Pure water is a necessity that nourishes the body and soul. But how many of us crave for a little extra sweet something in that water, and have spent time luxuriating in the grocery aisles to look at the variety of “not just water” bottles? The makers of Hint and Hint Kids wanted the pure and simple truth: a sugarless, no frills water with subtle nuances of flavor.

Says Kara Goldin, founder and CEO of her company, “The idea to develop Hint came to me as I was constantly looking for better water for me and my four kids. I wanted something to drink that was a bit better than juice boxes. So I played with fruit and water in the kitchen and experimented with flavors.” Goldin even called flavorists to see how she could educate herself to create an all-natural water with a tiny hint of flavor in it””and thus the name Hint Water was born.

Hint Water comes in a variety of delicious flavors including Cranberry-Orange, Cucumber, Lime, Pear, Peppermint, Pomegranate-Tangerine and Raspberry-Lime. Hint Kids comes in flavors like Apple, Grape, Mixed Berry, Strawberry-Kiwi and Tropical Punch.

Having launched the first product in April 2005, Goldin says that Hint Water is the only essence water on the market, since it contains absolutely no added sugar. All the flavors seem to be popular with consumers, and the Peppermint water is the newest addition to the family. By June 2006, Goldin anticipates that Whole Foods will be selling the water on both coasts (it is available in the West Coast stores now).

The buzz about the water has already reached Hollywood’s elite. Hint Water made its way into the Oscar goodie bag, and recently Stella McCartney launched her official line with Adidas and demanded that they serve Hint Water at the launch. Top TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and the OC have requested the water be available to the cast for use during shows.

Sounds like stardom for this mighty 15-ounce bottle. Retails for $1.49-$1.79. To buy, go to Whole Foods or Surfas in Los Angeles or visit www.drinkhint.com

I miss “Sex in the City.” There, I admit it. I am long past the Sunday night withdrawal and have moved on to once and a while perusing the celeb magazine pages to find out what my posse of gals are up to. I always take a special interest in what Carrie (Oops! I mean Sarah Jessica Parker) is wearing or watching on the runways. Her style sense has always been one I admire. So I was interested to find out that she, along with Kate Walsh (a member of my new Sunday-night steady, “Grey’s Anatomy”), would be shopping in cyberspace and gravitating toward some goodies at Sleepheads.com, a site for assorted sleepwear and casual clothes (plus much, much more) for women, men, kids, and babies.

This cozy online destination has a roster of products that range from trendy PJs, lingerie, tees and tanks slippers, robes and spa wraps, flip-flops, bath and body treats, handbags and accessories, among other things. In SJP’s basket? Reportedly, assorted Havianna flip-flops in green, lavender, and floral (see photo above for an example), a Yoga Gal mat, the Kashwere® fluffy cashmere-like merlot robe and some Kashwere® Komfy Kids robes for her little one. Kate Walsh apparently favors the 50′s Cocktail Social Pajamas for her evenings in. And Virginia Madsen, currently starring with the handsome Harrison Ford in “Firewall”, picked out a Kashwere® robe creation as well.

Almost everyone undergoes the annual ritual of spring cleaning: refreshing the linens, cleaning the windows, scrubbing the floors. However, few take the time to introspect during the evolutionary process to make changes that will impact both their homes and their lives. Indigo Experiences, a New York-based company that opened its Los Angeles arm in January, allows you to do just that. Its exhaustive menu of experiences is designed to expand your world by introducing you to new ideas, new people””even new ways to look at yourself. One such way is quite literal: in the mirror.

The closet edit is a customized jaunt into the world of fashion that doesn’t require so much as a step outside your home. An established stylist will begin by helping to determine the details of your fashion goals, lifestyle and needs. They will then examine your closet and cosmetics case to determine what goes, work with you to see what stays and, most importantly, make room for the fabulousness to come.

It’s not your typical Hershey’s bar. With a genus name of ‘Theobroma’ (food of the gods), the cacao bean is also good enough for us mere mortals. Despite the Hallmark hysteria on Valentine’s Day, this aphrodisiac is still a tasty excuse to show loved ones how you really feel, in the sweetest way.

To guide you to the right chocolate for your love, the following chocolatiers are chosen for their unique flavors, FRESH ingredients, dramatic presentation and their passionate commitment to quality. Just my humble picks – but your sweetheart will thank you for it!

