When an email hit my inbox announcing that Just Extensions -- a salon that, as the name suggests, just does hair extensions -- was opening in Los Angeles, I was really reluctant to be the office tester monkey.

You've probably heard that (kinda hackneyed) phrase: "Life's a bumpy ride." But that saying is meant to be taken figuratively, not literally. As hard as you try to keep your skin velvety smooth, it's pretty much a given that somewhere along the road you're going hit a rough patch.

How many times have you looked at your bottle of moisturizer and thought "Ugh, that'll take too long...I'll skip it just this one time"? If you're anything like me, "just this one time" inevitably turns into several days or a week before your dry skin gets any attention. We all know you're supposed to moisturize daily to avoid any unpleasant flaky skin -- but who wants to sit and wait for her lotion to absorb before getting dressed and on with her day?

Right now, I'm going through a horrible breakup with all of my favorite beauty products.

I'm not alone, either. All of us Total Beauty editors are taking a break from our beloved moisturizers and hair masks. The reason behind our splits? We're testing nominees for the Total Beauty Awards 2013. (You can vote for your favorite beauty products here.)

Spring makeup is rarely controversial. While fall trends can border on Goth or grunge -- and make me roll my eyes and say "never going to happen" -- spring trends are just plain pretty.