Last week, I visited the natural Arcona Spa in Santa Monica for a facial with their Basic 5 products.  I wrote about Arcona a few months back, when the brand kept coming up over and over among friends, and my experience there didn’t disappoint: read more about it here on AOL.

Meanwhile, this week, I had another amazing facial, at the La Prairie Spa at the Beverly Hills Hotel.  Holy luxury, Batman!

First of all, the Beverly Hills Hotel is one of the most glamorous places on the planet…and La Prairie’s products aren’t too shabby, either.  (Their signature item is Caviar based.  Enough said.)  My treatment was anchored around the brand new White Caviar Illuminating Cream, which costs $450, lightens, brightens, tightens and moisturizes, will bring about world peace, can solve quadratic equations, and is now sitting on my bathroom counter in bulletproof glass with an armed guard nearby.  We don’t feel worthy.

Obviously, you’ll have to take out a second mortgage on your house to afford it, but there’s no denying it is crazy glam.  The White Caviar Illuminating Cream also features pearlescent powders to diffuse light and give the skin an instant glow, and it includes rare white honey and antioxidants like a white flower complex, white wine extract, and white truffles.  (And now I’m hungry.)  In all seriousness, my skin gleamed after my facial, and I’ve been using–and loving–the cream at night, so if you have the three hundred clams to swing it and can check out the Caviar Firming Facial yourself, you’ll love, too.

While at an event last month in Hollywood, there was one beauty brand that kept coming up over and over: Arcona.

Started in Los Angeles in 1989, the line has gained a cult following over the years of women dedicated to its holistic formulations and good-for-you ingredients–all the products are paraben, sulfate and petrochemical-free.  I took a peek at the Arcona website and was intrigued to discover they maintain their ingredients’ effectiveness and integrity through something called “cold processing.”

“The key to ARCONA’s effectiveness is its active ingredients and the way they are combined and processed. Cosmeceutical-grade ingredients, such as enzymes, antioxidants and amino acids, are formulated to work synergistically to deliver powerful results. These active ingredients are cold-processed at very low temperatures, in small batches, to keep them active and effective. Because cold processing is labor and time intensive, most skin care products, even the expensive ones that may begin with quality ingredients, are heatprocessed, which ultimately leaves nutrients lifeless and ineffective. Think of what happens to fresh vegetables when they are overcooked!”

More than one beauty-industry insider has since told me, “Arcona is the only brand I use.”  Lo and behold, I’ve been digging into their White Tea Purifying Cleanser for months–goes to show you how many products are taking up real estate in my bathroom!–and was often impressed with how well it removed makeup without stripping my skin.

Bestsellers include the Magic White Ice antioxidant moisturizer, AM Acne Lotion, and Basic Five Sensitive Skin Type Package.  Arcona also features a destination spa and boutique in Santa Monica, where celebrity clientele including Julia Roberts, Diane Lane and Jessica Biel come for their fix.  Check them out at Arcona.com or 877.272.6620.

Jennifer Aniston’s He’s Just Not That Into You is pushed until February, avoiding a competitive release with Angelina Jolie’s Changeling.  Please, we all knew Jen was going to win the box office war, anyway!

Hilary Swank cut all her hair off.  I mean, all…of…it.

Bella Sugar loves Arcona White Tea Cleanser (I second her raves!  I’ve been using it off and on for the past few months and it’s excellent for sensitive skin.)

Clinique is beginning a beauty insider program.

Beauty Addict finds out which makeup items Dior used on Charlize Theron during the Hancock publicity tour.

Taylor Momsen (little Jenny Humphrey, again!) signs a modeling deal with IMG.  Um, I sure as hell didn’t look like that when I was 14 years old!