My 10 All Time Favorite Beauty Products

I’ve been toying with the idea of broadening my blogging horizons lately and exploring different things that interest me. I’m still going to be bringing you lots of recipes and wonderful food-related things. Nothing will change when it comes to food. I’ve just been wanting to blog more often, and it is just not feasible or realistic for me to bring you a new recipe everyday while maintaining the quality of my recipes. So I’m going to try out a few new subjects, and if you like them I’ll keep them around.

Today I thought I would share with you my all time favorite beauty products – things that I don’t know if I could live without. Items that I’ve been using for years. These tried and true favorites manage to make their way into my suitcase each hockey season – no matter where we’re moving. I’ve even gone as far as to mail myself packages of the ones that wouldn’t fit in my suitcase.

1. Big Sexy Hair Root Pump Plus – This is without a doubt my number one favorite. It’s a little pricey, but it’s the only thing that I’ve ever found that will give my stick-straight hair texture. Plus I’m obsessed with volume, and this gives me that as well. I’ve been using it for about 10 years now and I can’t do my hair without it. Lately, I have been cheating though and buying the knock-off version at Sally’s (it’s called So Gorgeous Volumizing Root Mousse).

2. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel – I started using the moisturizer about 5 years ago when I was having problems with oily skin, and I’ve been using it ever since. It has the most amazing and light feel to it, so your skin doesn’t feel greasy ever. I really recommend it to anyone with oily skin.

3. L’Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion – My go-to self tanner. I usually mix it with regular lotion when applying to make it less obvious and to help prevent streaks. They’ve updated the formula now so it doesn’t smell as bad as it used to, but I still put it on at night so I can wash it off in the morning. And, I’ll let you in on a little secret, I use this stuff straight from the bottle on my face every single night to keep my pastiness away.

4. OPI Dutch Tulips – My absolute, complete favorite nail color of all time. I love this color with all my heart. I even wore it on my toes for my wedding. It works in every season and (almost) everything I wear.

5. Out The Door Top Coat – In my opinion this is the best fast-drying top coat available. It always give my nails a nice glossy look. Normally if I paint my nails with base coat and two coats of color, they will be completely set within 30 minutes of using this top coat. Plus, I think that it can make even low-quality nail polish look good.

6. Clinique Stay Matte Foundation in Creamwhip – I switched to this foundation about a year ago because I felt like my makeup was always evaporating off of my face in the humidity. It isn’t much different from what I was using before but it stays nice and matte throughout the day without being too cakey.

7. Covergirl LashBlast Volume Mascara in Very Black – I’ve been using this mascara since it came on the market. I love the brush and the way my lashes look when I wear it. It never clumps, and it’s easy to get off at night. I also can’t complain about the price.

8. Covergirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner in Black Brown – This is the eyeliner I use on a typical day. It’s cheap, easy to smudge and is just dark enough (but not black) for everyday wear. Like the mascara, I think it’s really easy to remove which is nice because I detest eye makeup remover.

9. Clinique Brow Shaper in Wheat (used with Anastasia Mini Duo Brush) – I started out using the brow powder that came with my Anastasia brush, but when it ran out I just couldn’t justify spending 20 dollars on something that was so small. So I gave this brow powder a shot, and I love it. It’s a great color to match my light brown hair, and it lasts forever. I’m not kidding when I say that. I had my first one for 3 years. I just finally bought a new one this past December because I was sick of scraping the sides, but I could have probably gotten at least another month or so out of it. Don’t waste your time with the brush that comes with it though, it’s stiff and doesn’t hold the powder very well.

10. MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly – I bought this product to use as a primer for my eyeshadows after my friend Erin – who works as a MAC makeup artist – recommended it. I purchased it before my wedding in 2011 and the pot is still pretty full, but I usually only use it if I want a dramatic makeup look or for a fancy event. It works with any color eyeshadows and is perfect for making your makeup stay on and giving it a more intense look.

So that’s it – the 10 products I can’t live without. Of course, I use a few more than that on a daily basis – and even more if you could special occasions and such. Trust me, I’m not the lowest-maintenance person it the world, but I can get by without most other things. In fact, I don’t pack much else – other than a few more cosmetics – when we leave for the hockey season each year. I guess our lifestyle has just forced me to be a little less “high maintenance” and I think that’s a good thing.