturally body line is minimalist sexy. Shown: Energizing Body Wash in Grapefruit Lime & Mint, $10

Up Close and Beautiful

Before Botox, stocking-covered camera lenses filtered out big-name newscasters' wrinkles. Today's Fogal equivalent? MAC's new Prep+Prime Line Filler, $17.50 - insta-spackle for the HD generation.

Roller Girl

Sure, I'm impressed that Garnier's new Ultra-Lift Pro Deep Wrinkle Roller ($16.99) is charged with vitamin A and beech-tree-derived Pro-Xylane to stave off wrinkles, but I'm also secretly thrilled by its roller-ball applicator that gently massages as it glides over the skin.

Fine Lines Therapy

Of the multitude of new-to-market, handheld LED ("light-emitting diodes" in lab-speak) devices that claim to zap everything from age spots to zits, which can you trust? I quizzed my go-to dermatologists, who gave these two a thumbs-up: OmniLux new-U ($225, left), for smoothing out lines with its combo of infrared and red LEDs, and Evis M.D. Platinum ($295), for its double delivery of red (to treat wrinkles) and blue (to erase acne) LEDs.

Katrina Cleanup 

Take a bath - sort of - with Brad Pitt! The actor/activist and part-time New Orleans resident lends his name to Kiehl's Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser ($16.50), a dye- and sulfate-free wash that's loaded with good stuff like aloe, glycerin, and coconut, and served up in an entirely recycled bottle. Proceeds go to post-Katrina housing charity Make It Right.

TRY Bliss Body Butter Lite ($35). It's half as thick as traditional shea-butter formulas but still provides heavy-duty moisture that's perfect for sun-parched legs.

Super Salve

Since its launch in 1930, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream has cured countless cracked cuticles and parched lips, and glossed up endless eyelashes and lids. (I have yet to meet a makeup artist without a tube in her kit.) So how do you make the cult classic even better? Add sunscreen. Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50, $30.

TOSS The rusty razor in your travel toiletry bag.
TRY High-tech disposable models so you don't have to slum it when shaving on vacation.
BUY Gillette Venus Spa Breeze Disposable Razors ($6.49 for two) with three blades and built-in shaving-gel bars.

Supermodel Skin Secret Crealine H20the gentle-as-water makeup remover exclusive to European pharmacies (and unanimously favored by backstage beauties), has finally met its match: Avene's Micellar Lotion, $17. It's equally mild, calms irritated skin, and can be found in drug stores on our home turf.

Frugal Facial After studying spa facials for five years--sign us up, too!--scientists at Avon have figured out how to bottle the benefits: Anew Rejuvenate Night Revitalizing Cream, $32, and Flash Facial Revitalizing Concentrate, $48, collaborate to exfoliate, tighten pores, and strengthen skin cells. And they'll tide you over till your next trip to the Bacara Spa

Tea Time

Though I can't stomach the bitter flavor of kombucha — aka black-tea ferment — I certainly want the healing benefits of this ancient Chinese remedy. Finally, I can get it with Fresh's Black-Tea Instant Perfecting Mask, $85. Fortified with sake and lychee-seed extract, the cooling cream brightens and 

Pollution Solution

Since I couldn't pack an entire pollution-eradicating tulip tree on a recent trip to Beijing, I staved off the city's legendary smog with Chanel's new Précision cleansing line. Formulated with micronized wax from tulip-tree leaves, the washes and toners, $45 each, draw age-accelerating free radicals from skin.

Tandem Acts

Lancôme Génifique, $78, doesn't want to replace your skincare faves; it strives to make them work better. The superbly light formula fires up "youth proteins" in skin that prevent dullness and make it more receptive to other moisturizers. Hello, baby face.

Bet Your Boots

The pretty new potions from Boots look straight out of the Brit brand's 19th-century London apothecary, but what's inside is distinctly modern—a blend of founder Jesse Boot's original formulas and cutting-edge technology. Soon-to-be staples: Lavender Hand Cream, $7.99, Cuticle Oil, $7.99, and Bath Oil, $12.99.