OK, I'll admit it...I'm addicted. I can't stop it, my bank account shows it and my husband shakes his head at me regularly......I am addicted to beauty products! It happened by accident, I began reading all of those magazines for women that tell you the latest and greatest for your hair, skin and nails. It started off slowly,  in the grocery store I would stand in the longest line just to read all the magazines and absorb as much about beauty products that I could. I would sign up for free samples and ask all of my girlfriends about their own beauty secrets. I love shampoos & conditioners- with this Lowcountry humidity (you'll hear me often complain about it on the show) I can't seem to settle on just one set. I have one for rainy days, one for sunny days and one for my beach days...our shower is overrun with shampoos, conditioners and hair masques and believe it or not, my husband has never once complained about his little compartment where he keeps his own man products! Maybe it's because he knew I was like this before we got married..so just a little advice to all of you single men, check out our shower so you are aware of our level of passion for beauty products.  When I got the job as host of Lowcountry Live, I really had to start paying attention to my skin. I had to get used to putting on heavier makeup, which meant more breakouts. Even living in this Lowcountry heat, I was pretty lucky in high school and college and didn't have many problem with acne, I would get that occassional monster pimple but that was about it. I began seeing a dermatologist and facialist regulary and then I got IT! Ladies, we spend so much money on our shoes, dresses, clothes, etc. but we never took the time or money to take care of our faces....so I threw away all of those horrible products that kept clogging my pores and got serious. But it also meant I didn't get as many shoes...uggh...Some beauty products that I love are not cheap, but they last forever and in the end are well worth the money. I'm not endorsed by these folks in any way, just wanted to help you if you're drowning in a sea of beauty products... Here's a few of my favorites:

For The Hair: My Stylist, James Quinton of Salon Couture just introduced me to this about 8 months ago and I'm in love - it's called Moroccan Oil. I put it on immediately after the shower - it detangles and cuts my drying time in half- and it smells awesome! I'm also a big fan of the Pureology line of shampoos and conditioners - they are specifically made for color treated hair (like mine!) , I love the real volume, and they sell small bottles of it for you to test out, so give it a try!

For The Skin: Many women in the 30-40's are trying out botox, juvederm, etc and I'm not ruling that out yet...but until that day, I really love the Skin Authority's glycolic cleanser - it not only gets off all of that makeup I wear daily, it also sloughs off the dead skin to keep my skin rejuvenated. Of course I follow it up with Vitamin C and a Hydrating B5 gel from Skinceuticals. If you are willing to try organic products, I can't live without my Eminence Stone crop moisturizer, it is this funky green color but soaks right into my skin and doesn't make me oily (which I find in many moisturizers) And I've invested in the newest version of prescription retinoids - called atralin. I use it only once a week but unlike the other products, my skin doesn't shed like a snake like it used to with the others. Since we're headed into summer, I won't be able to use it as much because it causes sensitivity to the sun - and no matter what, I will be outside, so I will load up on sunscreen! Finally - if you need to relax, try the Burts Bees repair serum ---yummmm, the smell relaxes you while the natural oils soak into your face(but be sure to put it on at night!)..and finally I always carry Rosebud Salve, it's a cheap lip balm that smells like my grandmother, Kay Nelson, rest her soul. Speaking of relaxing, over Christmas Lowcountry Live featured a Myrtle Beach woman who makes her own body product line, Body & Bath Cafe. All of her items are handmade in Myrtle Beach with all natural ingredients, and her bath melts are to die for! Since she was only at Citadel Mall for the Holidays, I now order her items online and I can't get enough. www.bodyandbathcafe.com Support locals if you can!  

I hope some of these can help when you're navigating your way through the sea of beauty products. There are so many that I didn't mention and if I didn't mention something you love, let me know because I'm always willing to try it out - email me at lowcountrylive@abcnews4.com or send me a message on our Lowcountry Live Facebook Page. Thanks for reading!