Recently in Features for Thursday Category

If you love flowers, but get sad when they die, we’ve got some good news for you. There are myriad beauty products out there that take their cue from flowers—but last a heck of a lot longer! And with Mother’s Day coming up, we thought there was no better time to bring them your way.

Red Flower Japanese Peony Cleansing Body Wash
From peony and Bulgarian rose to lily of the valley and lemon blossom, this silk extract-infused body wash not only makes skin smell amazing, but feel amazing, too.
$20 at redflower.com

Bond No. 9 Chinatown Scented Candle
If you’re looking to really indulge, this floral-printed candle—scented with patchouli-spiked peach blossom, peony, gardenia, tuberose and cardomom—is totally the way to go.
$90 at bondno9.com

Stephanie Johnson Kensington Jumbo Zip Cosmetic Bag
A splashy floral pattern meant to evoke the ornamental flower beds of an English garden makes for such a joyful makeup bag, right?
$44 at stephaniejohnson.com

Thymes Kimono Rose Bar Soap
This set of triple-milled vegetable soaps just brings such an elegant air to the guest bathroom. Of course, if these were in our guest bathroom, that would be the one we’d use all the time … but that’s beside the point.
$18 at thymes.com

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh
The latest iteration of Marc Jacobs’ popular Daisy fragrance contains notes of natural raspberry, grapefruit, pear, violet, wild rose, apple blossom, musks, cedarwood and plum, creating a fragrance that’s at once whimsical, fruity and fun.
$35-$70 at sephora.com

We know, we know — time runs pretty short around your house. What with the sporting events, the play rehearsals, the shuttling kids back and forth … if you ever get a moment to yourself, it’s absolutely blissful! Well, we have a few tried and true products guaranteed to make you find the time for a little self pampering.

Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache Honey Bath
Take the ultimate relaxing bath when you pour a few cupfuls of this deliciously scented, delightfully foamy bubble bath into the tub.
$40 at lauramercier.com

Carol’s Daughter Sweet Honey Dip Chocolate Brown Sugah Scrub
The deliciousness of chocolate — without any nasty calories! This scrub not only smells unbelievably delectable, but it leaves your body feeling super soft and smooth.
$34 at carolsdaughter.com

Molton Brown Relaxing Yuan Zhi Bath & Shower
The kids have been screaming all day, and all you want is a few minutes of solitude and peace. Thanks to this shower gel, which contains balancing and restorative properties, calm is just a simple shower away.
$28 at moltonbrown.com

Philosophy Baby Girl
If anyone knows how to pamper a gal properly, it’s Philosophy. This set — replete with fragrance, foot cream, hand cream, cleanser and lip balm — is perfect for new mommies.
$50 at philosophy.com

Bliss Softening Socks + Foot Patrol Set
Give your tootsies all the attention they deserve with this duo — one part cozy socks, one part rich cream, ALL parts totally luxe.
$58 at blissworld.com

Life got you rushing around like a chicken with your head cut off? Well, never fear — our time-saving beauty tips are here! If you’ve only got mere minutes to spare before your life as a busy mom sets in, you’ll definitely want to check these out.

Shampoo at night.
When time gets away from you in the morning, it doesn’t mean your hair has to suffer! Consider switching to longer showers at night so you can actually get in a shampoo and — gasp! — maybe even a conditioner after the kids are in bed. We love the Pantene Pro-V Color Hair Solutions Line, 4.99-$7.49 at drugstore.com.

Find a lipgloss/blush combo.
The best way to save time? Multitasking products! Whether you’re actually using a lipstick as a blush or you use a product that does double duty, you’ll definitely save time rifling through your makeup bag. Try Benefit Posietint, which imparts such a pretty pink flush on your lips and cheeks with just three strokes of your brush. $28 at benefitcosmetics.com.

Give your face a refreshing spritz.
Skin looking a little tired and worse for wear? No problem! Even if you don’t have any moisturizer handy, you can still give your face a refreshing overhaul with a facial spritz. Try Clinique Moisture Surge Face Spray ($20 at clinique.com), which replenishes the moisture in your skin and restores balance. Translation: you look refreshed and rejuvenated, even if you only got 30 minutes of sleep.

You spend all your time and money on everyone else in your life. Once in awhile, it’s nice to spend a little extra on yourself, isn’t it? And when it comes to these beauty products, we think you’ll agree that the splurge is most definitely worth it.

BURN Asian Pear Persimmon Candle
We’ve burned quite a few candles in our day … and believe us when we tell you that this is among the very best. It’s worth every penny, not only because it has a burn time of over 50 hours, but because the blend of fuji apple, wild plum, green fig, sakura blossom and hibiscus are absolutely divine.
$50 at burncandles.net

Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System
Looking to remove all that dirt and debris from your skin — while making it look and feel fresh and totally rejuvenated? This skincare brush is the answer. We dare you not to see results within just a few days.
$149 at clarisonic.com

La Mer The Eye Concentrate
If we could pick one product to take with us on a desert island, this would be it. Not only does it work to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, dark circles and all that jazz … it makes you feel like a princess with its dainty silver spoon.
$165 at cremedelamer.com

If there’s one thing we hate, it’s paying too much for beauty products. (And, yes, we spend a LOT on beauty products.) So believe us when we say that when we started embracing our inner recessionista and discovered a host of fabulous shower gels under $10, we jumped for joy. Check out our favorites!

Bath & Body Works Signature Collection CLASSICS Shower Gel Collection
Lemongrass Sage. Brown Sugar & Fig. Pearberry. Cotton Blossom. Discover all these delicious aromas and more when you check out the line’s signature scent collection. We’ve always been partial to the oversized plastic bottles - they just look so good in our shower.
$9.50 each at bathandbodyworks.com

H20+ Raspberry Guava Shower & Bath Gel
If you’re looking for a body wash that rejuvenates, revitalizes and completely reinvigorates you, this is the way to go. We love the fruity scent and the pretty pink hue - such a nice pick-me-up in the morning.
$9 at h20plus.com

Victoria’s Secret Pear Glace Exhilarating Body Wash
For years now - and we’re talking at least 15 - this has been at the top of our body wash must-have list. Pear nectar, cassis and violet combine to create a scent so tantalizingly delicious, we’re surprised we haven’t ever tried to drink it.
$8.50 at victoriassecret.com

The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel
Can you imagine how horrified we were when - gasp! - we once forgot to bring shower gel on vacation? Luckily, there was a Body Shop in our airport. As soon as we got a whiff of this fresh, citrusy scent, we were hooked.
$8 at thebodyshop.com