I'll admit it -- I'm slowly becoming a Pamper Princess. It's sometimes pricey, frequently frivolous and always fabulous. I never used to be this way -- but then again, I never used to live near a Boots with all it's coupons, gifts with purchase, and bonus offers. I guess I'm not a total princess because I need there to be some kind of sale or free gift involved before I buy, but I've found more than my share of those (as my shelves overloaded with lovely, fragrant lotions, potions and cosmetics will attest).

The funnest, fabbest find I've stumbled on in my journey into the heart of pamperness is Soap and Glory (now available in the States at Target). It'll smooth your rough hands or heels, soften your bath or hair, and plump your lips or wrinkly spots. All while making you smile at the punny names and retro-yet-modern designs.

The aspect that really sucked me in was the packaging. It's fun and girlie and silly in a self-aware way. It uses puns without shame and makes them fun. If there's a photo on the package, the hair and clothes on the models look like something straight out of "I Love Lucy" -- the total '5os housewife, but a fabby, pampered, diva '50s housewife. The packaging -- and the products themselves -- are largely in fanciful, candy-colored pinks and blues that you would've loved to buy at age 12, but you were basically a broke beggar living on the charity of your parents back then and couldn't indulge yourself so you didn't. But now you can. Judging from myself and friends of varying ages, Soap and Glory products seem to tap into those little girl desires hiding in women of all ages -- only these little girls are all grown up and carry credit cards. Ka-ching!

The products themselves kept me coming back for more after the packaging drew me in. They work well, feel great and are just fun to use. They're even fun to look at. Many of them smell a little like candy; some smell a lot like candy. I'm not too enthralled with the ones that smell extremely sweet -- but then again, that's what I said when I first bought Jam Sessions body wash (which looks and smells like someone squeezed the juice from red Jolly Ranchers candy), but it really grew on me. And don't worry if you don't have a body-product sweet-tooth, as many of the products are only mildly sweet-scented or not sweet at all (as in the case of the facial care products).

S&G also sells criminally adorable pink cosmetic bags (criminal because it's like being robbed -- you simply *have* to hand over your cash once you've seen them). I've got a few that I didn't really need but love love love looking at and using.

Best items for buying on a budget

Soap and Glory products are mostly moderately priced and great value compared to similar pamper products at The Body Shop or a premium cosmetics counter, and they're way more fun. But they do cost more than brands like Dove or Suave or store's own brands, and I realize S&G may be a splurge for some pamper-princesses-in-waiting with small budgets but big longings to sample giddily girlish goodies.

However, I firmly believe we all need a little self-indulgence to brighten our days and make us feel divine. If you decide to try Soap and Glory as a special treat, you can do it on a budget by selecting just a few long-lasting products you can use every day.

I've mentioned some of my fav S&G items before. One buy that stretches your pennies or pence is the Endless Glove Hand Cream. At a cost of $9.99 for a 4.2 ounce tube at Target in the States or £4.40 at Boots in the UK, it's not as cheap as using Johnson & Johnson -- but it's much more divine. You feel like you're giving yourself a treat each time you massage in this smooth white lotion that smells of daisies and kiwi fruit. A little bit goes a long way, and one tube offers months of daily pampering.

Another long-lasting buy is Heel Genius Foot Mask. This is $9.99 at Target and £4.89 at Boots for a 4.2 ounce tube. It's a cotton-candy blue cream containing macadamia oil, bilberry, and orange and lemon fruit acid smoothers, among other things. There's a light citrus scent and it feels rich and creamy as you smooth it on those tired footsies. Do it just before bed and pull on cotton socks for an ultra-deep moisture experience.

Yet another product where a little goes a long way is the S&G body sprays. My favorite is Mist You Madly. It's described as "flirty" and "floral," and I'd say it's a very nice combo of both those things. In the UK, you can buy the large-sized 250ml bottle for £5.87 or try a trio of body sprays with the Scent-Sationalism set for £7.83. It contains 100ml bottles of Mist You Madly, Girligo and Glam-a-lot. I couldn't find Mist You Madly or this trio set at Target.com, but you can get the 7.7 ounce bottle of Girligo at Target for $11.99. It's a body-moisturizing mist that you spray on. It's nice, but my heart belongs to Mist You Madly.

Basically, any of the S&G products should last a long time, though obviously things like Wash Your Hands of it hand wash or the uber-awesome Hair Supply hair mask would be gone in a few weeks if used daily (and you definitely would want to use the hand wash daily, but the hair mask could be a treat to use a couple of times a week).

You also might want to try minis of some products in the UK before deciding to invest more cash. At regular prices, they cost about £2.20 each. Better yet, you could try the selection of five minis for £4.89 in the Admit It, You Want Me set (truer word have never been writ). Unfortunately, I don't think you can buy individual minis at Target. You can, however, test out a trio of bathing minis with the S&G Scrub Triangle Mini Gift Set for $9.99.

If you live in the UK, keep an eye out for 3 for 2 deals at Boots, as well as coupons (found in the store magazine or the Account Card Machines for Boots Advantage Card holders), gifts with purchase, or -- in the best bargain I've seen yet for people who want to save without having to buy a lot to get the offer -- the current 1/3 off the whole range of S&G (right now Endless Glove is only £2.93). This is the same price per item you'd get if you bought them on a 3 for 2 sale, but you only have to buy one instead of three. Fab time to test products.

Where to buy Soap and Glory

In the UK, you can buy the products at Boots and Harvey Nichols (though I recommend using Boots as they have 3 for 2 sales, coupons, free gifts, and you usually earn good coupons for something in the store anytime you spend at least £5 on almost anything -- might as well let your S&G habit help you buy other goodies). In the States, go to Target in store or online.

To read what customers are saying about this addictive range of products, check out the Facebook page.