Beauty Reporter.(Shiseido Suncare Ultimate Cleansing Oil)(BeneFit The Gloss apricot scent)(melon polish)

Fast Fix

Easy off

As if remembering to apply your SPF 30 diligently each morning weren't enough of a burden, there's the added task of having to scrub it off each night -- and simple soap and water don't always do the trick. "Sometimes it feels like you need a butter knife to scrape it off," says Sandy Read, an associate instructor of dermatology at Georgetown University. But thoroughly washing off your sunscreen is worth the trouble. "The longer your skin is in contact with any chemical, the more likely it is to have an allergic irritant reaction like redness or pimples," she says. Shiseido Suncare Ultimate Cleansing Oil not only removes makeup; it clears away sunscreens with an agent that breaks down their water-resistant polymers. Bottom Line: The cleanser seemed to dissolve our chalky zinc-oxide cream in seconds, leaving our skin feeling soft and not the least bit greasy.

INSUNG CHO

Flavor of the Month

Flavored lip gloss is about to shake its junior-high associations. BeneFit The Gloss has a tangy apricot scent that's as sophisticated as a Daniel Boulud sorbet and comes in 12 shades. The Gloss isn't available until June, but the first 500 Allure readers to sign up starting at noon EDT on May 3 will receive a free tube in Wink, a mauve pink. Log on to allure.com for details.

OLESSA PINDAK