If you're crazy-obsessive about the ingredients in your beauty products (don't worry, we're right there with you), then you may have recently noticed a bunch of packaging boasting the words "silicone-free." So why should you care?

For one thing, when it comes to skin care, this ingredient (a combination of minerals derived from sand) can irritate. Monica Olsen, founder of the Skin by Monica Olsen collection, explains her take on the situation.

"Silicone emollients are occlusive; they form a coating which doesn't allow the skin to breathe, much like plastic wrap would do," she says. "Most people have no problems with silicone because it helps seal in moisture and protect skin from the environment, but it can cause some people's skin to break out."

Many hair care companies are starting to introduce silicone-free products as well. "Silicones coat the hair so it appears smooth, but they tend to make hair feel heavy or weighed down," says Nathalie Kristo, L'Oréal Paris senior vice president of marketing. "We substituted silicone with a more natural moisturizing agent," says Rodney Cutler, Redken brand ambassador.

Despite the slightly earthy, crunchy connotations, don't think the no-silicone movement will leave you looking anything less than your best -- these products do their job brilliantly. We've rounded up in the gallery above a collection of some of our latest favorites.

Discover the truth behind popular skin care myths.

Cosmetic surgery, in my eyes, is a totally personal thing, like fashion or fragrance. Basically, my thinking is that what works for some isn't necessarily the best and only choice for all women. Anything you want to do to your own body is OK with me, but the thought of taking that step for myself is normally beyond my desires and pain threshold.

However after having two children, the idea of a quick fix for those areas I'm less than thrilled with is becoming more appealing. So when offered the chance to try Vaser Shape, which promises noticeable results with a nonsurgical and noninvasive procedure, at Personal Enhancement Center in Toms River, N.J., well, really, how could I refuse?

Unlike a traditional body-contouring procedure like liposuction -- which I've read can be painful and give lumpy, uneven results -- this option is an entirely different proposition. Dr. Michael Nagy, one of the center's founders and a worldwide expert on the device, explains that Vaser Shape uses ultrasound energy to create heat in specific, small areas (like the abdomen, thighs and hips, and even on arms and neck).

The theory is that by warming the tissue layer a few centimeters below the surface of the skin, blood circulation will increase and fat will be redistributed. During the treatment, a doctor or trained technician passes the device's "headpiece" over the desired areas, followed by a lymphatic massage in the same place on the body.

This combination of ultrasound heat waves plus lymphatic massage is thought to help your body metabolize and drain away excess toxins and fluids. Nagy also likes to use Vaser Shape about a week after performing other body-contouring surgeries, such as tummy tucks, thigh lifts, arm lifts and liposuction, to help smooth the skin and improve results.

My experience focused on my stomach and thighs and went something like this. I put on a pair of those oh-so-lovely paper undies you wear to get a bikini wax, and got comfy in a cozy, spa-like room. My technician, Annette, applied a cool gel onto my skin and started in with the ultrasound headpiece, passing over each area a few times.

And honestly, it felt like a hot-rock massage, nothing painful or uncomfortable in the slightest. After the lymphatic massage, she measured around my abdomen and each thigh to compare before and after numbers. The outcome was pretty impressive, since I lost an inch of each section after only one treatment.

I'll have to go back for more sessions to get further results, which is a completely acceptable idea. Who could argue with a relaxing massage that also helps to tone and trim your body?

The national average cost is about $500 per area treated, and Nagy recommends a series of four treatments scheduled a week apart, so getting the results you want can run up to $2,000 to 3,000 or more.

Two new (and expensive) beauty gadgets promise to banish zits and unwanted hair. But do they live up to our writer's expectations?

The mood of the day backstage at the Marc by Marc Jacobs Fall 2011 show was decidedly natural and low-key. Makeup consisted of highlighted cheeks, and hair was blown out into a bouncy, shiny finish.

MAKEUP: Dick Page for Shiseido
HAIR: Guido Palau for Redken
NAILS: Zoya
SNAPSHOT: Natural, Minimal Beauty

THE SCOOP: The latest Marc by Marc Jacobs collection was, unsurprisingly, filled with casual but eye-catching clothes sure to find their way into many wardrobes. Minimal-effort hair and makeup looked fresh, pretty and universally flattering.

