Favorite Makeup
I wanted to share my favorite makeup, so I took everything out of my makeup bag that I travel with and made a list of the items. Click the images to purchase the items from Amazon (most of them are discounted).
Benefit Feelin’ Cheeky Minis ($25 for the travel size trio set or $29 each for one full size bottle)
High beam is my favorite (by far the best highlighter I’ve ever tried); I use it as a highlighter on the top of my cheeks, under my eyebrows, a dot on my cupid’s bow, the corners of my inner eyes, and sometimes on my temples just above my eyebrows. Benetint is a great natural looking cheek tint that can be used for daytime if you use just 1-2 drops, or you can put a little bit more on for evenings. It is a liquid tint rather than a gel tint like the other 2. You can also use it on your lips for a stained lip look. Posie tint is a lighter color that I like to use on my cheeks sometimes during the day, but I use the other 2 more.
Urban Decay 24/7 glide-on eyeliners
I really like how smoothly these eyeliners glide on; they come in all colors including the basic darks as well as more colorful, sparkly colors. You can buy them in mini or full size.
Too Faced eyeshadow kit in Smoky Eye
I especially like the black and the highlighter just above it for under my eyebrows and the corners of my inner eyes. The highlighter should be used at night; it’s not as subtle as the Benefit high beam highlighter.
L’Oreal carbon black extra-intense liquid pencil eyeliner
This is another eyeliner that glides on very smoothly. There is a pencil on one end and a small sponge used to smudge the line on the other.
Milani Liquif’Eye brown metallic eye liner pencil
This is another type of eyeliner that I like to use because it goes on so easily (no tugging) and is very dark. It’s an inexpensive drugstore option, just like the L’Oreal one above.
MaxFactor False Lash Effect Mascara
This mascara is not sold in the US anymore, so I got one recently when I was in Poland. You can also order them online. I’ve always liked MaxFactor mascara the most, because it could lengthen and add a lot of volume to my lashes without clumping.
L’Oreal voluminous million lashes mascara
I like this mascara more for a daily basis, because it lengthens and defines without clumping. It doesn’t give as much volume as the MaxFactor one though.
Joey New York pure pores pressed powder (used with loose powder brush)
This is a pressed powder that creates a matte finish. It contains a blend of extracts that have astringent-like properties to naturally help minimize the appearance of large pores, inhibit oil shine, and keep makeup looking fresh. I like to use loose powder on my face after I apply makeup so that my skin doesn’t get oily, but loose powder can get messy and is not as easy to carry around, so I just use this powder compact with a loose powder brush for the same effect. The powder is silica based and provides even coverage without looking cakey or pasty. I can’t find it in stores anymore, but it’s still sold online.
Nars blush and bronzer sticks (Orgasm and South Beach)
The orgasm blush stick is one of my favorite blush colors, and I think the stick is a lot more convenient to use than the powder. It’s a great rosy color that also has some shimmer. The south beach bronzer stick is my favorite bronzer (shimmery, tan color), and I use it on my cheeks as well as the bridge of my nose to look like I just spent the day out in the sun. These sticks from Nars come in very many different shades though.
Chanel eyeshadow palette (taupe craze)
I spent a long time looking for the perfect taupe eyeshadow, and Lancome is definitely it. I usually use the bottom brown color close to my eyelashes, then the taupe shade on the left all over my eyelid followed my the lighter, shimmery taupe shade on the right in the center of my eyelids by the lash line.
I couldn’t find a link to buy this one, so the closest I could find is this:
YSL touche eiclat
This is one of my favorite concealers; it provides coverage while still being light and having a great texture (not watery and not too thick so that it is hard to blend). I especially like to use this under my eyes.
Vichy Dermablend corrective foundation
I prefer to use the YSL concealer under my eyes, but if I have any zits, I like to use this Vichy foundation as a concealer. It covers any imperfections, and I don’t know if it actually does, but in my experience, it seems to help heal zits as well (unlike other concealers that just make things worse). Maybe it’s the Vichy thermal water that’s used in making it. Just make sure you don’t overdo it—a tiny bit of this foundation goes a long way.
