Put Some Spring in Your Step With Our March Must Haves

Spring makes me want to start cooking healthy — after all, bikini season is around the corner. And after cleaning a lot of dishes, I will be using these adorable hand soaps from the Yes To franchise ($4 each). I can't easily pick a favorite of the four scents, but perhaps Coconut Lemongrass edges out as my personal winner. I love the colorful packaging and feel great knowing they are 97 percent natural and paraben free.

If you're looking to steer clear of foundation altogether or want to amp up your complexion, Make Up For Ever released its new Skin Equalizers ($36) this month, which are essentially skin primers, and I've been borderline obsessed with all of them. Five were created to help with the texture of your skin, dealing with issues like fine lines, an unbalanced pH level, dryness, and more. The other five brighten, and there's one for every skin tone. My personal favorites are the redness corrector (green) and the smoothing formula (gray). I mix and match two a day, either alone or with a foundation.

I'm all about overnight beautification — high benefits, less work. I apply the Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap Overnight Perfector ($28) to my curls before bed and twist it all up into a satin bonnet. In the morning, my coils are soft and springy without being too frizzy. I even have a touch of shine, which is near impossible for my 4c hair. I'll be giving up those greasy hair butters for a much lighter night cap from now on.

Have you ever noticed how your skin seems to get worse after treating a blemish? It all comes down to the pH of your skin. Phace founder Marisa Arredondo found that most skin care products are far too alkaline for the complexion, which is naturally acidic. This serum (like all of the Phace Bioactive products) is at a pH level as close as possible to skin's natural acidity, so instead of making your pimple panic and your skin flake, it clears you up. I keep the Clarifying Serum ($84) on my desk for sporadic spot treatments.

Everyone loves Clinique Chubby Sticks and contour tools, so when you combine the two, you get these perfect sticks ($21 each). The bold brown one blends into a sheer stain to define cheekbones, while the pearly pink highlights. My favorite trick is to use illuminator on my eyelids for a clean, bright look — especially when I don't get enough sleep!

Full disclosure: I was already a die-hard fan of the original Ahava Dead Sea Plants Dry Oil Body Mist ($40). Now it comes in a new cactus and pink pepper scent. I have never encountered pink pepper in my life (is that anything like pink Himalayan salt?), but I immediately fell for this refreshing smell. Every day I luxuriate in rubbing the oil all over my body after the shower. Then, I top it with my favorite body cream. Even women have been complimenting me on my soft skin, which is a Herculean feat with the negative temperatures in NYC right now.

I am a notorious mascaraholic, and it's not uncommon for me to use three different tubes before I leave the house in the morning. Avon's newest mascara ($8) is beyond perfect for layering — the formula is lightweight and buildable, so you can apply coat after coat without gunking up or weighing down your fringe. It contains superfine fibers, too, so your lashes get longer after each layer. Fellow contact-lens wearers need not be worried, as the formula is flake-proof.

I'm a fan of two-for-one deals like this multipurpose all-natural mask ($54). Half of the jar contains a Charcoal T-Zone Purifier to get all of the grime and oil off skin and minimize pores. The other side of the container houses the Pomelo Cheek Treatment, which adds moisture back into the epidermis. Less to pack, less to store, but more skin benefits. Love.

Oh, the things we do for beauty! This snazzy, gold-plated tool ($300) is studded with 260 superfine needles that you roll over your face postcleansing and preserum. Sounds supremely painful, but trust me when I say that you can barely feel it. While it's not for the faint of heart, as it does slightly abrade the skin, the results are worth the minor irritation. I use mine before I go to bed. Upon waking, my skin looks firm and radiant, and my cheekbones look supersculpted, even if I ate a big plate of pasta the night before.

Kate Somerville took her EradiKate Clearing Acne Treatment and turned it into a mask! The Eradikate Mask ($54) utilizes colloidal sulfur to clear breakouts and honey extracts to soothe the skin but has a unique formula that bubbles up from a gel cream on the skin, similar to an oxygen mask.

