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Chocolate Beauty Treats I’ve just about gotten this beauty thing figured out. I drink tons if water, opt for regular facials and apply eye cream nightly. And just when the habits required to look great have become second nature, chocolate—that acne-inducing lover from the past – is back. Did I mention it’s also supposed to be good for us? That’s right; experts say cocoa infused beauty products stimulate circulation, thanks to trace amounts of caffeine, while serving as a natural skin soother that is choc-full of antioxidants. So this week, I’ve rounded up some of the most chocolicious products on the market—all taste-tested and approved, of course! Whip Stick Lip Balm by Lush
Cocoa Shampoo by Tact Beauty Care
Phytosesame Express Hydrating Conditioner by Phyto
Perlier Dark Chocolate Nourishing Hand Cream
Chocolove Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate
They say that what goes around comes around so for now, I’m willing, even eager, to accept chocolate back into my life. But keep that scrunchie away from me. There are only so many trends I’m willing to embrace again in this lifetime.
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You gotta love Lush. Committed to natural ingredients long before it was hip to do so, Lush’s International beauty boutiques serve up homegrown products with a sophistication not found at your local farmer’s market. I’m enamored with the Whip Stick Lip Balm ($8.45), choc-full of tasty ingredients such as olive oil, honey and chocolate, because it lives up to the claim on the packaging, “A Tasty Chocolate Lip Balm.” And it’s so fresh it actually comes with a made on and use by date. Lush products are available online at 
Tact Beauty Care’s delicious cocoa collection boasts a bevy of must-have beauty products that hail from Brazil. Think shower gel, massage oil, shampoo, conditioner, lotion and more, all inspired by a passion for cocoa and its mood enhancing properties. The Cocoa Shampoo ($10) is an ultra-mild cleanser designed for daily use and infused with moisture-rich ingredients such as cocoa and guarana. Available online at 
The packaging of Phyto’s Phytosesame Express Hydrating Conditioner ($28) is more clinical than decadent. But my skepticism ended when I pumped the first application of this hair-saving conditioner into my hand. The scent is amazing, thanks to a high concentration of cocoa butter, a natural fat that is actually extracted during the chocolate making process. And, as promised, the conditioner, recommended for dry and over-processed hair, soothed my long curly locks without weighing them down. Log on to 
Made in Italy with all natural ingredients, Perlier’s Dark Chocolate Nourishing Hand Cream blends intense moisture with the decadent scent of dark chocolate all in an elegant, and portable, 3.4 oz tube. Locking in moisture, this product leaves hands soft and supple. The natural cocoa base not only smoothes skin, but is said to be a mood enhancer. The addition of vitamin E nourishes skin keeping it feeling smooth and looking young; $15 at 
Sometimes a girl’s just gotta have her chocolate and eat it too. Chocolove’s Dark Chocolate bars of the edible kind not only satisfy a sweet tooth but can also do wonders for your health. Antioxidant-rich, dark chocolate is believed to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, something that its milk-laden counterpart cannot do. Coupled with the energizing effects of ginger, this snack treats more than just your hunger pangs. Packaged handsomely and complete with a love poem printed on the inside of the wrapper, there is nothing not to love about Chocolove’s Ginger Crystallized in Dark Chocolate bar. Chocolove products are available at Whole Foods Market, Target Stores and Wild Oats.
