It’s about that time of year when my skin starts to get really dry and itchy and I feel like I have to put lotion on a million times a day.

Today is especially troublesome on my hands since it’s also cold this morning making them even more itchy before I head off to the airport.

To give me some relief on a daily basis, I thought I’d share some of my favorite hand creams and lotions in case you’re in the same boat

Philosophy Old-Fashioned Lemonade Hand Cream ($15 US):  A surprisingly rich cream, considering the main ingredient is water, that’s sinks into my skin wonderfully.  I also love the way it smells fresh like lemons on summer day - even in the middle of fall.

Sephora by OPI Daily Hand Moisturizer ($5 - $9 US):  This one’s a nice lotion that’s affordable enough to use everyday and also has an inviting, citrusy smell that earns this product more points in my book.

Glowology The Balm for Hands and Feet ($24 US): When I opened up this jar, the cream inside literally looked like rich frosting with little movement while smelling soft and powdery.  Formulated with organic shea butter, The Balm comes off as uber moisturizing without the heaviness of a cream.

LAVANILA The Healthy Body Butter Trio ($30 US): I’ve actually only tried this body butter in Vanilla Coconut, but this trio set I found on Sephora also comes with Pure Vanilla and Vanilla Grapefruit scents that’s great if you love all things vanilla.  This formula is also very rich and doesn’t last as long as the Philosophy lotion, but I just love the way it smells like cupcakes!

I hope your day is going to be a good one!  I’m getting ready to start my weekend early and am heading off to the airport for Vegas for the Boyfriend’s birthday soon.

We’re staying at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino - I can hardly wait to chow down on a yummy sandwich from ‘Wichcraft again.  Especially since I’ve been watching a lot of Top Chef these past few days.  Tom, you’re the cutest bald man ever!

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I’ve been on kind of a skin care kick lately and tried Philosophy’s Microdelivery Peel after hearing rave reviews from others.

Microdermabrasion is increasingly popular among plastic surgeons and their patients. Thank goodness we now have a DIY option that’s also pocketbook friendly!

The Microdelivery Peel is a peptide/vitamin C peel that I tried last night before bed. It really is a super-easy two-step facial regimen that literally takes no more than 5 mins. Here’s what I did:

After you wash your face with your favorite facial cleanser,

Step 1: Apply about a teaspoon of the bicarbonate vitamin C crystals (sounds scary, but it’s not) to a clean, dry face. Gently massage using circular motions to buff away dead, dry skin cells for 1 - 3 mins (this is key, don’t scrub too hard). Here I am, I hope you can see the small crystals on my cheek!

After doing this, I actually feel like you may need more than a teaspoon to properly exfoliate your face but I wanted to follow their exact instructions the first time to get a real sense of the product.

Step 2: Then, apply a generous teaspoon of the lactic/salicylic acid activating gel (again, don’t be scared) in the palm of your hand, massage gel onto fingertips and apply over the vitamin C crystals on your face. A warming sensation will occur and a white foam will appear indicating that the vitamin C and peptides are now active. Leave the foam on for 2-3 mins and then rinse.

Now, I don’t know if I used enough of the gel, but I never really got the foam part. All I got was a little bit that made it look more like I had some cleansing soap on my face. Don’t laugh, but here I am again, can’t see the foam, can you? It did start to warm up on my face which felt nice, but I was still disappointed because they didn’t deliver the foam like the packaging said.

You also have to rinse well afterwards; I had a lot of the little crystals wanting to hang out around the sides of my face and it was hard to get out of my hairline.

Immediately after the peel, I was so so about it - I guess I was irked that I still had crystals in my hair. But once I sat down to apply my night moisturizer and looked closely in the mirror, I noticed that my skin looked really smooth and it felt super soft. I put on my moisturizer and my face just felt so nice overall! You can see and feel the results immediately and right then and there, I changed my mind about the Microdelivery Peel and I am now a believer!!

