Ever since I embarked upon my path towards becoming the total makeup addict that I am today, I've embraced all manner of beauty products without judgment. Violet eyeliner? Why not? Body temperature-influenced blush gel? Bring it on! Vibrating mascara? Send it my way! Yes, I've been up for trying almost any product at least once. Anything, that is, except for products containing glitter or sparkles of any sort.

There was a time when I purchased every new "miracle" skin product I could afford, desperately seeking the magic combination that would, once and for all, solve my skin woes. And then... I gave up. I never found the panacea I sought. I settled for "okay" and tried to forget about it.

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 am not a morning person. I never have been, and a full-time job (for which I leave quite early) and two small children have done nothing to change that. All that those factors have done is force me to become more creative with my morning routine so I get the MAXIMUM POSSIBLE NUMBER OF EXTRA MINUTES blissfully nestled in my so-comfortable-it-should-be-illegal-or-at-least-heavily-regulated bed.

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.

Dear Preparation H,  I don't want to hurt your feelings, so I'll try and be as kind and fair as possible here. That said, I need to tell you (just so you'll know where we stand) that our one brief and hurried date was enough to let me know: we were not meant to be together.  Maybe I waited too long to ask you out. Maybe the years of listening to whispered stories of all you could do for me set my hopes impossibly high. Maybe the dark circles and bags under my eyes are just too much for any product. Maybe it wasn't really your fault. 

According to Wikipedia habits are "automatic routines of behavior that are repeated regularly, without thinking. They are learned, not instinctive, human behaviors that occur automatically, without the explicit contemporaneous intention of the person."

I'll admit it. My feet are not pretty. I never wear socks during the summer and I'm often in open-toed or open-heeled shoes. I don't wear high heels, but my flats aren't exactly foot-friendly either. I've got callouses so thick on my heels and the balls of my feet that a pedicurist might be tempted to take a sander to them.

I love to try products, and I love to talk about them - but I thought I'd share two of my favorite beauty items that don't come in a bottle...and will work for everyone.

Homeopathy is a holistic approach to healing which uses naturally derived ingredients in the form of remedies. These products have been used in one form or another by practitioners since the early 1700's. In layman's terms, homeopathy uses specific preparations to mimic conditions in our bodies which jump start our own systems to help us heal ourselves.

A few months ago, I gave birth to my second child, a daughter. Although she is adorable (objectively speaking, of course), my pregnancy resulted in one minor -albeit annoying- side effect: CRAZY HORMONAL, BREAKOUT-PRONE SKIN, such that I bear more than an passing resemblance to the pimple-faced teen on The Simpsons. It's bad, people, especially considering that my biggest skin problem had previously been limited to my (big) pores, and the occasional pimple.