Classic Favorites
These are the products I can't get enough of, the products I always keep in my makeup bag, the products I stock up out of fear that they might one day be discontinued -- things I've been using for years and years that still impress me with how well they work.
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From left to right:
Epicuren conditioning lip balm with SPF 15 ($4.50, Skin Care Lab)
This stuff is a touch more pricey than your basic Chapstick, but please trust me when I say it is totally worth it. I keep tubes in my makeup bag, in my bathroom drawer, in every handbag I own, at my boyfriend's house, in my desk at work, in my car -- it's so good that all other lip balms pale in comparison. It goes on clear and never flakes or leaves weird waxy residue. The texture is smooth and creamy, and because tea tree oil is one of its main ingredients, it leaves a tingly, fresh feeling behind. All of my girlfriends also swear by this lip balm. I've sent it all over the country and made believers out of everyone who's tried it. Great as a base for lip pencils, great before bed, great whenever your lips are feeling any less than perfect, I totally love it.
Almay Liquid Eyeliner ($8, drugstores)
My style has changed thousands of times over in the past ten years, but one thing has remained constant -- since I started putting makeup, I've always worn black cateye liner (in varying degrees of intensity, natch), and I've always used Almay's liquid eyeliner. The packaging and even the name have changed a few times over since I was 14, but the product itself remains blissfully the same. I love the pointed felt-tip brush, which allows for ultimate lining precision (très important for the winged-out look I favor), and the super-saturated color stays on all day. In fact, I was given MAC's liquid eyeliner in Boot Black as a Christmas gift, and Almay's cheaper version still totally kicks its ass. As far as I'm concerned it's an absolute must-have for eyeliner junkies and casual users alike. (Nonbelievers, all it takes is practice, I swear!)
Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers tinted moisturizer ($11, drugstores)
As an acne-ridden teen, I caked on the CoverGirl, but now that I'm in my twenties and my skin has calmed down, I'm really not into the look of matte or overpowdered skin. I'm all about dewiness and luminosity, but I still need to even everything out, and Neutrogena's Glow Sheers tinted moisturizer is pretty much the ideal product -- it goes on (duh) sheer, yet manages to blend and mask any skin imperfections, so instead of looking like "Hi, I'm wearing a ton of foundation," you're like, "Hi, my skin is just naturally amazing."
OPI Nail Lacquer ($8, beauty supply stores or nailpolishdiva.com)
There's a reason I'm always featuring OPI nail shades on this blog -- it's just the best. OPI can always be counted on for really fashion-forward shades, as well as the prettiest classics and most color-saturated brights. The polish goes on really even and is so glossy it barely needs a topcoat (bonus for uncoordinated at-home manicurists like yours truly). My favorite shades are Moon Over Mumbai (shown), You Don't Know Jacques, Parlez-Vous OPI?, and Bare It In Trafalgar Square, but I swear every color is pretty damn good.
NYC Browser eyebrow powder and wax kit ($3, drugstores)
Confession: I've suffered from an impulse control disorder called trichotillomania pretty much my whole life, and even though I have it pretty much under control now, years and years of hair-pulling left me with really sparse eyebrows. In high school, when my condition was having a particularly zealous moment, I discovered this super-cheap little brow kit and I've been totes converted every since. I've used higher-end brow waxes and powders over the years, but I always come back to this three dollar wonder. The wax is the perfect consistency, the powder has just the right amount of pigment and is solid enough that it doesn't dust off everywhere, and the little angled brush that's included is awesome. I've been having a '60s, bold brow moment for a couple of years now, and this stuff works wonders at transforming my spindly brows into thick, natural-looking beauties. I probably get more compliments on my eyebrows than anything else about my appearance, and I owe it all to NYC Browser, for serious.
New Favorites
Now, these are products I discovered more recently, over the last year or so, that have already become regulars in my cosmetic arsenal. New classics, basically -- things that'll still be in my makeup bag in 2020.
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Left to right:
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil ($24, Sephora)
I know I've waxed rhapsodic about this stuff a few times on WR2BAM, but I can't help it -- I'll never look at regular lipstick again now that I've discovered these incredibly soft, smooth, creamy crayons. I loathe shiny lips but am a sucker for intense color, and the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil delivers really saturated pigment with a satiny matte finish that feels like lipstick going on but stays all day like pencil. I use Belle du Jour (a pinky nude shade) on the daily, and Red Square (the perfect orangey red) is my go-to scarlet. So totally worth the cash.
Kiehl's Original Musk Blend No. 1 ($38.50, Kiehl's)
I'm kind of a perfume addict -- right now I rotate between five scents -- but this woodsy unisex classic, which has been around since the 1920s, is the only one I see myself buying over and over again each time the bottle runs out. It helps that it's less pricey than designer fragrances, but the real draw is the truly amazing smell. It has a masculine vibe, with floral notes tempered down by tonka nut, white patchouli and (duh) musk, but really the scent is pretty indescribable. All I can say is every time I wear it, people ask me what it is. (Actually, I wore it to a holiday party a couple of weeks ago and a friend of mine gave me four different goodbye hugs because he couldn't get enough of my smell!) Totally a classic, totally amazing, totally on my bathroom counter for the rest of my life.