YSL lipstick Rouge Pur Couture in Le Rouge and L’Orange
I recently found the perfect red lipstick after trying many of the best known ones. YSL Le Rouge is exactly the color I was looking for and has a great consistency that doesn’t dry out my lips. For a more fun color, I also like L’Orange, which is a bright orange-red color. This lipstick comes in many other great shades too.
Michael Kors Leg Shine-Classic ($10 travel size)
This also comes in a larger size, but the small one lasts a long time. Even though I don’t use this on my face, I had to include it since it’s a bronzer. I use it on my legs as well as my collar bone and shoulders for a great natural looking bronze tint with a little shimmer. Don’t expect to get much color from this, but I personally only like a subtle hint of color from a bronzer. I also love the scent, so it can be used as an alternative to perfume.
Anastasia clear brow gel and eyebrow pencil and powder
I go to Anastasia to get my eyebrows waxed and love her brow kit. Out of the things included, I mostly like to use the powder and gel. The highlighter is also nice, but I prefer to use Benefit’s high beam as a highlighter. The eyelid shine gel gives your eyelids a nice, dewy look. I always thought that eyebrow pencils, as well as any sort of eyebrow makeup, made people look ridiculous, but this kit lets you keep a natural eyebrow look. The powder can be very subtle depending on how much you put on, and it makes a big difference in outlining your face (even with just a little put on). The gel lets you keep your brows in place and helps define the shape.
Favorite Hair Products
Clairol Nice ‘n Easy ColorSeal Conditioning Gloss ($12.25 for 2)
This is the conditioner that they include in boxes of at-home hair color. I heard those conditioners are the best, so when I found out they were selling this separately, I was excited to try it. It’s the best conditioner I’ve tried.
Pantene Pro-V Damage Repair Ampoules for Medium Thick Hair (also available for curly hair) ($6 for 5 ampoules)
This is very similar to the Clairol conditioning gloss, and the one time use ampoules are great for short weekend trips. For daily use, I would prefer if it came in a larger bottle though.
Ojon Full Detox Detoxifying Shampoo ($24)
I try to use as few hair styling products as possible, but sometimes I feel like I need a good clarifying shampoo, so I use this shampoo every couple of weeks. It gets my hair squeaky clean and removes any buildup that might be making hair limp and lifeless. It uses soap bark tree extract, macadamia oil, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E to absorb excess oils, environmental pollutants, and impurities without stripping hair of vital moisture. It leaves hair refreshed, clean, and bouncy. I like that it doesn’t have as many chemicals as many other clarifying shampoos. Ojon also sells a full detox dry shampoo spray and full detox powder that I haven’t tried yet.
Unite 7 Seconds Condition Leave-In Detangler ($19)
This product should be at the top of the list; I use it daily and get stressed out when I run out and don’t order more in time. I also have the travel sized ones, which are very convenient. It’s an amazing product that my hair stylist, Riawna Capri, introduced me to about 5 years ago. It detangles better than any other detangler, makes my hair amazing, smells great, and it’s light so it doesn’t weigh hair down. Everyone who tries this product falls in love with it, so I really can’t recommend it enough.
Moroccan Oil Treatment ($68.99)
When I want my hair to be extra shiny, I use a tiny bit of this. It smells great and isn’t greasy.
Neil George Indian Gooseberry Treatment Oil ($40)
I switch between this and the moroccan oil when I want extra shine in my hair. I think this product smells better, because it smells like coconut so it always reminds me of summer.
Neutrogena T/Gel Therapeutic Shampoo Scalp Treatment Kit ($11.43)
I have quite a few friends who use Head&Shoulders daily to control and prevent dandruff. My advice is that whenever you get dandruff, you should buy this kit, which is available at Walgreens, and it includes 3 2oz shampoos. You rotate them daily until the dandruff is gone. The first bottle contains salicylic acid (clears flaky scalp build up), the second bottle is coal tar (controls persistent itching and flaking), and the third bottle is pyrithione zinc (treats and nourishes scalp). Once the dandruff goes away, switch to a non-dandruff shampoo appropriate for your hair type. Dandruff can build up a short-term resistance to an ingredient based shampoo within a few months, which is why it’s important to rotate shampoos that have different ingredients.
