Because I'm a die-hard Drugstore Beauty Queen, I very rarely, if ever, use high-end or salon-only skincare products. About the only thing I might splurge on for my face is...nothing! An $8 econo-size bottle of Cetaphil is about a big a splurge as I'll do. However, that doesn't mean I don't dream about a life in which I go see my personal facialist, or better yet, that my personal facialist comes to my mansion -- a facialist like Nerida Joy.

Beverly Hills-based Nerida Joy has been named as one of the "Top 15" facialists in the country by both Self and Elle magazines, and with over 29 years of experience, she is the only facialist to be listed as a skin expert, a title reserved only for dermatologists.

That means she knows skin.

I know I won't ever get to that bourgie point in my life where I have my own facialist, and let's face it, I doubt I would have the energy to actually go see someone like Nerida Joy in her Beverly Hills salon even if it were only every so often (if you live in LA, then you know how traffic sometimes automatically turns you into a hermit). However, just like any professional in the beauty industry who actually wants to make money, Nerida has a line of skincare products. Hey, that wasn't meant to be snide; it's just a statement of fact. Here's another one: celebrities like Claudia Schiffer and Tyra Banks love Nerida's skincare products.

You know how it goes. You've tried three different foundations in the last four months and still, none of them seem to have that perfect, well, je ne sais quois that makes your face a perfectly smooth blank canvas for the rest of your makeup. What do you do? You ask your friends, your sisters, your sister's sister-in-law and every person in your office who wears makeup, even John in Accounting. You want to know what everyone else is using.

We're not saying that any single person or source has the final answer on the best of anything, since each of us has our favorites for whatever reason, but for the next few weeks, some of us will be taking time to share with you our personal lists of products we swear by for hair, skin, and makeup.

To get us started, this are my favorites, which I've pulled from my list over on ThisNext:

My friend, Erin, who recently spent the summer working in Iceland, recently mentioned that when she visited Blue Lagoon -- the famous mineral pool spa in Reykjavik -- she happened to bump into Cate Blanchett. Impressive isn't it? And she also happened to notice that Blanchett had purchased something from the spa store. When she questioned the salesperson about what the actress had purchased, the employee disclosed that it was the spa's signature silica mud mask. Needless to say, Erin forked over the cash to buy a tube of the mineral rich mask. I haven't tried it myself, but she swears that it has truly miraculous effect on the skin -- purifying each pore without over-drying your face. And if Cate Blanchett is a fan, how could you go wrong?

One of the nice things about getting a facial is that the treatment is fairly standardized. Sure, the order of the process might differ along with the products, but you can pretty much bet the farm that a facial in any spa around in the world will include cleansing, exfoliation, steaming and a mask.

For the wild-at-heart spa goer, the New York Times Style Section highlighted a few new treatments out there that are sure to feel more unpredictable than your typical European facial. There's the champagne and caviar facial, which blends the enzymes of bubbly with the benefits of caviar extract for a truly luxe experience. Offered at Verabella Skin Therapy in Beverly Hills, the spa claims the treatment offers a firming, hydrating effect for the face. Then there's the Beer Pedicure at Exsalonce Salon and Day Spa in Chicago, which uses the enzymes of the brew to help soften calluses and exfoliate the feet. And for the truly adventurous, there's the Boyzilian Wax at the Nickel Spa in San Francisco. Boyzilian being a Brazilian for boys. Any takers on that one?