lip candy

Photo: Travis Rathbone

Lip Candy
Have the dark days of winter stolen some of the fun from your routine? Brighten up with one or more of these six richly pigmented Belmacz Glow Lip Glosses. Infused with 24kt-gold-leaf flakes, they leave sheer color and a high shine that will have you smiling in no time.

($33 each; woodleyandbunny.com)
perfume

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

Hearts and Minds
If you're interested in a couple of sure ways to brighten your New Year—and who isn't?—I suggest a bottle of the light floral (and instantly uplifting) Clinique Happy Heart. Ten dollars from each sale of the fragrance and $5 from each sale of the T-shirt go to the Happy Hearts Fund, an organization that builds or rebuilds schools in areas affected by natural disasters. —Valerie Monroe

($37 for 30 milliliters-bottle and $16 for T-shirt; clinique.com)
body cream

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

Crème of the Crop
When you're required to try hundreds of luxurious body creams for your job, as I am, it's hard to be wowed. (Yes, I know how that sounds....) So when I opened a jar of Côté Bastide Fleurs D'Oranger Creme de Corps and got a whiff of the scent—a unique and alluring combination of sweet orange and bitter rind—I thought, "Okay, that's nice." But the snow white, glistening, buttercream icing texture! And the subtle sheen the cream leaves on your skin! That's why this jar now sits on my bathroom sink (and why I smell a little like an orange grove in bloom). —Valerie Monroe

($52; minnewyork.com)
sprout skincare

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

Simple Pleasures
A few weeks ago, we were happy to meet the newest member of the less-is-more school of beauty: Sprout Skincare. Each of the line's eight products contains no more than five ingredients, all sourced from organic or small farms. (The company is based in Brooklyn.) The face scrub (almonds, oats, and sea salt) is as effective as any we've tried, the cream (shea butter plus coconut and olive oils) is rich but not greasy, and the makeup remover (a blend of olive, jojoba, and almond oils) melts mascara on contact. Proof that a frill-free approach can be surprisingly luxurious.

($5 to $32; sproutskincare.com)
black boot

Photo: Marko Metzinger/Studio D

Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Boost & Lift Foaming Air Mousse
Why we love it: The liquid-to-foam formula can be used on wet or dry hair—on wet hair it creates texture and bounce; on dry hair it gives hold without crispiness. And because the mousse is light and airy, it doesn't weigh down fine hair.

($4; drugstores)