"It's about as close to nothing as you can get," said Page. "Marc's clothes are full of color and have timeless style, so I wanted the faces to be naturally beautiful. It's not makeup-y makeup." He smoothed a rich night cream onto the models' skin, brushed eyebrows into place and dusted a loose powder all over. He swirled a brush into luminous coral, rose, pink, peach, white and gold powders, "according to what looks best on each girl's face." Lips got just a touch of balm, and Page was done. "In real life, you might want to add mascara and some highlighter," he said. "It's nice to leave everything else alone if you do a brighter blush like this."

"This hair is very non-Marc. Like a Breck girl, it's very shiny and not at all grungy," said Palau. "It's like the girl wearing it is rich, or at least pretending to be!" He used only one product, a medium-hold gel, before blow-drying and setting the hair into large, easy waves. After they set, he "aerated" it with a wide-tooth comb, leaving it smooth and bouncy. "It has an easy sophistication," he said. "It's what I think of as being East Coast American -- just thick, shiny and polished and almost a little preppy."

A creamy, semi-opaque "ballerina pink" was painted onto the nails to reflect the simple and spare feel of the makeup.

GET THE LOOK - MAKEUP: All makeup by Shiseido. Prep skin with Future Solution LX Night, a luxuriously rich cream that Page calls "bank but worth it." Apply Translucent Loose Powder all over the face, then use a large, fluffy blush brush to dust Luminizing Satin Face Color onto the apples of the cheeks and across the bridge of the nose. Brush brows into place and dab on Benefiance Full Correction Lip Treatment for a hint of dewiness.

GET THE LOOK - HAIR: Work Redken Velvet Gelatine 07 Cushioning Blow Dry Gel into damp hair. Blow-dry, coaxing the hair up and away from the crown to add volume at the roots. Roll sections of hair (smaller or larger, depending on desired waviness) around your fingers -- like giant pin curls -- and clip in place to set. Use a wide-tooth comb to smooth each section, allowing the hair to fall into its natural part.

GET THE LOOK - NAILS: Zoya Lacquer in Laurie.

Backstage at the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2011 fashion show, a purple-and-black smoky eye with berry lips was reflected in the beige and aubergine nails, and the hair masquerading as ribbons honored the girly yet edgy feel.

MAKEUP: Val Garland for MAC Cosmetics
HAIR: Odile Gilbert for Kérastase
NAILS: Jan Arnold for CND
SNAPSHOT: Girly With a Gothic Twist

THE SCOOP: As expected, Monique Lhuillier's collection celebrated all things feminine, with body-hugging sleek gowns and skinny cigarette pants, all in luxurious fabrics. The elaborate hair and sultry makeup were taken to a new level with unexpected use of color and texture.

"There's no question this is a glamorous look," said Garland. "We're seeing a move towards more color, especially on the eyes." Her version of a smoky eye here used deep purple deepened with black; the outer corners were slightly elongated for a "soft wing effect" and accented with filled-in and slightly spiky brows that looked "a little punky." Luminous skin and rosy lips completed the look. "This is a really easy look to re-create, since the cream texture of all the products makes them simple to blend with your fingers," said Garland.

Inspired by the striking and stark quality of photographer Richard Avedon's portraits, Odile Gilbert created an "elegant and sophisticated but still young" twist on the traditional updo. She fashioned the models' hair into an "haute couture but modern look that's glamorous and chic" by pulling it into a sleek and shiny high ponytail, with cascading curls meant to "look like ribbons" and adorning it with a small black velvet bow.

Jan Arnold, co-founder and style director of CND, wanted the nails to look "long and elegant, to reflect the sleek pants and skinny dresses in the collection, but with a dark twist." She painted press-ons with one coat each of silver and nude, and finished with a plum-burgundy shade drawn in a thin line to "ice the tips."

