Editors’ Picks 2010: Spa & Beauty Products We Love

The year 2010 brought a ton of stand-out spa products our way!  The go-to’s when it came to feeling and looking great were often the most simple and versatile items.  From beauty to wellbeing, here are the top five spa products that SpaFinder’s editors couldn’t live without.

Erika’s Picks:

Kerstin Florian Hyaluronic Serum

This super hydrating serum is healing and so soothing, perfect for my sensitive skin!  It’s been a perfect addition to my evening routine since the weather’s gotten cold and dry. $85, www.KerstinFlorianUSA.com

neuveauBrow

After years of over-plucking my eyebrows, I was desperate to regain the full and fabulous brows I was born with!  This brow-enhancing formula by the creators or neuLash, helped me to regain my natural look, giving me thick, lustrous brows that would even make Brooke Shields jealous. $100, www.neuveaubrow.com

Tarte Natural Lip Sheer with SPF 15

This lipstick-look balm is the perfect way to go from a no-makeup day to looking perfectly put together, without actually putting on any makeup!  This convenient little stick has lip protecting SPF and natural ingredients like beeswax, coconut oil and mango butter to keep lips feeling great.  I love the shade Tea Time, a subtle deep rose. $16, www.tartecosmetics.com

BareMinerals Original SPF 15 Foundation

This award winning foundation is completely deserving of its accolades!  Light, and pure, with natural mineral ingredients and oh-so-easy to apply perfectly, this powder can give customizable degrees of coverage and always looks great. $25, www.bareescentuals.com

Alba Very Emollient Body Lotion

This unscented super rich body lotion has all of the luxuriousness of a cream, with the convenience of a pump top bottle!  It absorbs quickly and leaves skin so smooth.  The natural plant emollients are soothing and gentle and the unscented formula doesn’t battle my choice perfume for attention. $10.95, www.albabotanica.com

Amy’s Picks:

Befine Warming Clay Mask

The warming sensation of this detoxifying and oil-absorbing mask amazes me every time I use it. Kaolin clay absorbs oil, Arnica Montana flower extract soothes and heals, and pomegranate extracts stabilize free radicals. And, the pretty packaging makes it perfect for a holiday gift! $15.99 for 3.4 fluid ounces; www.befine.com

Olivina Classic Olive Body Butter

This luscious body butter from Napa Valley is thick and creamy, and I love the fresh yet musky, almost masculine-but-not olive scent (it’s actually a unisex scent!). Ingredients like grapeseed and extra virgin olive oil condition skin, while pure shea butter, coconut, sweet almond and rose-hip seed oils help maintain skin’s moisture balance. $26 for 8 fluid ounces; www.olivinanapavalley.com

Leonor Greyl Shampooing Crème Moelle de Bambou

I can’t get enough of this shampoo! Made with natural active ingredients such as wheat derivatives, carrot, silk, proteins and bamboo marrow, you can feel the difference in your hair after your first wash. A shampoo and conditioner in one, it targets long, dry hair and repairs it, giving it shine and a silky smooth feel. I love the powdery scent and was amazed what one wash with this stuff did for my locks. $39.00 for 7 ounces; www.leonorgreyl-usa.com

Amala Purifying Moisturizer

I got a taste of this truly purifying moisturizer during a facial at the Mandarin Oriental. While it was only a taste, I knew my skin was loving it. With ingredients like Blue Lotus, algae extract, tiger grass, and white tea, Amala’s moisturizer helps address excess oil and shine in the T-zone; dryness on cheeks, large and clogged pores, and dull skin tone and redness or irritation. And, the fact that Amala’s products are full of sustainable and organic plants, all sourced from global fair trade farmers, makes me feel as good about using the product as the product makes my skin feel! $68.00 for 1 fluid oz; www.amalabeauty.com

EcoBeauty by Lauren Cox with Janice Cox

This book is chock full of simple home recipes for – as the cover of the book says – scrubs, rubs, masks, and bath bombs for you and your friends! The recipes are all super approachable and usually call for ingredients you’d have in your pantry or refrigerator anyway, like honey or cucumbers! A great gift for your recipe-lover friend, or better yet, make a product from this book and package it as a gift with the recipe attached! Suggested retail price: $19.99; www.laurencox.net

Kate’s Picks:

Kinara Red Carpet Facial Kit

This at-home version of the Kinara signature treatment is no celeb-kept secret: It touts leading ladies like Halle Berry as fans, and in just three steps—peel, neutralizer, and mask (okay, four steps if I count unabashedly admiring the immediate, radiant after-effects in the mirror)—leaves  my skin ready for its Hollywood debut.
$145; http://www.kinaraspa.com

By Nieves Face Fix

Use this product, packed with rosehip, horsetail, licorice, white willow, and other extracts, as a scrub or mask, depending on your mood. The apothecary-like smell (a byproduct of the organic herbs and clay powder blend, perhaps?) might make your nose crinkle at first, but the end result is amazing. Blackheads? Gone. Skin? Glowing. 4 oz., $32; http://www.bynieves.com

Fake Bake Flawless Self-Tan Liquid & Professional Mitt

Spray the liquid on a mitt that resembles the ones found in your kitchen, smooth over your skin, and you’ve got yourself a sun-kissed (and streak-free) tan even in the most frigid months. Further pluses? It dries almost instantly and has an easy-to-see tint while applying.
Available January 2011; http://www.fakebake.com

Absolute Beauty by Dr. Pratima Raichur

Open any page of this beauty lover’s Bible and you’re gonna learn a little something, from determining your exact skin type to finding inner tranquility based on the principles of Ayurveda. Additional reading? Add Kate Somerville’s Complexion Perfection! to your beauty book collection.
$21.95; http://www.pratimaskincare.com
$27.95; http://www.katesomerville.com

Darphin Predermine Firming Wrinkle Repair Serum

Don’t let the pretty purple packaging fool you – this protein-enhancing, silk-like serum regenerates the production of collagen and elastin for a firmer complexion. The only side effect? Glowing skin.
1 oz, $175; http://www.darphin.com

Shari’s Picks:

Spa Ritual Nail Polish

These eco-friendly, vegan nail lacquers are free of DBP, formaldehyde and tolune. Each shade is associated with a unique message, meaning or numerological value, and the bottles are made with reusable glass. $10, Sparitual.com

ESPA Resistance Body Oil

Great for this time of year since doctors recommend eucalyptus to ward off fever, aches, chills, and coughs — and ESPA’s latest product offers not one, but three types of eucalyptus! Not to mention, a little whiff is a quick fix for clearing the sinuses. This clinically blended body oil works best when used on damp skin, worked in circular movements, and applied onto pulse points. 3.38 fl.oz, $61 or 1.69 fl.oz, $40, www.espaonline.com

Moroccanoil Light

This cult fave is worthy of the buzz.  For shinier, smoother locks, apply to damp hair and Morrocanoil will reduce drying time. Now the formula, rich in argan oil, comes in Light, for those with fine or fair-colored hair.  $39, Moroccanoil.com

Dentisse Natural Solution Oral Rinse

For fresh, minty breath without the burning or drying of alcohol, this rinse with natural ingredients like baking soda, xylitol, aloe vera, and a blend of essential oils (clove, eucalyptus, menthol, tea tree, and wintergreen) is gentle and effective.  $14.99, www.dentisse.com

Aveda Comforting Tea

This certified organic blend is the only tea I can drink without adding sweetener. Plus, it calms the senses with soothing herbal infusion of licorice root and peppermint. 20 tea bags, $15, Aveda.com