I realize that most of us aren't thinking about shaving at this time of year. I know that many of us are content to pull on a pair of tights and not deal with the aggravation of shaving our legs or bikini lines as the cold weather sets in...but I'm one of those type A people who continues to shave throughout the winter and that means that I need to treat my skin all winter long.

I've always had a soft spot in my heart for a good facial scrub. I just love the concept of scrubbing away impurities from my impure pores to reveal fresh, beautiful skin. I've never found a scrub that I absolutely love until I discovered C.O. Bigelow's "Brown Sugar Crystal Face Polish."             

It's getting cold outside and I find myself turning to my cold-weather favorites to take care of my skin. And even though I've tried dozens of creams, lotions, body washes and lip balms I always come back to these four products. With the economy the way it is I'm pleased to report that none of them retails for more than ten dollars. My first favorite is Carmex lip balm.

Alright, so I was going to start this post by lauding the praises of my skincare Trifecta of Terrificness, until I realized that actually, I want to tell you about four awesome skincare products, not three, and I couldn't think of a catchy name for that. My Quad of Excellence, perhaps? Nope, doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

When they say that real beauty comes from within, I'm quite sure they don't mean from within an 8 fl. oz. ready-to-drink bottle. Which is why I performed an Olympic-caliber eye roll when I saw Nestle's entry into the beauty marketplace: Glowelle Beauty Drink, which invites you to "drink in pretty?" Really?I may be a confirmed beauty addict, and I'm also a health food nut - but a sucker I am not.

Have you ever wondered why your skin looks so amazing after a day at the beach? It's even and smooth because the sand and sea water exfoliate it to perfection and, as if to reward you for your diligent sunblock application, it's also moisturized and touchably soft. Post-beach cleanup might be a pain, but post-beach skin is totally worth it.