Friday, December 20, 2002
In case you didn't notice that guy with the hacking cough in your geometry class, we've got news for you: It's flu season. That means it's a good bet that for at least one day during the next few months, you're going to be miserable. Runny nose, watery eyes, endless sneezing ... you know the drill. And chances are, it's going to come at the worst possible time, like on the day of your big Spanish exam (or the night of your big date).
We can't promise a miracle cure, but we're pretty keen on Kiss My Face's Cold and Flu Bath, a bath-and-shower gel chock-full of soothing herbs (kind of like a 21st-century version of Vicks VapoRub). It's packed with ingredients such as eucalyptus to break up congestion, fennel to relieve muscle pain and horehound to soothe congested lungs. And the aloe vera and olive oil in this stuff will make your skin feel so soft, you'll want to use it even after you're feeling better.
A 16-ounce bottle of Cold and Flu Bath will cost you about $9 at natural-foods stores, or order online at www.kissmyface.com.
Nice nails
If you've ever wanted to paint your nails a different color every day of the week, now's your chance. Hard Candy has a new set of seven minibottles of nail polish, in colors sure to match whatever you're wearing. Plus, the names of the colors are a riot: Stop, Trailer Trash, Hick, Trance, Cosmic, Liquid and Ego. True, the names aren't exactly descriptive, but they're so much fun. (And in case you were wondering, the colors are red, silver, blue, purple, pink, gold and fuchsia.)
Best of all, in true Hard Candy style, each bottle comes adorned with a plastic ring, so you can dress up your fingers after you've decorated them. And the set comes with nail decals and a reusable plastic box, which will come in handy for storing lipsticks, pencils or other doodads once the nail polish is gone.
Pick up the set for 20 bucks at www.sephora.com or www.hardcandy.com.
Hot stuff
Here's something you'll love: Urban Decay's new shimmering body powder, a holiday treat if ever we've seen one. The glistening, glowing powder comes in two flavors: Cake and Red Hot. Yes, we said "flavors," not "scents" -- the powders taste like sweet cake and spicy cinnamon. (We wouldn't suggest ingesting large quantities, but if your guy plants a kiss on your shoulder, he'll get a tasty treat.)
The Red Hot powder is especially great for the holidays -- it gives your skin a shimmery pink glow, and comes in the most adorable red box with a fancy tassel. And did we mention the leopard-print powder puff? Va-va-va-voom! Your best friend will love you if you slip a box of this stuff in her stocking. On the condition she shares it, of course.
Look for Urban Decay's Cake and Red Hot powders for $25 at select department stores or Sephora boutiques, or log on to www.urbandecay.com.
XBecky Sher writes Hype for Knight Ridder Tribune News Service. You can write to her at bsher@krtinfo.com.