One of my favorite things about living in a sorority house was the process of getting ready to go out on Friday and Saturday nights. We had a huge bathroom area that was equipped with cubbies, lots of counter space and plenty of outlets to accommodate dozens of blow dryers and straitening irons. I used to love seeing what products all of my sisters were using. It was like having a house full of product testers to share their experiences with you.
Since I no longer live with 70 other women (or even 1 other woman), I thought that I would share my love of a few products that I consider a necessity in my daily arsenal of makeup, skin care and haircare. I'm pretty sure that my male readers just fled the building, but that's alright. We all need some girl time occasionally!
The first product up to bat is Stila's Smudge Pots, which are a gel eyeliner that come in numerous colors (I use the black for night time and the bronze for daily wear). I can attest to the fact that this eyeliner will not flake, run, smudge or otherwise make you look like a raccoon. You apply it using a straight edged brush (I think I bought mine from Mac) and one smudge pot will last you years. Literally years. I've used the bronze one daily since last Christmas and I've barely made a dent. You're definitely getting your money's worth here.
Another product from Stila to make my list is their cream blush. This blush works best on top of a tinted moisturizer or a liquid foundation. I have Petunia (the color shown above) and when put on the apple of my cheeks, it gives me the most lovely peachy glow. In fact, it looks like I either just blushed prettily (which olive-toned people simply do not do) or just ran a mile or two. In other words, the flush on my cheeks looks like it's coming from the inside out. I'll caution you - a little bit goes a long way, so just a dab will do ya.
With fall here and winter on the horizon, another makeup item to make my list is Nars Pressed Powder foundation. Since I'm not sweating like a pig in cooler weather (I'm sorry, but summer is beastly in the sweat department), my skin is generally clear and needs very little in the way of coverage or correction. This powder foundation actually looks creamy when applied to your skin and gives you a perfect finish that doesn't look made up. Nars makes this foundation in dozens of colors (with lots of olive tones to choose from) so you're bound to find the right shade that works for you.
The last makeup item on my list is Kiss Me Mascara by Bliss. I am obsessed with this mascara because it doesn't run and it comes off super easily with no mess. It gives great length and coverage without clumping and I'm pretty much sold on this for life. I've tried Dior Show and a bunch of other high end mascaras, but I hate having to use makeup remover to get them off at the end of the day. Call me lazy, but that's one additional step in my already extensive night time routine of trying to keep my 30-something skin looking 20-something.
Speaking of keeping your skin looking young, I love love love this moisturizer called Sugar Crystal Cream by Korres (which happens to be a Greek company). In the winter, my skin gets dry and flaky and I start to look like a snake shedding my skin. This lovely moisturizer keeps my skin soft, supple and flake-free. Plus, even when I'm having a breakout, it doesn't aggravate or exacerbate my skin. It's gentle and definitely a keeper.
While I could definitely go on and on here, there's one more product that I wanted to share with you. L'Oreal's Elnett hairspray. I found out about this item when I was visiting Tallahassee and staying with my friend Meg. I needed to borrow hairspray and she handed a sample size of this to me (it came with her shampoo). I sprayed away, went to breakfast, threw my hair in a pony tail, drove 7 hours, let my hair down...and it still looked great. Um, what? Give me a case please! Seriously, I used to buy a ridiculously expensive hairspray from Sephora, but I've happily switched to this drug store find for all of my hair-setting needs.
Well, there you have it. I should add (although it goes without saying) that I'm clearly not getting paid to endorse these products. I just happen to like them and thought that you might too.
So tell me, what products can't you live without? I'm always looking to add to my arsenal!
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