This lactic acid toner lifts Retin-A-induced flakes instantly. I apply it every morning with a cotton square, then top with the product on the next slide.

Note: Your skin may be a little pink post application (especially if you're on the sensitive side). But the pink dies down to a flattering rosy glow within 20 minutes. And if your skin is not at all sensitive, you may be able to step it up to the P50 (sans the V) lotion, which provides even more intense exfoliation.

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The perfect hybrid between a tinted moisturizer and a light foundation, this product makes my skin look more even in tone without erasing all of my natural color (there are few things more unflattering—or aging—than the mask-like effect of a heavy foundation). I wear shade #2 and top it with a bit of bronzing powder. This combo makes my skin looks believably glowy, like I come by a clear complexion naturally.

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In three words: This stuff works.

If your lashes are short or sparse—or you just wish your ho-hum fringe was thicker/longer/darker, this product is your ticket. I apply it nightly, and have recently had to scale back to every other night because my lashes were so long they were leaving mascara skid marks on my sunglasses.

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It's a cliche, but this is my desert island product. This simple tinted balm is, well, the bomb. It gives your lips the perfect amount of rosy color, plus some moisture and SPF. I keep one in my purse, medicine cabinet, desk drawer—and in the pocket of my winter coat. Can't live without it.

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Last summer my hair had had enough. Enough coloring. Enough blowdrying. Enough getting tugged back into a tight chignon. Sick of the abuse, my hair rebelled—and started falling out in clumps big enough to clog the shower drain. Needless to say, I freaked out. I started researching, talking to hair experts—asking other beauty editors. And one remedy kept coming up: Viviscal. The Viviscal tablets contain vitamin C, a cocktail of fish (yes, you read that right), horsetail extract and cherry extract. I've been told protein helps thinning hair so maybe it's the deep sea combo that does the trick? Regardless, I'm been taking the tablets for two months and have seen a difference. Where I previously had a bald spot, there are new hairs (wispy, yes, but real honest-to-goodness hairs). Plus the rest of my locks also seem in better shape: shinier, less frizzy—and staying put in my scalp.

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If you try nothing else from my list of faves, don't let this one pass you by. These stain-removing wipes are life-changing, instantly removing coffee dribbles, tootpaste splotches, and rain puddle splatter. I bought my first pack to tackle my son's neckties (he was six and had to wear a tie to school. He loved to eat yogurt at lunch. You do the math). They were miraculous. So I started carrying them in my makeup pouch and they've rescued me (and my outfits) on countless occasions.

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I stumbled upon these in Sally Beauty Supply years ago and felt like I'd struck gold. My fine hair slips out of a bun in about five seconds, but these pins stay put—and they won't tear fragile hair. I use the clear because of my light hair—but they also come in black or a tortoise color.

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YSL's makeup collection and Touche Eclat (a highlighter/concealer makeup artists adore) score all the accolades. But the nail lacquers are unsung heros. The colors are gorgeous: Right now I'm wearing #31, a Caribbean teal on my toes. Come fall  I will deepen my blue addiction to royal, #44.

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Thanks to Berenice S, Rothenberg, a certified clinical electrologist (a.k.a. a hair removal guru), I don't have to worry about waxing my bikini line any longer. From puberty to my mid-20s, the razor was my method of choice. Then, thanks to the popularity of the Brazilian, I switched to waxing. But, after battling unsightly ingrowns (an unfortunate side effect of waxing) for more than a decade, I decided to give lasering a go. I ventured into one of the better-known hair removal spas in Manhattan, but it wasn't until I met Berenice at her eponymous spa that I fully appreciated how much you need a true expert to get rid of pesky hair in your nether region. In a mere two months, Berenice erased fuzz I'd been tackling at the other spa for three years. With almost 40 years of experience, Berenice is like the Michael Jordan/Dara Torres/Roger Federer [insert your favorite uber athlete here] of hair removal. Click here to find out more about her practice.

Short of visiting a dermatologist and getting a zit injected with cortisone, nothing gets rid of a stubborn pimple like this powder. It's sulfur-based so it is a little smelly, but man-oh-man it works. Like overnight. If you still battle the occasional cyst zit like I do, you've got to give this a go.

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