Stila All Over Shimmer Liquid Luminizer ($22, Sephora)
OK, don't be alarmed by the name -- I'm not into shimmer, either, but this amazing product is less high school glitter and more sophisticated, subtle glow. Like I said above, when it comes to my skin, I like a really fresh and dewy look, and this liquid luminizer helps me achieve my goal even at my most hungover and haggard. I dot it on my brow bones, the in the corners of my eyes, and at my cupid's bow before I put on my tinted moisturizer in the morning, like so:
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Doing so is like instant coffee for your face -- it just lifts and brightens everything, but in a way that will make people go, "You look so well-rested" instead of like "What is that shiny crap all over your face?" After I finish making myself up, I also swipe it liberally over my cheekbones for added glow and reapply as needed throughout the day. It's amazing -- a pick-me-up in a cute little jar.
NYC Cover Stick ($2, drugstores)
Since, like I've said, chalky, cakey skin is not my thing, I hadn't given much thought to concealer sticks and the like since high school, but I recently discovered an amazing trick that, especially in conjunction with an all-over luminizer like Stila's above, makes skin look fresh, bright, and awake even if you've been on a coke bender for three days. It's like an instant facelift, and it only costs two bucks. Every morning, post-moisturizer but before all my other makeup, I've been applying this cover stick in Light like so:
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Then I dot on the Stila luminizer as outlined above, then I slap on some of that good ol' Neutrogena Glow Sheer tinted moisturizer and blend the whole thing together with my fingers. To the naked eye, nothing looks out of the ordinary, but underneath all the other makeup that concealer is reflecting light and keeping everything looking really bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It fucking works. Trust.
Benefit PosieTint Lip & Cheek Stain ($28 for a jar, $10 for a mini as shown, Sephora)
I have for years longed for the perfect dolly-pink, ultra-girly-girl blush, but as an olive-skinned dame I was beginning to think it was a lost cause. Shades that looked all kinds of pink and lovely on my fair-skinned friends just made me look like I had a bad case of rosacea. Then I discovered Benefit's poppy-pink PosieTint (their wildly popular BeneTint's pinker little sister), and now I too can be all flushed and fabulous. The color is amazingly flattering on both cheeks and lips, and a little goes a long way and lasts all day, so even the adorable new mini size (shown above) should be able to hang out in your handbag for a few months before it needs replacing. I love all Benefit products, actually, but PosieTint is my numero uno.
L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara ($9, drugstores)
OMG, you guys, I finally got my hands on this Givenchy knockoff and...it totally works! I mean, it's pretty amazing. The spiky little ball on the end of the wand makes it incredibly easy to get every single lash -- and I do mean every. Single. Lash! -- yet it manages somehow to avoid the pit of clumpy, spidery despair where so many drugstore mascaras end up. I'm constantly trying new cheap mascaras, and this is the first one I've found yet that I'll buy again. Love it.
What are some of your tried-and-true beauty products? What were your new faves in 2009? Come on, guys, spill your secrets!
11 comments:
Like you, I have been using the NYC Browers kit for over a year now! It lasts forever! I am super interested in trying that Neutrogena Glow Sheers, as my acne has calmed down, but I am worried cause of the uneven skin tone I have. I just need to suck it up and spend the money and try it out.
You should definitely give it a try -- I love it so much! You could try evening out your skin tone with a concealer or panstik underneath, too.
I know a lot of drugstores have a no-questions-asked return policy on makeup -- I'm pretty sure either Rite Aid or CVS prides themselves on this. So you could take it home and test it out, and if you don't like it you can come back and trade it for something else -- that's what I would suggest!
I absolutely love almay liquid eyeliner. I have been using it for years. Also I have never found a mascara that I have liked more than Great Lash. I have been using that stuff since I used to sneak into my mom's makeup. I also really like Revlon lipstick and don't buy any other brands. And I really like the new matte stuff they came out with. Next time I am going to the drugstore I am buying it in nude.
I am LOVING this post. I've been looking to put a little more oomph into my makeup lately. I have a really fair complexion with rare blemishes so I never wear any foundation - so I've been looking for a good tinted moisturizer. Will totally check these finds out.
Also - I miss your adorable blonde hair!!!
Ok, I thought I was the only person who had discovered the NYC brow kit. I also really like their lipliners.
Sonia Kashuk cream blushes from target are awesome and come in really pretty pinks and corals.
Baked eyeshadows from Physicians formula for highlighting your brow bone.
I love this post :)
Origins Spot Treatment is a great little acne tool that I've been using since I was 12 years old. Got a zit, dab a little bit on, and a few hours later the zit's practically gone!
I also love my Blacktrack Fluidliner from MAC, but I may have to give the Almay liner a try since I'm close to running out.
My new favorite mascara is CoverGirl Lash Blast. It works wonderfully and rarely ever clumps!
