It's hard to believe that 2006 is drawing to a close. To quote myself (hope you don't mind) from last year, "oh, what a year it's been!" Again.

This was an amazing year for the blog - filled with ups and downs, but wonderful nonetheless. Beauty Addict is very, very close to celebrating its ONE MILLIONTH page view! From the New York Times to WWD to Allure to Fashion Week, I loved every minute of it. And I made some great new friends along the way, too.

On a personal note, I moved into (and furnished) a gorgeous new apartment with three big closets for all my beauty loot, took on some exciting new (and international) responsibilities at work, watched my amazing godson Will grow from a tiny newborn to a walking, babbling one-year-old, and traveled for business far more than I thought I would! A quick tally shows that I went to Toronto, Atlanta (2x), Boston (2x), Chicago (2x), Orlando, Philadelphia (numerous), Nashville, and Germany (Frankfurt 2x, and Munich). So I learned quite a bit about "beauty on the road" this year!

I was so excited to hear that my good friend Annie was organizing a "Favorite Things 2006" blogger roundup this year, and I am delighted to participate. In no particular order, here are my favorite discoveries of the year (where available, I have included links to my original posts):

Crush on You by Product Body. Let's face it, it's getting harder and harder to be innovative these days, when most "breakthroughs" are actually just marketing copy. But Crush on You really stands out from the pack - where else can you find a product that scrubs, cleanses, and moisturizes, without making you feel like you've been dipped in wax afterward? It's fabulous, and the sample size jars have even earned a spot in my TSA-friendly Ziploc bag.

Le Labo. The concept, the shop, the perfumes, the owners, everything about it. Le Labo makes choosing and buying fragrance an interactive, one of a kind experience, and the scents are unique and gorgeous. The New York exclusive Tubereuse 40 might even deserve its own spot on this list!

Lancome Fatale Mascara. Opening the tube for the first time was like a Close Encounter of the Third Kind. What was this brush? It wasn't even a brush, this, this alien, 3-headed monster comb! Once I got over the initial shock and confusion, I learned that Fatale really does deliver the goods - long, voluminous, jet black lashes that don't get "crunchy" even after a long day.

Peter Jaret. No, he's not a beauty product, but he deserves to be on this list as much as anything else. Peter is the writer for The New York Times who contacted me out of the blue, to interview me for the story that made this blog what it is today. I was so happy with the entire process with the Times, from the interview to the photo shoot to the final story. Thank you Peter!

L'Occitane Amande Shower Oil. So it's not new, and I didn't exactly discover it this year. But I'll be damned if opening up a new bottle of this isn't like discovering it all over again. I say it every time...this is my favorite beauty product of all time. If it were to be discontinued, I would drive to the L'Occitane warehouse with a U-Haul and buy the entire remaining stock in bulk.

Carol's Daughter Black Vanilla Leave-in Conditioner. Just the smell of this drives me nuts. It smells like the best, fanciest vanilla extract you can find at the gourmet store. The fact that it makes my hair soft and touchable and drastically cuts down on frizz? Just an added bonus. I'd buy it again just to be able to enjoy the scent.

Monyette Paris. "New for me" this year. I first started wearing Monyette during the drab, rainy New York springtime, and it made me feel as if summer had already arrived. The expansion of the line this year - you can now have your Monyette in body oil, lotion, body wash, and candle form - made the deal even sweeter.

Original NIVEA Creme. This one takes the prize for best 2006 "rediscovery." This tried and true formula is one of the best - and cheapest - night creams, hand/foot creams, dry skin avengers, and winter-elements-blockers you'll ever use.

Tom Ford Estee Lauder Collection Azuree Body Oil. As several others have said, this one is the "perfume that is not a perfume." It has popped up on many "Favorite Things" lists already, and I must agree. This was the product that caused a craze among my friends in the Hamptons this summer. We all walked around with gleaming skin, smelling like the beach...and sliding around on the wood floors from all the oil!

DuWop Revolotion Face. Up until this year I rarely wore any foundation or tinted moisturizer. That changed the day I discovered this amazing tinted moisturizer from DuWop. It is light, dewy, and makes me look like I've actually slept, though this is rarely ever the truth. The one and only product I use on those "no makeup" days, thanks to the inclusion of a good UVA/UVB sunscreen.

Relastin Eye Silk. I never thought I'd be complimented on my undereye area, of all places, but it happened about 2 weeks after I started using the Relastin. I was stunned...but I can't say I disagree with the person who complimented me. This eye cream has the silky texture of Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, and leaves my eyes feeling smooth, tight and puff-free.

Clinique Pink Chocolates Shimmering Tones Powder. Three shades of shimmery goodness in one pretty pink palette, this powder works as a highlighter, eyeshadow, liner, and blush. By far my favorite item in the ouststanding Pink Chocolates collection - it's a shame this was a limited edition! Kudos to all who scored it before it disappeared.

Becca Concealer. The Becca debacle started after Allure mistakenly named their concealer as my favorite, when in fact I did not even own it. I felt I owed Becca a fair trial, so I snagged the concealer in Praline and have not looked back. With two levels of coverage (extra and medium) in one compact, it makes it incredibly easy to cover a multitude of skincare sins (i.e. the dreaded PICKING), blemishes, redness, and telltale dark circles.

Bond No 9 West Side. Annie, Tania, Risa and I, along with our band of fragrance lovers, had a chance to sniff this before it was available to the general public. It was "a moment." I fell in love with this gorgeous, heavenly vanilla rose right at that moment. It is stunning.

Want to see more Favorite Things? Do check out the participating blogs below, and have a Happy New Year!

Afrobella
All About The Pretty
Aromascope
Beauty Blogging Junkie
Beauty by Nadine
Beautiful Makeup Search & Beauty Blog
Beauty Hatchery
Beauty Jones
Blogdorf Goodman
Bois de Jasmin
BonBons in the Bath
Brain Trapped in Girl's Body
Capitol Hill Barbie
C'est Chic
Coquette
Crazy Jay Blue
eBeautyDaily
Girl's Handbook
Hautemommastuff
Koneko's *Mostly* Beauty Diary!
Legerdenez
Makeup Bag
Monkeyposh
My Muse
No one knows why the wolf laughs
Now Smell This
Perfume Smellin' Things
Peppermint Patty's Perfume Posse
Platinum Blonde Life
Product Girl
Scentzilla!
She'll Be Feverish After So Much Thinking
Slap of the Day
The Customer Is Always Right
The Daily Obsession
The Great She Elephant
The Life of a Ladybug
The Non-Blonde
Urbane Girl
Victoria's Own