The man; The Legend

Finally, we can rely on a man to get the job done... Other than its delicious aroma and scrumptious taste, the little gingerbread man by Philosophy ($25, sephora.com) is a ginger hot salt body scrub. It will help smooth out the rough spots and evoke a warm sense of holiday joy. Just in time for the holiday season of frosty, cold air and parched, dehydrated skin, this scrub is perfect for the shower or tub, and it features sea salt and natural extracts to exfoliate and polish dry, rough skin, leaving it feeling silky soft, super smooth and conditioned. (And especially after all the self-tanning we'll have to be doing this winter, this exfoliator is a must! Yes, avoid the tanning beds, people.

"he cleans, he soothes, he caresses, he pampers and showers with you, while always smelling positively delicious. No late nights at the office or Sunday waste away football weekends for this man. He is strictly a girls' guy." (Now that's our kind of man...)

Soft as Silk

Although the cold, chilly days of fall and winter are behind us, our hands can still feel dry and chapped in the warmer months. What does this mean for the health of your hands? Exfoliation is the answer to removing dead skin cells and exposing new, supple skin to keep your hands looking and feeling their best. Exfoliating on a regular basis (we recommend 2-3 times a week) will remove dry, flaky cells to allow fresh, silky skin to surface. Here is Beauty Muse's favourite hand-duo routine so your hands don't have to feel the blues of winter (hey, one less body part is progress!)

Sephora by OPI Hand Scrub ($8, sephora.com): it is an exfoliating scrub that smoothes and renews hands in an instant. It smoothes away rough skin and calluses to leave skin renewed, velvety-soft, and receptive to moisture. Natural sugar crystals and alpha hydroxyl acids softly abolish dry, tough, flaky skin and leave you in silky-hand heaven! It is also for feet and your body, and unlike salt scrubs, sugar scrubs don-t sting during use.

Camillen 60 Schrunden Cream ($20, purespa.com): a cream with oil on the basis of purest white Vaseline of the very highest quality, it offers intensive skin care. It contains ingredients from the ethereal oil of the camomile, a highly active combination of vitamins A and E as well as carrot oil, which are ideal for the treatment of irritated, rough and chapped skin and effectively rejuvenates mature as well as dry and scaly skin.

What's Your Philosophy?

"Where there is hope there can be faith, where there is faith miracles can occur."

This is the philosophy behind the cult-favourite company Philosophy. Another beauty product added to their roster of perfection is their Hope in a Jar ($38, www.sephora.com). Although it was a heavy price tag, it is a moisturizer wanted by all because it gently hydrates and exfoliates all while protecting the skin is definitely worth every last penny. It is a 99.9% oil-free, deeply hydrating, lightweight cream intended to smooth the complexion while reducing the appearance of wrinkles and discoloration. This make-up artist must-have provides soft, healthy, glowing results. But wait, there's more?! This adored formula has antioxidants that guard skin against environmental damage and provides nonstop exfoliation to keep unevenness to a minimum (and is an Oprah favorite!) And finally, a mixture of yeast-derived beta glucan helps the skin's natural defense system and improves repair capabilities. Now the only think left to think about is keeping Hope alive...

Flake It to Make It

Nothing gets rid of dry, flaky skin like this Flake Away spa body polish from Soap & Glory. ($9.99, Shoppers Drug Mart). This skin smoothing spa body polish with shea butter, sweet almond oil, peach seed powder, sea salt and sugar is like treating your skin to an instant spa treatment. Apply a handful of Flake Away onto damp skin and massage in circular motions until most of the grains are gone. The fine sugar granules leaves a soft moisturizing layer on your skin. Rinse well, pat dry and apply moisturizer while taking in the amazing aromas of leafy greens, gergamont and mandarin, with floral and fruity middle notes, and a soft musk.