GET THE LOOK - MAKEUP: All makeup by MAC. Even out the complexion and add illumination with Matchmaker foundation and define the cheekbones with Pro Sculpting Cream Cheek in Accentuate, a sandy-brown hue. Apply Eye Kohl in Fascinating, a white pencil, on the water line to open and brighten the eyes. Use a brush or your fingers to blend the dark purple tones in the Crème Shadow Palette in Shadowy Lady onto the lash line and into the crease, feathering it in a cat-eye shape out toward the temples. Draw on a line of black along the crease and blend well to create a smoky blend of purple and black (Garland used the professional-only Chromagraphic Pencil in Black Black; try Eye Pencil in Ebony). Smudge the black eye pencil onto the lower lash line, leaving an uncolored gap at both the inner and outer corners. Apply the rosy-berry shade from the Cream Lipstick Quad and follow with a dab of peachy-pink shimmery Lip Gloss in Emancipation.

GET THE LOOK - HAIR: All products by Kérastase. Work a dollop of Ciment Thermique to damp hair, to smooth the hair and protect it from heat styling. Blow-dry with a paddle brush into a straight finish, pull the hair into a very high and tight ponytail at the crown, and add nongreasy shine to the length with Elixir Ultime. Divide the ponytail into five sections and curl each one around a large-barrel curling iron. Use a pin or duckbill clip to hold each curl, and spray with Double Force Control Ultime. Unpin the curls and arrange them haphazardly over the head, using bobby pins to keep them in place. Clip or pin a black velvet bow off to one side, above the temple.

GET THE LOOK - NAILS: All products by CND. Apply one coat of Colour in Silver Chrome followed by a coat of Colour in Dessert Suede; the combination of the dense metallic and sandy-beige tone results in a nude hue with warmth and an edge. Use a small brush to paint a skinny line -- thinner than the usual French manicure stripe -- of Colour in Deep Amethyst, a rich aubergine (launching Fall 2011).



If you want more of Lhuillier check out our partner video below:

Backstage at Carlos Miele's Fall 2011 fashion show, dewy skin was touched with nudes and golds in various textures, and hair was pulled up into a smooth and streamlined braided ponytail.

MAKEUP: Gato for Maybelline New York
HAIR: Rodney Cutler for Ulta
SNAPSHOT: Clean Lines and a Golden Glow

THE SCOOP: Carlos Miele's glam collection was full of luxurious textiles including silk, chiffon and fur, in colors like bright cobalt blue, muted loden green and fiery red-orange. There were drapey tops and jumpsuits mixed with fur shrugs and fitted column gowns, and the clean hair and makeup provided the perfect accent.

"Think of a beautiful girl at the best moment of her life," said Gato (yes, one name, à la Madonna or Cher). He perfected the skin with a combo of foundation and concealer and added golden touches to the eyes and cheeks, finished with full eyebrows and creamy nude lips. "I think it's OK to do a bronzed look for fall, since it makes everyone look fresh and beautiful," he said. "I'm glad thick brows are back, and I think they'll stay around for a while."

When Rodney Cutler saw the collection, he knew he wanted the hair to be up, and "not too busy." He created a sleek ponytail placed high on he back of the head, braided it into a thick plait and secured it with a clear elastic. "It's clean and simple, but very structured with a strong silhouette," said Cutler.

GET THE LOOK - MAKEUP: All makeup by Maybelline New York. Prep skin with new Fit Me! foundation to even out the complexion, and blend concealer in a C shape (starting on the brow bones, extending out to the temples and back onto the cheekbones) to bring focus to the center of the face. Brush the matte taupe shade from the Expert Wear Eyeshadow palette in Chai Latte into the crease, adding layers to create depth and blending the edges. Use the shimmery tones in the Eye Studio palette in Give Me Gold, concentrating on the inner corners of the eyes and brushed lightly across the entire lid. Several coats of the Falsies mascara in black makes lashes thick, full and long, and a touch of Fit Me! Bronzer in Golden Tan adds warmth to the cheekbones. Color lips with a combo of Color Sensational in Choco Cream and Warm Me Up, followed by Color Sensational Cream Gloss in Golden Powder.

GET THE LOOK - HAIR: Spritz damp hair with Cutler Volumizing Spray, and blow-dry straight. Use a paddle brush to fashion a high ponytail (make sure to keep the hair close to the head, then use fingers to gently rough up the areas at the temples and forehead). Secure with an elastic (Cutler likes the bungee-style ones) and spray generously with Redken Fashion Work hair spray. Wrap a small section of hair around the base, braid the length and secure with another elastic. Add sections of hair extensions, if necessary, to add thickness to the braid.