I had a major gross-out moment on the subway this morning. I commute from my apartment in Brooklyn into our Manhattan offices by way of three subway trains. One of those trains, the L, is notoriously crowded in the mornings. So today as I was carried into the train by a crushing wave of angry people, I settled into a nook that had me sandwiched between two burly men, desperately grasping one of the train's poles to keep myself from falling.

Now, because of the girth of these two men, and the fact that I was all bundled up in my winter paraphernalia, I couldn't really turn my head or body to look around at what was going on. Midway through the train ride, my purse started to slip from my shoulder. I let go of the pole to hoist my purse back onto my shoulder and as I was doing so, someone in the vicinity of my pole let out a mighty sneeze. I then put my hand back on the pole, only to feel something wet and sticky in the place where my hand had been. Apparently the sneezer hadn't been able to reach their hands up to cover their face mid-sneeze and ended up spewing who-knows-what all over the subway pole. Gross.

And that dear friends is why I always, ALWAYS, carry a bottle of hand sanitizer in my bag. It's not like I could rush to a bathroom to instantly wash off the gross gunk on my palm, so I had to wait patiently until I could dislodge myself from my burly bookends and then frantically scrub my hands with sanitizer. Again, ew.

So, yes, I am one of those people who is constantly pulling out the hand sanitizer. I stock up on bottles of sanitizer like it's my job. That's why I'm loving these reformulated Bath & Body Works PocketBac Anti-Bacterial Hand Gels. They come in 18 awesome fragrances that kill germs and feature moisturizing Tahitian palm milk to keep your hands soft and supple instead of dried out and chapped. Best of all, they're only $1.50 a pop, so they're easy on your hands AND your wallet.

Turns out I'm not the only fan of the pocket-sized protectors. The BBW team hit Sundance last week in their Anti-Bacterial Van spreading the germ-killing love with the stars. Fans of the PocketBac included Malin Akerman, Ryan Gosling, Terri Seymour and America Ferrera.

Photo: © Bath & Body Works

But perhaps my fave celeb story is that of Joan Rivers. Apparently Madame Joan carried her bag of BBW goodies up and down Main Street, telling everyone and anyone how cute the PocketBacs were. The photo at left of her checking out her bag is priceless. Bath & Body Works PocketBac-- kills germs, softens hands, smells great and is Joan Rivers-approved.

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Let's get real ladies: when you were growing up, did you really dream of becoming an office assistant or an accountant? Probably not. Chances are you aspired to be in the limelight, be it as a ballerina or an actress or a singer.

My secret ambition was to be a rock star. Granted I had no talent for singing, nor was I adept at smashing (let alone playing) guitars, but that didn't stop me from trying to be like one. Every morning I would layer on the Urban Decay shadow and liner (Maui Wowie, Smog and Bourbon were my shades of choice), circling my eyes to create that perfect hazy gaze. A dab of cream blush on my cheekbones and a swipe of dark lipstain pressed into my lips and I was the ultimate rocker chick, at least in my head.

Unfortunately, most of us can't live out these rock star fantasies, which I think is just tragic. So I'm stoked by this cool contest from Flirt!. In honor of their new fragrance, Rock-n-Rebel, the brand has teamed up with rock godesses The Veronicas to host an online contest called "Show Us Your Inner Rock Star."

The Veronicas in all their rock chick glory.
Photo: © Flirt!

Starting today, you can head to Flirt's website and enter by submitting a photo of yourself that shows off your best rock star style and what it means to you. The winner will be flown out to L.A. to get a rocker chick-inspired makeover and go on a shopping spree with The Veronicas!

Runners-up will receive a bottle of the new Rock-n-Rebel perfume, which I've been in love with ever since my first sniff. It contains notes of apple nectar, pink grapefruit, and white lotus blossom which create a high-energy scent that has a hint of softness. It's the perfect way to unleash your inner rock diva, and you don't have to trash a hotel room or kick over a drum kit, so that's a plus.

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Have you ever wandered down the beauty aisles in your local drugstore and just been completely overwhelmed? There are just so many items to choose from on everything from your toothpaste to your conditioner. I like having options as much as the next girl, but when it takes you 30 minutes to find a face wash, you know things have gotten out of control. Which is why I appreciate a new initiative by Crest to streamline their teeth whitening products.

