From drugstore picks to fancier finds, here are some of my favorite tried and true beauty products:
Gradual Self Tanning Body Lotion: |
| St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Body Moisturizer
Having flirted with lots of different brands of self-tanning products, this is by far my favorite. My two pet peeves with these products were the mineral-y smell and the orangey color they'd turn your skin. My fab mother-in-law gave me a little tube of this product, and I'm committed.. no more flirting for me. Not only does it give me a great, even bronze, but it smells delish, and perfumey, too.
Makeup Tool:
I have a confession to make. I suck at makeup brushes. At any given time, I have like 4 in my arsenal and that's it. And they're never that great. Like, of the 4 I have now, 2 are from a cosmetics outlet and 2 came with products (and all cost me less than 30 bucks each). Yeah I said it. I'm not ashamed. I don't even care because these mamma jammas are baaaad. Between this and the much cheaper Up & Up Latex Super Blender (which I bought at Target before the BeautyBlender was available in stores at Sephora), I don't even use brushes on my face anymore (just eyes). When I got the cheaper, latex version, I youtube'd it and found this tutorial video for a similar one that was life changing. Changed my whole makeup routine. I now use these bad boys to apply everything except for eye makeup. They're quick and easy to use, you can transition between products with them without a problem, and the finish is better than any other makeup applicator I've encountered. I prefer the BeautyBlender for foundation and blending, and the firmer, cheaper latex one for concealer around my eyes, powder, bronzer, and blush. Get one, even the cheaper one, and watch that video. You're welcome.
Favorite Drugstore Line: Palmer's Cocoa Butter Products: |
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| Palmer's Swivel Stick Hands down my fav chap stick. I've been using "the gluestick" for years. Glides on so smoothly, you don't want to stop (I often wonder if people who might see me putting it on for way longer than what's socially comfortable are judging me), and leaves lips moisturized and kissably soft with just the tiniest sheen. |
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| Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion Another longtime go-to, this body formula is non-greasy and has a light , sweet scent that makes me want to eat it. I used it back before I met my husband in my late teens, and still count on it as my post-shower all over body lotion... and he still comments on my soft skin! |
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| Palmer's Cocoa Butter- Stretch mark lotion
Preggo fav! This is now my everyday after shower body lotion. Keeps me nice 'n moisturized all day, even as my belly stretches. No stretch marks yet (knock on wood)! To supplement, I also use Bio Oil on my belly, boobs, and booty before bed (alliteration station!).
Skincare Secret: |
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| Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System
As someone who has battled "bad" (acne prone) skin for a long time, this is arguably my best beauty find ever. One of my fancy friends who has also dealt with unfavorable skin for a long time recommended it to me. She is a product junkie though, so before splurging on a $150 product, I decided to do a little research. Its by the same makers as Sonicare toothbrushes (which I also love), and if you've ever used, you know there's a legit difference between them and a regular toothbrush or motorized toothbrush. I also stumbled upon a review by one of my fav style inspirationistas, Emily Maynard on her blog where she said that she doesn't really know why it works, but it does. She explained that sometimes, if she happens to skip using the clarisonic, she definitely sees a difference in her skin, and said there must be something about the little vibrations that help acne. She was spot on. This has worked better for me than any dermatologist prescription, and I love that I am able to use it while pregnant (can't-do with the prescriptions, and don't even need to!). Oh and a secret for cleaning the brush- soak in a solution of 1 part rubbing alcohol and 1 part hydrogen peroxide.... you won't have to replace the pricey brush heads nearly as often!
Eye Brighteners: 
A makeup pet peeve of mine (more on myself than others) is lining the waterline of the bottom eyelid in a dark color. You spend all this time on eye makeup, trying to make your eyes look bigger, and then you go and make them smaller by putting a dark color there. Don't get me wrong, I like bottom liner, just under the waterline on the lash line to open the eye. Then I was introduced to a light color on the waterline and love it. It really brightens the eye and whitens the eye whites. I've used the $20 Benefit version for a while now (I liked how it held up better than others I'd tried from Sephora), and recently saw a commercial for the Rimmel version, and being the sucker to marketing that I am, snagged it while strolling through Target (gets ya every time!!). I couldn't not try it for under 5 bucks! So glad I did, because I often find myself reaching for it over the Benefit version, even, especially when I'm going for a more natural look.
Primpin' ain't easy...
-Neels
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