What's new in health and beauty products

Zone Perfect Indulgence all-natural nutrition squares

$6.99 for four 1.58-ounce bars, available at major grocers

The pitch: "Three rich chocolate flavors that are so deceptively decadent, you would never guess they had 10 plus grams of protein and 18 plus vitamins."

The skinny: The New Year's diet is killing you, and the craving for chocolate is the worst. Can you rationalize a treat with a nutritious candy bar? Zone's new Indulgence bars make you want to believe it.

Compared to a Snickers candy bar, Zone's Indulgence German chocolate cheesecake bar (180 calories) packs far more protein (10 grams versus 4 grams) and a lot less fat (14 grams versus 6 grams) than the popular candy bar. But it's not that different from a comparable protein bar, including the Zone classic peanut butter. The new, sleek-looking Indulgence includes only slightly fewer calories than the more masculine classic. The vitamin content doesn't vary that much, either.

Its taste is rich, especially for those who love German chocolate or sugary-sweet peanut butter. The aftertaste, as with most protein bars, is a bit dry, but not so much so that you're grabbing for the water bottle in between bites.

This most definitely is not a meal replacement, even for the most extreme dieter. Maybe it's more of an emergency brake - keep a bar in your desk and avoid grabbing the junk in the vending machine.

Mary Shedden

Strap Diva no-slip purse strap

$24.95, available at www.strapdiva.com

The pitch: "The ultimate handbag accessory for anyone who carries a purse on her shoulder. It will keep purse straps from slipping off."

The skinny: I carry a purse - usually a really big purse that has large straps I sling over my shoulder because my hands are busy doing something else. Time and time again, my purse slides down into the bend of my elbow; I'm constantly pulling it back up. Sometimes only one strap will fall, leaving my bag's contents on view for the world to see (not a pretty sight). Strap Diva is one of those products you don't think you need until you actually use it. It's a no-slip purse strap cover that keeps your purse comfortably on your shoulder. It's made of leather and lambskin, and it comes in six colors, so you can match it to a lot of bags (most of my bags are black or brown). If you use it on gold, silver or metallic bags, it won't blend in as well, but who notices the top of your bag's straps anyway?

Cloe Cabrera