Favorite Beauty Products
I’ve tried a ton of beauty products, so I wanted to share my favorites:
Shiseido The Skincare Extra Gentle Cleansing Foam ($30.50). This is a great cleanser in that it removes all makeup, but it’s gentle and makes my skin feel clean and wonderful. I’ve tried the other Shiseido cleansers, even though the woman at the Shiseido counter who introduced me to this told me that it’s the best one they have. I liked this one so much and thought I might prefer the purifying one, but this is still my favorite.
Philosophy ‘The microdelivery’ Peel Kit ($65)
I use this peel almost weekly, and it always leaves my skin smooth and glowing without irritating it like some peels do. There are 2 parts to it: first you apply a small amount of the vitamin c crystals to clean, dry skin. Gently massage in a circular motion over entire face for one minute. Then pour out a similar amount of the activator into your hands and then massage it on your face over the scrub. The formula contains lactic and salicylic acids, as well as natural enzymes and a fruit acid complex.
L’Oreal Skin Expertise Youth Code Clinical Strength Starter System ($26)
The woman who works in the cosmetics section at Walgreens in New Haven told me about this line when it first came out and recommended that I buy the trial pack to see how I like it. I got hooked on the eye cream and day/night cream (the daytime SPF 30 moisturizer is good too, but I only use that in the summer—I know I should use it all year though.) This is the L’Oreal version of Lancome’s Genifique. It combines biolysat (regenerates the repair gene), adenosine (anti-wrinkle+stimulates protein synthesis), and a proprietary blend of peptides (also caffeine). A lot of research has gone into this that you can look up online. All I can tell you is that I have never been this attached to one moisturizer for so long.
Yes to Tomatoes Facial Hydrating Lotion ($14.99)
Prior to using the L’Oreal cream, I really liked this moisturizer. It’s a bit lighter. I like this whole line of products (yes to: tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, blueberries, and whatever else they have). I remember also really liking the cucumber eye cream, because it felt like putting cucumber slices over my eyes (which is something you can do if you’re out of eye cream!)
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion ($17)
This is the only thing that works for zits. It’s a combination of calamine and salicylic acid. Just remember not to shake it to mix the ingredients—just dip a q-tip into the bottle, remove it, apply, and watch zits disappear overnight or during the day.
Clarisonic Mia Skin Cleansing Brush ($119 but $99 with 20% off coupon available now)
I have this brush in garnet, but you can choose from many colors (I’ve even seen leopard print). The Mia version of the brush is easy to travel with, and although it only has one speed, I’ve found that I’m very happy with that speed. It feels like the brush my facialist uses to exfoliate my skin; there was a noticeable difference in my skin after I started using this, and some people commented that my skin was glowing.
Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus Toothbrush ($124.88)
My teeth became noticeably whiter after I started using this toothbrush. I don’t know why I waited so long to buy it; the drugstore spin brushes don’t compare at all. I think teeth are so important, and I really recommend that people invest in a sonicare toothbrush. I like this one because of the different settings (even though I almost always use “clean” mode), and the UV brush-head sanitizer is great. A single charge provides 3 weeks of use, and the way the brush works is that once you turn it on, it gives you 30 seconds per quadrant, so you know how much time to spend on each area. It has lots of other great features that you can look up online.
Clinique Take the Day off Make Up Remover ($17)
This is the best eye make up remover I’ve tried; it’s gentle and effective. I also have it in a smaller travel size, so when I get the regular size bottle, I fill up the small one and use it for travel.
Philosophy Kiss Me very emollient lip balm SPF 20 ($12)
I use this lip gloss all the time. I love that it has SPF 20 and has a refreshing peppermint taste. It gives just the right hint of color and moisturizes well. It stays on pretty long but is not sticky.
Dolce and Gabbana Rose The One Perfume ($68)
It’s my current favorite scent. It smells of black currant, pink grapefruit, mandarin, lily of the valley, rose, litchi, peony, Madonna lily, ambrette seed, sandalwood, musk, and vanilla.