The brand is introducing 3D White, a new line of products that will replace all existing Crest whitening products. The five new products include 3D White Professional Effects Whitestrips, Vivid Toothpaste, MultiCare Whitening Rinse and two new toothbrushes from Oral-B.

3D White is set to launch in March, but Crest wants to give you the opportunity to experience it yourself before the official launch. Starting today, you can log on to the 3D White website and purchase the Professional Effects Whitestrips before it hits stores. Even better, when you purchase the Whitestrips, you'll receive a free, full-size bottle of the MultiCare Whitening Rinse AND the Vivid Toothpaste. What's not to love about that?

As one the web's largest beauty sites, DailyMakeover.com constantly receives products from beauty companies for editorial review. Please read our Editorial Ethics Pledge if you'd like to know how we select products to feature.

Growing up as a kid, I wasn't exactly what you would call athletic. Sure I participated in sports, but I definitely wasn't the star athlete. More often than not my innate klutziness would cause me to trip over my own feet mid-kick in soccer or beam my best friend in the face with a softball (sorry about that Jenn). So I've always had a lot of respect for those people who are, in fact, talented in sports and/or have normal control of their motor skills.

Because of my serious lack of hand-eye coordination, the Olympics have always held a special interest for me--being able to watch incredibly talented athletes compete in their prime is just an amazing thing. I never imagined that I would one day have the opportunity to actually speak face-to-face with an honest-to-goodness Olympian, but that's exactly what happened a few months back when I sat down with ice dancer and Olympic silver medalist Tanith Belbin.

From left: Olympians Tanith Belbin, Vonetta Flowers and Allison Baver.
Photo: © Procter & Gamble

Tanith is one of four "spokesathletes" for beauty giant Procter & Gamble. The brand is an official sponsor of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Tanith, along with skier Lindsey Vonn, bobsledder Vonetta Flowers and speed skater Allison Baver will appear in a marketing campaign for the brand. I sat down with Tanith at the shoot here in NYC and got her secrets to keeping her skin and hair in tiptop shape in the harsh winter weather. Read on for her winning tips!

With all of the time you log on the ice, your skin and hair must take a beating. How do you keep them looking great in the winter?

Winter weather or not, because I'm a figure skater, I'm always in the cold and I'm very aware of what those climates can do to your skin and hair. I definitely want to stay hydrated. I try not to wash my hair every day and I use Pantene's Ice Shine Shampoo and Conditioner--it's just perfect for me! It gives my hair that glow without weighing it down and gives it that shine and glisten that makes it look really healthy.

Dry skin is my number one problem and since I get up at 5:30 AM to train, I don't always have time to douse myself in lotion. I've started using body washes like Olay's Body Wash plus Crème Ribbons which have body butter infused into them. I definitely feel like I have that layer of hydration that sort of stays with me. It's not just the cold climate [that makes my skin dry], it's also what I do in ice dancing with my partner. It's a lot of grips, lifts and flips and my skin gets a lot of friction so I like to use something with an almost medicinal level of moisturizers like Olay Quench Advanced Healing Body Lotion.

Tanith gets a touch-up from makeup pro Jake Bailey.
Photo: © Procter & Gamble

I was a figure skater when I was a kid and I vividly remember the sheer amount of makeup we would have to pile on our faces. I used to have to go home and scrub my face raw in order to get it all off. How do you remove all of that makeup and still keep your skin feeling and looking its best?

I've obviously tried every kind of makeup remover there is. My skin is sensitive and a lot of those makeup removers make my skin red and irritated, making it hard to put makeup back on the next day. I use Olay Daily Facials Cleansing Cloths because they take everything off really easily and, with all the traveling I do, they're really convenient because I don't have to worry about bringing liquids with me.

I try to take good care of my skin, but it's nearly impossible to keep it perfect when I'm piling on makeup, traveling and dealing with the stress of competition. I just try to be diligent and I always, every time, wash, tone and moisturize. I also exfoliate my skin a couple of times a week.

What is your number one beauty travel tip?

I've learned that when I fly I have to take my makeup off. Going up in that altitude, everything just comes right to the surface. No matter what you think or who you're going to be seen by on the plane, just take your makeup off and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. When you're flying for so long and changing altitudes and climates and countries, you get really dehydrated so just try to keep moisturized.

The girls work it for the photographer.
Photo: © Procter & Gamble

What's your one, can't-live-without-it budget beauty buy?

