If you ask me to go to my happy place (between living in Los Angeles and weekly yoga classes, this happens more often than you would think), I instantly envision myself in a field of lavender. There's just something about the scent that instantly creates an aura of calm. Ask my coworkers -- I started keeping a bottle of lavender essential oil at my desk after I read that it increases calmness and helps gain trust.

Every time we get a lavender-scented product in the office, I have the highest hopes ... but I'm usually disappointed. Too often I've been let down by a scent that claims to be lavender, but actually smells artificial and sweet. Not so with the Kiss My Face 2n1 Lavender Shea Light Moisturizing Air Powered Spray, $9.99. This lotion is made with real lavender flower oil and extract, along with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera leaf extract and sunflower seed oil. The formula itself is hydrating and light, moisturizing without leaving any trace of greasiness. And, as if I needed any more convincing, the bottle has a spray nozzle. With the push of a button I'm enveloped in a subtle, lingering scent that keeps me in my happy place for hours. --Emily Woodruff

I'm almost as excited about the different ways of taking off my makeup as I am about putting it on. In college, I'd fall asleep with a full face of makeup on and not even care. But now, there's nothing like going to bed knowing my face is thoroughly rinsed and clean. I think I'm finally too old to wake up with mascara on my pillow.

I'd heard rumors that Simple's $8 Cleansing Micellar Water was the king of drugstore makeup melters, so I figured I'd give it a try.

As luck would have it, the rumors were true. (I'm already on my second bottle). I just spill this gentle stuff over a cotton pad or towelette and get rubbing -- by the time I'm done, my makeup is gone, and my skin feels refreshed and clean. They say you don't need to follow up with a cleanser, and while I believe that's true, I've become kind of obsessive about removing my makeup, so I usually do it anyway. Regardless, this stuff impresses me -- especially for that unbeatable price.

Before my nighttime skin care routine morphed into a 12-step event (a hazard of working at TotalBeauty.com), it was simplistic to a fault. As in I rarely -- if ever -- used a moisturizer. You see, in my experience, night creams were greasy messes that caused breakouts. When I confessed this to my beauty-product-loving BFF, the look of shock and horror on her face was enough to send me in hot pursuit of a moisturizer that worked for my skin.

A few Google searches let me know that CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM, $13.99, was loved among users and dermatologists alike. When I started using it, I immediately understood why. Unlike other night creams, it doesn't suffocate skin, yet it feels as silky, rich and hydrating as many break-the-bank lotions. It's loaded with nourishing ingredients, like ceramides and hyaluronic acid, and it's void of additives that make my skin freak out. Even now, surrounded by expensive creams for the 2015 Total Beauty Awards, I still reach for this one. Best of all, it made my skin visibly healthier -- for less than I'd spend on an L.A. cocktail. --Mary Squillace

I'm usually a powder blush girl. I use mineral foundations for the most part, and creams usually don't mesh well with powder. However, once I laid eyes on this adorably packaged melon shade from Topshop, I had to try it.

The formula of Topshop's cream blush is dewy, but it blends over mineral foundation seamlessly. No streaks, no smudging -- just flawless, glowing cheeks. I also use a bit on my lips for a pop of color when I'm in a rush. I've been getting so many compliments from complete strangers on my lip and cheek color, which just reinforces what I already knew: This is beauty product love.

The packaging is really slender, so you can easily stash it in your purse. The shade range is beautiful, but I'm partial to Flush, a bright coral ideal for summer. I love the cream-to-powder formula that stays put all day, even on my oily skin. It's easy to build up the color, so I can go for a natural, everyday look or amp it up for a night out. I can't get enough of this cream blush -- thanks, TopShop. --Kelly Searle

My personal daytime skin care motto is "Everything's better with SPF." I want SPF in my moisturizer, SPF in my primer, SPF in my BB cream, SPF in my powder and I definitely want SPF in my eye cream. And yes, I layer all those SPFs together, and I still wear a hat and stay in the shade. I'm obsessive.

The latest addition to my maniacal SPF routine is Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector with SPF 30, $38. It's a titanium dioxide-based sunscreen with the slightest peach tint to balance out dark circles. While it's not high coverage -- there's only one color, and it works on most skin tones -- it is reflective and instantly brightening. On the weekends, I skip concealer altogether. (During the week I apply concealer with -- you guessed it -- SPF.)

But this is more than a tinted sunscreen -- it's also an awesome eye cream. It's moisturizing, makes a great base for makeup (not that you need it), and it contains activated vitamin C and licorice root extract, which lighten pigmentation and dark circles respectively. It's everything I want in a daytime eye cream -- and then some. --Dawn Davis