LoveMore Gourmet Twilight Truffles
Founders Trish Nee and Caitlin Naramore have taken vegan chocolate arts to soaring heights. It’s some of the smoothest truffles I’ve tasted in all my years trying alternative non-dairy ingredients. Using Scharffen Berger’s pure dark unsweetened chocolate, they’re flavored with organic agave nectar and organic maple syrup. The 18 main flavors (such as Tangerine Cayenne and Neroli Muscat) are infused with herbs and floral essences.

Some consider it a “Hallmark” plot. But many sweethearts look forward to Valentine’s Day as an opportunity to express their love with as much spice, innovation and bravado as possible. Here are some of the hottest gifts to give this year (chocolate lovers, check out the “Chocolate Gift Guide”).

If you are heading out for a rendezvous, don’t forget to dress the part! Leave that flirty dress alone – try the informal yet “˜sexy as a kitten with a thick purr’ cashmere top and jeans combo from Joe’s Jeans (www.Joeseshop.com). Valentine’s Day was not necessarily made to be formal! I think the cashmere sleeveless wrap kimono top in strawberry and a Jenny Rocker jean in white will amplify the swoon factor in any man. These pieces are chic without trying too hard to please, and perfect for the cool winter-like LA evenings. The cashmere sleeveless wrap retails for $217 and can be found at Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica (Phone: 310-394-9814), and the Jenny Rocker jean retails for $158 and is available at Fred Segal Ron Herman in Los Angeles.

My fave spot for a mani/pedi used to be a cheap-o, quick stop on Fifth Ave. in Brooklyn. When they asked me my name and I replied “Jess,” they somehow heard “Jasmine” and called me that for the entire remainder of my patronage.

Now that I live in LA, keeping up appearances is a local requirement. It’s been months of sampling quickie, mostly Asian run nail salons on Fairfax. I also tried the Suzy’s Nails on the corner of Curson and Santa Monica.

These are good digs in a pinch on a Sunday when all else is closed or when I have a hot date and need some fast nail attention. I’ve had a few sessions at the moderately chic La Vie L’Orange on Robertson but their complete lack of pampering didn’t reflect their elevated prices.

For my birthday a few months ago, a friend gave me a gift certificate to the celeb packed, not so secret, Jessica Nail Clinic on Sunset Boulevard in the Sunset Plaza who have catered to the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson and Halle Berry.

I decided to cash in on my friend’s gift and it was worth every penny I did not pay. I made an appointment for 10am on a Monday; not knowing that this is their least busy day and hour, making for a surprisingly relaxing quiet session.

I was introduced to an older woman, Erika, who was soft-spoken and kind. She brought me to her station and started to work her magic. My nails are kept very short as a result of years in New York City where dirt seemed to collect under the tips on the daily. Erika gave me great tips on how to keep the cuticles hydrated (olive oil) and the nail beds soft (use a file on the nail bed.)

Not only are these ladies known for their fab Salon talents but the clinic carries their own popular nail polish line as well.

My nails were cleaned and primped and painted in Jessica color, Hype. The service is usually $30. Which is a bit more than my days of paying five bucks in a Brooklyn nail hut, but totally worth it for the star treatment (and sightings) alone”¦ at least here at Jessica, I’ll never be “Jazmine” again!

Whoever said great things come in small packages must have seen the future of MP3 Players. Skullcandy’s MacGyver MP3 Watch packs a lot for something so small. It not only tells time, it also holds up to 300 songs and includes my personal favorite, a built-in voice recorder.

Skullcandy cleverly designed this gizmo to run on two separate batteries so when the music stops your watch keeps ticking. Other features include a five-mode audio equalizer (Pop/Rock/Jazz/Classic/Normal), music shuffling capability, up to five hours of non-stop playtime, and you can listen to your favorite tunes in MP3 and WMA formats.

This MP3 watch is so hot, be sure to keep it in a safe place or someone you know just may borrow it permanently. “We are excited to offer a modern twist to the original wrist watch,” said Rick Alden, Founder of Skullcandy. “This watch, worn by tech enthusiasts, businessmen and women, and extreme athletes, is jam-packed with features that will totally rock your wrist.”

Available in black and white, the MacGyver MP3 Watch is sold in the capacity of 256MB for $169.95, 512MB for $229.95, and 1GB for $299.95 at www.skullcandy.com.