Holiday beauty products tend to steal the spotlight. Gift sets come in glitzy packaging; makeup collections are bedazzled, glittery, and all-around eye-catching. And I think that's why I gravitate towards the other beauty products that launch in December -- they're the underdogs, and many of them are so much more fantastic than the gimmick-ridden holiday launches.

A few years ago, a dermatologist convinced me to try his new chemical peel that -- he promised --would give me bright, glowing skin without a day of downtime.

Even though the youngest member of my family is a freshman in college, my mother still insists that "Santa" is responsible for the contents of our stockings. And it would seem that the jolly old man has a penchant for tacky holiday-themed socks, '80s-era scrunchies, and packs of Juicy Fruit.

Long before Pinterest became everyone's favorite way to spend their lunch break (and then some), beauty brands were crafting tangible inspiration boards for their collections each season.

I recently spotted a wildly expensive cream in a friend's bathroom. I knew exactly what it was, having researched it for a skin care story just a few days before, and I knew exactly how much she paid for it: A whopping $379.