You can pick Philososphy’s Microdelivery Peel at most department stores (I’m going to get mine at Nordstorm) and it retails for $65 US. I remember asking one of the girls at the counter about how many uses you get out of it and I think she said 10-12. Directions on the box say that you can use the peel once or twice a week so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth - see if the plastic surgeon’s office can beat that price!

Let me know if you get to try this peel and if you like it as much as I do!

Today I’m bringing you some skincare products you can purchase this month to support Breast Cancer Awareness.

Check out some of my perfectly pink picks to pamper you from head-to-toe!

CLARISONIC Pink Skin Care Brush ($195 US) uses patented sonic technology to gently yet deeply cleanse pores of environmental toxins, makeup and bacteria—without abrasion or harsh chemicals.

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion ($35 US) softens, smoothes and improves the condition and texture of your skin. $10.00 from your purchase of this limited-edition Dramatically Different™ Moisturizing Lotion helps support The Breast Cancer Research Fund.

Shower For The Cure ($20 US) is Philosophy’s pink ribbon shower gel - a creamy all-in-one formula that can be used as a shampoo, shower gel or bubble bath. This long-time Philosophy favorite contains a touch of milk proteins and fruit essences to provide a delightful experience for your senses. Shower For The Cure represents the spirit of every woman and 100% of the philosophy net proceeds from the shower for the cure is donated to the Women’s Cancer Research Fund.

L’Occitane Limited Edition Pink Shea Butter Hand Cream ($25 US) is a super-smoothing synergy of shea Butter, honey and sweet almond extract, blended with the light and alluring aromas of jasmine and ylang-ylang essences. Texturally pleasing balm glides on and absorbs to help heal and protect dry or dehydrated skin.

Origins ‘Make A Difference’ Rejuvenating Hand Treatment ($18.50 US) does wonders for chapped, cracked, splotchy skin leaving a softer, brighter, more evenly toned, more youthfully textured look and feel.

AVON Foot Works Overnight Treatment (currently a STEAL on their website for $3.75!) hydrates overnight to provide 24-hour moisturization. Helps to heal ultradry, rough skin, and to reduce buildup of rough, hard skin. 100% of the net proceeds are donated to the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade.

I know most of us are really good about taking care of our skin when it comes to our face. But how many of you (like me) remember to take care of your neck and décolletage? I’d safely bet that not all of us are giving it as much attention as some of the men in our lives do. *wink*

The skin around our neck and cleavage start to wrinkle probably around the time that we start to find those lines on our face. We spend so much time with face creams, eye creams, anti-aging regimens, etc., we completely forget about the other sensitive skin places around our face. But fear not, some of our favorite beauty lines offer solutions especially for your neck and cleavage.

I’d love to know if you’ve tried any of these and which ones your favorites are!

Bliss Thinny Thin Chin ($48 US) is quite possibly the most exciting thing to happen to your neck since you got your first hickey. With a dual-action complex that instantly tightens, while firming, hydrating and improving the appearance of neck lines, crepiness and hyper-pigmentation over time. It’s like a liquid bra for your v-zone!

Olay Total Effects Night Firming Cream for Face and Neck is a non-greasy formula that absorbs deep into your skin’s surface to continuously tighten the upper network of skin cells, giving you visibly firmer, more supple skin. The fast-absorbing cream contains skin-strengthening VitaNiacin and helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Clarins Jeunesse du Cou - Advanced Extra-Firming Neck Cream ($76 US) keeps the delicate skin of this highly fragile area looking younger longer with this ultimate firming neck treatment that helps firm and smooth away lines and wrinkles as it immediately ‘lifts.’ The feather-light, silky texture disappears into the skin instantly.

Philosophy’s When Hope Is Not Enough ($25 US) for face, neck and décollete is an ultra-rich, moisture cream that helps to hydrate and firm the skin on the neck and decollete area and promote resilience and lift while helping to reduce the signs of premature aging.