Every time I wear makeup, I seem to smear foundation on my clothes somehow. I have scarves, collared shirts, and even gloves marked with brown splotches. The new L'Oréal Paris Infallible Makeup Extender Setting Spray ($17) helps set the products before I wrap up in my Winter outerwear. It doesn't have the chemical smell like some finishing sprays, and immediately I noticed a more matte complexion. I've also noticed that I can skip the afternoon blush touch-up, when typically I lose all color by lunch.

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Because I have melasma, finding a product that encourages the brightening of my skin is always on my agenda. Intraceuticals products are found in some of the top spas and clinics around the country, which is why I was eager to try out its new Daily Serum ($149) and updated Opulence collection. In addition to actually brightening my skin and hyperpigmentation, it has hyaluronic acid to keep my skin plumped up, too.

Guerlain's Terracotta bronzer already has a cult following, and it's latest iteration — the Joli Teint Healthy Glow Powder Duo ($53) — is sure to add to the frenzy. The palette contains a healthy dose of bronze with a hint of rosy peach to give you that perfect sun-kissed glow. Plus, it has a sophisticated scent (yes, fragranced powder!) of freesia, orange flower extract, jasmine, rose, iris, tonka bean, and vanilla.

You've probably never considered a body scrub as the perfect hostess gift, but The Holistic Home's scrub ($50) has completely changed that. The Brooklyn-based brand custom-creates each scrub to your scent specifications (we like the mind- and sinus-clearing "good juju" blend) and labels them with the recipient's name. Each scrub is mixed with luxurious French gray sea salt and almond oil, so your skin is left polished and soft. Bonus: the jar features a pretty crystal on top, so it'll look gorgeous in the guest bathroom of your best friend's beach house.

There are two products you'll find in most makeup artists' kits: either Elizabeth Arden's Eight-Hour Cream or Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè. Both are lovely and work in overdrive to deliver gorgeous, supple skin all day long, but Embryolisse is the creamier of the two and absorbs quickly. Plus, it works as a primer, moisturizer, and makeup remover. The French label's special-edition gold packaging ($28) celebrates its 65th anniversary.

If there is one beauty tip I learned backstage at New York Fashion Week, it's that great makeup starts with skin care. Makeup artists would massage moisturizer into models' faces before applying concealer or foundation. So, I've taken to using Origins Original Skin Renewal Serum ($39) at home for a similar dewy effect. This is one product targeted at 20-somethings, which means it was created with late nights and tequila binges in mind. The willow bark helps get rid of dullness, and algae shrinks enlarged pores. But I love how the silky serum makes my foundation melt into my skin.

On the hunt for an acne-clearing face wash that won't make your skin feel like the Sahara? Dermalogica's Medibac Skin Clearing Wash ($36) is it. The refreshing face wash (yes, I said that about an acne-clearing wash) includes salicylic acid, which also helps eliminate extra oil in addition to clearing up breakouts.

I'm already addicted to Klorane's dry shampoo, so of course I welcomed the French brand's first blowout-preserving shower cap ($15) with open arms. The terry-cloth interior won't muss up your strands, while the plastic exterior blocks out moisture. The best part is you can flip it inside out to use the cap as a moisture seal for preshower deep-conditioning treatments.

Clinique's Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer ($27) debuted in February of this year, to the excitement of many editors and reporters around the nation. What's most mesmerizing about this buildable foundation-and-concealer duo is that it has polymers in the formula that adjust to your skin's needs. Have too much oil in your t-zone? Buh-bye! Dry patches need some extra love? Hello, moisture!

Plus, the doe's foot allows you to apply as little or as much product you need. Need to cover a blemish? Dab on some concealer with the tip. Or, for full-coverage foundation, turn the doe's foot on its side and swipe across your cheek. And with 20 shades, there's something for everyone.