I resolved last year to use more natural beauty products, so 2009 was an expensive year of experimentation with an equal number of hits and misses.
My goal is to use products that are 100% safe, organic, and natural, but I'm not entirely there yet. Here are a few things I've successfully switched to:
Mascara: Mineral Fusion in graphite- I picked this up while shopping at Whole Foods one day and was pleasantly surprised. It's cheaper than some of the other "natural" mascaras I've used, and decidedly better. It goes on thick and makes my lashes look lush whereas other natural mascaras were dismal failures in this regard. All natural mascaras have a problem with smudging a lot throughout the day, and I have to be honest and admit this one is a little smudgy too. Still, it's a small price I'm willing to pay for healthier, non-toxic lashes. http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=226234&catid=98577.
Lipstick: Color Comfort Lip Color, Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy for Sally Hansen- Carmindy, from that TLC show "What Not to Wear" came out with a natural makeup line for Sally Hansen and it's awesome. By far, the lipstick is my favorite product from this line. It's creamy and comparable to Clinique, IMO. I've tried several colors and while all are nice, I LOVE Rosey Brown. If it's ever discontinued, I'll die. So, please go out and buy lots of it (plus, I suspect it is universally flattering). It's hard to believe you can get a lipstick this good for this price, but it's true. http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/productDetail.jsp?skuId=2157281&productId=xlsImpprod460028&navAction=push&navCount=1&categoryId=cat80058#sku2157291
Primer and Blush: Carmindy for Sally Hansen- Carmindy also has an amazing make-up primer. It was so good I actually took the more expensive primer I had purchased from Smashbox and threw it in the garbage- the Carmindy is honestly that much better. The blush is also pretty good, too, but I find that blush is difficult to mess up anyway. I buy it from Carmindy because I like supporting her brand and because it's natural. I can't find these two items on Ulta's site, but I get mine at CVS. Be aware, though, that not all CVS stores carry the Carmindy line. I am fortunate to have one right around the corner from work, but otherwise I would just call around.
Shampoo: Nature's Edge Shampoo Bar- I'm fascinated by folks who are going 'poo free. For an interesting discussion on people who are forgoing soap AND shampoo, check this out: http://freetheanimal.com/2009/12/paleo-i-dont-care-i-like-no-soap-no-shampoo.html. I'm not quite ready for all that, but I am concerned about sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate (it's a degreaser and very harsh on the scalp) and other harmful chemicals. Based on a post on a random discussion board, I bought a shampoo bar from a place online called Nature's Edge: http://www.naturesedgefarm.com/?p=224. It works incredibly well, I am pleased to report! My hair is clean, very soft, and my scalp less stripped/dry. It took me a while to understand that conditioner is no longer necessary, but now I've embraced it fully. Another perk: it's $4 a bar, and no plastic bottle waste! Note: the shampoo bars at Lush do have sulfates, so try to avoid.
(continued)
Nail Polish: Sula Peel and Paint- I tried all the nail polishes that purport to be formaldehyde/toulene free, and I am sure they are much healthier than natural polish. But you know what? They still smell like poison. On a whim I went to Ulta and bought 5 bottles of their non-toxic peel and paint polish. I will never use anything else again. It's been my experience that it goes on more smoothly (I don't get the bubbly/bumpy look that I had with other polishes) and on my feet the polish ends up lasting significantly longer than conventional polish. For reasons I do not fully understand, it is not long lasting on my fingernails. Not sure why, but I suspect I just do a lot with my hands and this polish probably isn't designed for that. I don't really care, though, because I'm more interested in having pretty toes anyway. I also love that I no longer have to purchase nail polish remover (the polish peels off in nice, whole pieces. It takes seconds to remove it from all 10 toes). Can't find it on their website, but Ulta does carry it: http://www.sulabeauty.com/catalog/12/paint_peel_trend_collection. Favorite colors are Midnight, Royal, Dove, and the Clear topcoat (avoid the metallic/sparkly topcoat, though. It makes the polish look cheap).
Right now I am using a foundation mousse from Boots that I bought at Target. It works rpretty well, but I think I am going to try Physician's Formula tinted mositurizer because it's organic. I'll let you know if it's great or not.
Also, thanks for talking about trichotillomania. I have it as well, but was able to control it before hair loss occurred. Still, it's a struggle and my thoughts are usually not far from it. It's nice to know someone else who has it; not long ago I really believed I was the only one.
I'm definitely going to have to give the NYC brow set a try. I've been a user of Benefit's Brow-Zings for a few years, but the price just keeps going up! Now, it's $30. I think I can check out the $3 version. ;D
As for eyeliner, for the gals who prefer a long, skinny brush as opposed to the felt-tip, I just use good ol' Wet n' Wild. $1.99 and it's PERFECTION.
I love it so much! You could try evening out your skin tone with a concealer or panstik underneath, too.
see through lingerie
i use covergirl's lash blast length (yellow tube) mascara..for a contact lense wearer, this stuff is amazing! no flaking, and it won't burn if your eyes water. i wish it was a darker black though, that's my only complaint.
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