STEALING BULLIE
by Marilyn Green

O.K., I have to confess: Bullie has made me a criminal. And there's really no excuse; I review plenty of products. Bullie was supposed to be exclusively for my husband to review.

The rationale is that men have become more accustomed to enjoying grooming and more aware that appearance matters in the work world and the social world. Bullie's products are for before and after shaving, so they are happily enjoyed by guys who would not dream of setting special time aside for a facial masque.

The line's Refinement Scrub for Dry/Sensitive Skin is cruelty free, dye free and it is billed as detoxifying, exfoliating and hydrating the skin. So he tried it and he liked the smoothness of his skin afterwards, and so did I. Once he left for work, however, my evil self took over, and I got into it, too. I used it faithfully for a week and saw fine lines vanish; my skin was smoother and plumper.

Now the plot thickens. The company recommends that men also use the product as a pre-shave masque. Used this way, the wheat germ and honey naturally soothe and moisturize dry skin while softening rough facial hair. Bullie says wheat germ also acts the same way that a shaving brush would, since that it gently exfoliates and raises the hair, which leads to a closer shave. Well, I don't know anyone who has created a shaving brush for women, but if it does all that, they should. So of course I had to check it out. It really works, and I had no razor nicks, even on the shinbone, since the hair obligingly stood up to be removed. Also, since this is designed for sensitive skin, I did not experience irritation after shaving and my legs were silky and soft.

Used as a pre-shave facial mask for men (and a leg shave masque for sneaky women), you apply a thin layer of Refinement for Dry/Sensitive Skin for five to 10 minutes. Men are advised to apply before taking their shower, but it doesn't work for women, since the shower has a removes the mask from legs. Then you rinse with warm water and shave.

Not content with stealing the man's exfoliant and masque, I had to try his Close Shave and, again, the results are really remarkable. It comes in a tube and comes out as a clear blue gel that doesn't foam and isn't thick, but it yields the smoothest shave - far beyond foaming products I have used in the past. The gel contains grape seed extract, a natural antioxidant, and tea tree oil, which is one of my favorite things on the planet, a natural germicide that blocks infection and prevents irritation. You can actually see where you are shaving since the gel comes through clear, which is especially important for men who are shaving around beards, moustaches, and sideburns; it all means that women don't miss any spots.

My husband loves it, but he can't understand why it's disappearing so fast.

The Refinement Scrub is $36 and the Close Shave gel $16; both of them go a long way (if nobody is poaching). BULLIE Care products are available at Barneys New York, Nordstrom nationwide, select spas and specialty boutiques, online at BullieCare.com or by calling (866) 6-BULLIE.