Beauty Product Faves & Raves!

"The most beautiful makeup of a woman is passion. But cosmetics are easier to buy."

— Yves Saint-Laurent

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved makeup, hair and clothes. My mom would wake me up early for kindergarten just so that she could curl my hair that was all the way down to my waist. She also said I wanted to wear dresses to school everyday & that sometimes I wanted to wear more than one a day! Obviously the love of makeup didn't come until later, but I always loved standing in the bathroom door watching my mom put hers on everyday.

Over the years I have tried hundreds of products & wasted hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on the crappy stuff. However, along the way I have discovered my favorites. Some of these products I literally could not go a day without. Some, are life changers. So today I have decided to let you guys in on those products. I didn't include the prices because every product on this page is less than $15 & can be found at your local drugstore. Just because I love them doesn't mean you will, but you never know until you try! xo

Makeup Products:

Revlon ColorStay foundation. It feels very light, but also gives a nice, full coverage. You can buy it for normal, oily or combination skin. I apply it with a kabuki brush.

 

Covergirl Clean Pressed Powder. It's not heavy at all and covers up any shine you have after applying your foundation. I use a large powder brush instead of the puff that comes with it.  

NYC Bronzer. This is my absolute favorite bronzer ever. I have tried so many that I hated. This one is the perfect shade & looks so natural. It isn't glittery at all and you don't have to use a lot to get the glow you want.

NYC Browser. Honestly, there is probably something better on the market, but this was the first brow fill that I tried & I loved it. I have had it for years and will be running out soon, so I will probably try something new. However, for the price (less than $5) it is a great product.

Elf Eyelid Primer. This is a great primer that will keep your eyeshadow from fading throughout the day. It is also great to wear alone for a no makeup look. 

 NYC High Definition Liquid Eyeliner Pen. I don't often wear liquid liner, but when I do, this is my choice. Because it is a pen, it is much easier to use & get a precise line than with other types. Just keep some q-tips handy in case you make a mistake!

Mabelline Mega Plush Mascara. I really love this mascara. One coat will leave your lashes looking thick and gorgeous. However, since I discovered wearing 2 mascaras, designed for different results, gives you the best look, I pair it with this.....

 Loreal Telescopic. This mascara is designed to give your lashes length. The wand is very tiny which gives great precision and lets you get really close to the lash-line.

Elf Face Primer. This primer literally feels like silk going on your face. When I started using it I noticed that my makeup would last way longer and there was no shine at all at the end of the day. I highly recommend using a primer before you begin your makeup routine.

Elf Kabuki Brush. This is a game changer. If you are putting on your foundation with a sponge, or your fingers or even a different brush....STOP. Everyone needs this brush. It gives the best full coverage look that is totally blended to perfection.

Face Products:

Olay Foaming Face Wash. This is the only face wash I will use. I love it. It is so gentle, yet it will get off the toughest mascara/eyeliner combo ever!

 Garnier Ultra Lift Targeted Wrinkle Cream. This stuff is great. After reading about it on many beauty blogs I decided to give it a shot. The wrinkles are literally gone after a few days. I really should have taken before and after photos!

Mary Kay Clarifying Mask Formula 3. This will change your life!! Well, if you have clogged pores like I did. You put a thin layer on the areas of your face where you would like to shrink your pores. Then, as it begins drying you see tiny dots. The tiny dots are where the mask is going inside your pores. When you wash it off with a warm rag you will be amazed. My pores were 75% smaller than they were before. I cannot rave about this product enough! I will use it forever.

Body Products: 

Olay Ultra Moisturizing Body Wash. There really isn't much to say about this other than it smells great, and leaves my body feeling, well, ultra moisturized.

St. Ives Skin Renewing Lotion. Love! I just started using this about 6 months ago and I truly love it. It has such a great clean smell and it is the perfect consistency. My skin sometimes gets dry in the winter, but using this after every shower has eliminated that problem.

Loreal Sublime Bronze 1 Day Gel. OK, so I don't use this anymore because I now spray tan, but when I did, I loved it. It isn't a self tanner. You use it daily and it washes off when you shower. It has a great natural color and a citrus scent that I enjoyed. It is hard to find these days, but it's worth looking for.

Hair Products:

Tresemme Moisture Rich Shampoo. This shampoo smells great and really does moisturize my hair. Some shampoos make my hair feel tangled and damaged while my hair is still wet. This does not do that at all. If I had to wash my hair & not use conditioner, I believe this shampoo would do a great job. However, I would NEVER wash my hair and not condition it. :)

Aussie 3 Minute Miracle. LIFE CHANGER! This is truly amazing. I use it as my everyday conditioner now. My hair looks & feels totally different than it did before this product entered my life. It also smells amazing! The only downfall is that is comes in such a tiny bottle, but for the $2.50 price, who cares!

Not Your Mother's Clean Freak Dry Shampoo. This is great! I have tried so many different dry shampoos & this one is a definite winner.

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. This is a great product to have if you have hair that gets frizzy in the summer. I used this all the time when I would come in from the pool with frizzy hair, but didn't have time to wash & flat iron it. It smells great & gives a great wavy textured look with just a few sprays!

Organix Moraccan Argan Oil. The best part about this is the smell. It's addicting. You can use this product all over your hair without it looking greasy at all. My favorite time to use it is when I have used dry shampoo on my hair, but need a sleeker look or my ends look dry. And did I mention how good it smells?

Beyond The Zone Turn Up The Heat. Another life changing product. My old college roommate always used this & then one day I tried it. Wow. If you spray this on your hair before you flat iron it you will be amazed. Seriously. Your hair will be silkier than it has ever been. Ever. To me, it doesn't have the greatest smell,  but friends who use it like how it smells. But regardless of if you think it smells good, you have to try it. HAVE TO!

I hope you enjoyed reading about all the products that I love and I hope you find some you will love as well! I'm sure I will have more amazing products to share with you all soon! :)