I always buy mascara. I know that people say that there are certain products that you need to spend the money on, but I think that mascara is the number one thing that I find is best at the drugstores.

CoverGirl has the new LashBlast Length Mascara that I love. The brush has a thousand little bristles and it narrows at the end so it's very far-reaching and helps you get that little wing at the end of your lashes. I don't wear a lot of makeup when I train so I find that a bit of mascara and a flushed face are all I need to look fresh at the end of the day.

Now for some even more exciting news: The fine folks at P&G have invited me to head to Vancouver next month to provide you with live coverage of the Olympics! I'll be on site in Vancouver from February 18 through the 21, bringing you the all the scoop on the medal race and the scene at the Olympic Village. Stay tuned for more info as the Olympics approach!

As one the web's largest beauty sites, DailyMakeover.com constantly receives products from beauty companies for editorial review. Please read our Editorial Ethics Pledge if you'd like to know how we select products to feature.

One of my (many) New Years Resolutions this year was to stop throwing away money on unnecessary things. I love shopping for beauty goodies but I have a habit of being easily seduced by products based on their descriptions, especially when it comes to skincare items. "Radiant, supple skin?" Yes please. "Enhanced texture and silky smoothness?" Sign me up. It's not that I'm not a savvy consumer: I check my labels, know my ingredients and research my brands. It's just that when I'm actually in a store trying to pick out items on my own, I invariably reach for products that entice me and then turn out to be completely unnecessary.

I very nearly had this situation recently at a Dermalogica event I attended. I wandered around the store prior to my appointment, looking over products and zeroing in on ones I thought would be a good pick for my skin. I worry about acne, oil, texture and fine lines so the products that caught my eye all addressed those needs. Once I'd shopped the products in my head, I headed to the counter to get my consultation.

Dermalogica offers a unique (free!!!) service at their flagship stores where you can have your skin evaluated by their trained skin experts in a process they call Face Mapping. Your skin is broken down into 14 specific zones, including your neck, ears, eyes and everything in between. Your skin expert then puts on a scary pair of magnifying spectacles and systematically goes over your skin, highlighting what your issues are in each zone.

My expert, Melissa, pored (ha, get it?) over my skin and told me I was dealing with comedones (otherwise known as blackheads) in zones 12, 7, 3 and 1 (my chin, nose and both sides of my forehead) as well as pronounced dehydration all over. That was news to me, as dry skin wasn't particularly high on my concerns list. But once Melissa mentioned it, I did suddenly realize that my complexion had been feeling kind of tight and flaky recently.

Once she'd thoroughly examined my face, Melissa marked down my issues on my personalized prescription sheet. It showed a face diagram, which she had marked with codes for my issues (c for comedones, dh for dehydration, etc.) so that I knew where the problems were. She then prescribed a regimen of products for me to help combat these issues. I was shocked to find out that almost all of the products recommended were ones I hadn't picked out on my first trip around the store!

My new regimen included the brand's famous PreCleanse and UltraCalming Cleanser to get rid of dirt, debris and oil; Daily Resurfacer to exfoliate those pesky dead skin cells that cause dullness; Skin Hydrating Masque to quench my skin's thirst and keep me hydrated, Skin Smoothing Cream to help heal my texture woes, Solar Defense Booster SPF 30 to protect my skin from UV damage and MultiVitamin Power Firm to get rid of fine lines around the eyes. I've been on the products for about two weeks now and am already noticing a difference. Even though none of those products specifically address acne, I've noticed my skin is breaking out less. I'm also seeing a subtle change in texture and I'm definitely feeling rehydrated.

Would I have picked this new regimen out all by myself? Probably not. It just goes to show you that you can't always depend on the labels to know exactly what's right for you. Even if the store you frequent doesn't have as in-depth of an evaluation as Dermalogica, you should definitely seek input from the staff. They're schooled in the products and can usually tell you which ones might be a good fit for your skin. I would still do your homework and research products and brands, but definitely take their advice into account as it can help lead you to a product you may not have known about or might not have chosen on your own. It's a great way to break the cycle of wasting money on products that turn out to be wrong or ineffective on your skin.

What were your New Years beauty resolutions?

As one the web's largest beauty sites, DailyMakeover.com constantly receives products from beauty companies for editorial review. Please read our Editorial Ethics Pledge if you'd like to know how we select products to feature.