Make-up + Beauty Regimen = Whaa??? If you have known me for a while, you’ll know that putting on make-up had not been a high priority on my list of things to do in the morning. Perhaps I’ll put some on if I’m going on a date night or out for a Girls Night Out.
BUT….ever since I’ve started blogging, I go to events where looking good and feeling good is a high-priority. In some cases, going to these events means you get a chance to try and take home some amazing make-up brands. Needless to say, I’ve been using make-up lately. I now spend 5 minutes in the morning curling my eyelashes, putting on tinted moisturizer, applying eye-liner, mascara, blush and lipstick. Which is about 99.9% more time I spent on my face than a year ago (which is putting lip gloss on). So, throughout these past several months, I’ve come to figure out what my favorite beauty items are. Below are my Top 14 Make-up and Beauty Products:
Morning and Night-time Cleansing & Moisturizing:
1. Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser, 6 fl oz* I have always been a Neutrogena customer for as long as I can remember. I started using Neutrogena when I was a teenager when I started breaking out. My mom used it, so I did , too. And I have never stopped. They recently came out with this “naturals” line that I just love because not only is Neutrogena a name I trust, but now I really know that what I’m putting on my skin is good for me, too. $7.99 available at Drugstore.com.
2. Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture, SPF 15, 4 oz.* Again, this is a product that I have used day-in and day-out for at least 15 years. It’s oil-free and has SPF 15, so I wear it all-year round. $11.99 at Drugstore.com
Every day {and Night!} Make-up
3. Tia Cosmetics Lush Mascara. This line was started by an actress-turned-makeup-artist, Bettina Tedesco-Singer who has now been a make-up artist for over 15 years. Her Lush Mascara has truly become my everyday mascara. It’s just a perfect weight for going to work and meetings and I love the brush because the bristles are wide and really separates and lifts my lashes which help define my eyes. The formula has botanical extracts and antioxidants which help strengthen the lashes, too. $17.00
4. Tia Cosmetics Mineral Sheer Tint with SPF 20. This is another great sheer tinted moisturizer. I tend to use this more during the day than my #6 below. It comes in five different shades and nourishes, protects and moisturizes. $32.00.
5. Tia Cosmetics Super Gloss “Bare”. Again, for everyday, this gloss can go over any lipstick color and just enhance it. I also wear it, well, bare when I’m feeling natural. And when my lips are chapped, this actually heal my lips because they are enriched with Vitamin E and A to help soften, smooth and protect. $17.00
6. Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15. This is so easy and light to put on and it helps smooth out the skin-tone and take out the redness. It is lightly tinted and has an SPF of 15. Double duty without double the work. Love it. $30.00
7. Benefit Benetint Rose Tinted Lip and Cheek Stain. I was treated to a sample of this after a MamaDrama event at the Benefit store in SoHo. This liquid stain looks a little intimidating at first (it looks like nail polish), but they showed me how to use it. You simply quickly brush three strokes on the apple of your cheeks and then quickly blend with your finger tips. Instant blush that stays on MUCH longer than your average. $29.00.
8. Revlon ColorStay Smoky Eyeshadow Stick, Atomic, .07 oz*. I received a sample of this at a Momtrends event and truly, this is the easiest eye make-up one could use. First, I put the darker olive color near the top of my eyelashes, then swipe the golden color on my lid for a bit of sparkle. I put light pressure during the day, and heavier pressure for when I go out at night. Fool-proof eye-make-up in about 1 minute. $8.99 from Drugstore.com.
9. CoverGirl LashBlast 24 Hour Mascara, Black 805, 1 ea* This has become my going-out, date-night, GNO mascara. It goes on darker, deeper and lasts the whole night (well, 24-hours, but my nights only last until 11:30p.m. these days). I’ve also noticed that I don’t get the dark smudges under my eyes as the night goes on. $7.99 from Drugstore.com
Night-time Moisturizing and Wrinkle-Fighting:
10. StriVectin-SD Power Serum for Wrinkles, 1.7 fl oz.* I’ve written about this over the summer, and this is one of those products that was pitched to me by a PR representative, I was sent a sample and now, I am a forever-user. I feel a difference in my skin, especially when I don’t use it. I use this every night before going to sleep. $99.00 at Drugstore.com
11. Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye (Nominee) No Color* I’ve used this for over a year now and it has gotten to a point where my skin under my eyes actually craves it. And when I don’t use it, watch out: saggy, dull, under-the-eye skin. Not so pretty. Although it says “Night Repair”, I actually use it both day and night under my make-up, just for insurance. $52.00 at Nordstrom.com
For Those Awful Times When You Have a {GASP!} Pimple:
12. Evologie Stay Clear Cream and the 13. Evologie Intensive Blemish Serum. I was introduced to this new line of products by the women at Trumpeting Media at their BlogHer 2012 Rest and Relaxation Suite. They gave samples away and thank goodness, because during the craziness of BlogHer, I totally broke out and the Intensive Blemish Serum really calmed down any angry red pimples that started brewing. The Stay Clear Cream is an everyday cream that helps prevent the breakouts. You can get a kit of both for $48.00 at Evologie.com
14. Clean & Clear Advantage Popped Pimple Relief Drying Paste, .05 oz* Ok, so when you didn’t get to the pimple in time and it’s to the point where it’s just completely red and angry, the Clean & Clear Popped Pimple Relief Drying Paste (I know, it just doesn’t sound good) works. It’s a paste, so it’s white, so you put it on overnight. But what happens by the morning is that your pimple has dried out and has gotten much smaller and less angry. I received a sample of this at the KidzVuz Fashion TweenStas event, so it was actually geared towards my Tween who, for now, has flawless skin. So I snagged it. Because unfortunately, at almost 40-years old, my skin ain’t so flawless. $7.49 at Drugstore.com
