The hottest colors and the best beauty products. How do you find them? SELF Magazine has tested more than a thousand products - thanks to more than a thousand helpful readers - and the results are in.

There are beauty products we love to splurge on. "Definitely hair products, shampoos, conditioners," said Lee Walker.

There are also ones we tend to shell out less for. "I tend to spend less money on mascara," said Erin Simon.

In the end, it all comes down to what works. So how do you choose where to drop your dough?

SELF Magazine asked readers to test more than a thousand new hair, skin, and cosmetic products and rate them based on things like texture, color, and how easy they are to use.

"We had over 1,400 testers, and we tested about 1,400 products, and we had 86 winners," said Elaine D'Farley of SELF Magazine. "There were 34 products that were under ten dollars."

Start the day with a clean slate. C.O. Bigelow's cleanser has a creamy texture that readers adored.

And if you're looking for an eye cream, "the best de-puffing eye cream is from Biore," said D'Farley. "It has a cooling kind of feeling instantly when you put it on."

The bar soap by Caress scrubbed away the compettion with tiny sugar crystals.
Or try the winning bath product by Avene. It left one tester squeaky-clean and satisfied. "I felt like it was really moisturizing my skin, and also, it dissolved into the bath water really well," said Erin Simon.

To keep hands hydrated, this lotion from Sephora and OPI won hands down. Tester Lee Walker said, "It's a hand cream that just has this beautiful, silky texture to it and then absorbs right in."

In the makeup category, get ready for prime time with Prescriptives' Skin Primer. And D'Farley says Almay's concealer was a perfect match.

"It's got this color correcting technology so that when you apply it, it actually works with your skin to match your skin tone," said D'Farley.

The best all-around shampoo and conditioner are no splurge, at less than $8 combined, and a hair spray by L'Oreal is a cult favorite in Europe, but just popped up on American shelves.

Tester Lindsey Benoit said, "It really showed that, you know, I could have a little bit more volume and body than I normally would."

SELF Magazine also lists winners for things like sunscreen, eyeshadow and styling cream.

Best Beauty Product Info:

FACE:

Best Cleanser
C.O. Bigelow Vitamin Boost Cream Cleanser, $10

Best Depuffing Eye Cream
Biore Enliven Cooling Eye Gel, $10

Best Antiaging Treatment
Garnier Nutritioniste Ultra-Lift Pro Deep Wrinkle Roller, $17

BODY:

Best Bar Soap
Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Beauty Bar, $3

Best Bath Product
Avene Trixera Selectiose Emollient Cleansing Bath, $24

Best Hand Lotion
Sephora by OPI Restorative Hand Moisturizer, $10

HAIR:

Best All-Around Shampoo
Herbal Essences Hydralicious Featherweight Shampoo, $3

Best All-Around Conditioner
Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Instant Melting Conditioner, $4

Best Hairspray
L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Hairspray, $14

MAKEUP:

Best Primer
Prescriptives Flawless Face Primer, $28

Best Concealer
Almay Smart Shade Concealer, $9

Best Palette
Sonia Kashuk Smokey Eye Palette, $20

Best Lipstick
Shiseido The Makeup Perfect Rouge Lipstick, $25

Best Eco-Friendly Mascara
Physicians Formula Organic Wear Mascara, $10

source-http://www.self.com/beauty/2009/05/healthy-beauty-awards