Confessions of a Product Junkie #2

All-Time Favorites

My apologies everyone for being absent last week . . . the annual bout of allergies hit me hard and I spent way more time rubbing my itchy, watery eyes rather than applying eyeliner (bad for me I know, but my, my did it feel good).

Back to the matter at hand- what I’ve spending my hard earned cash on, and what I’ve been thinking about my purchases.

This week, we’ll visit my all-star list- products that try as I may, can’t be beat. Drumroll please . . . .

In no particular order:

Purity Made Simple by Philosophy

I don’t care how sensitive, oily, make-up clad, redness prone, blotchy, wrinkly, or dry your skin is- this stuff will work. Rub it on your face, rub it on your eyes, bathe in it- you can’t go wrong. Gets all the gunk off your face with none of the nasty side effects. And it works even better when you pair it with ...

Skincare Brush by Clarisonic

Now, this is a splurge- no doubt about it. But here’s the test- get all dolled up, go out, have dinner with your girlfriends, hit up a few hotspots, dance a little, drink a little, shake, shake, shake, then- like you know you should- wash your face before you go to bed. BUT- wash it first like you normally would, then rewash it with the Clarisonic. Trust me, because you’re a bit tipsy, and because this is your first Clarisonic experience, your face will look like this once you see what’s on the brush:

Because all that loveliness that you thought you had washed off with your hands will now be on your brush, and you will realize why that big chunk ‘o change you plopped down for this thing is totally worth it.

Photo Finish Primer by Smashbox

This is another product that I keep trying to find replacements for because it’s not exactly the most budget friendly ($38 for 1 oz.), but I just can’t find anything that works as well. Personally I’m a fan of the green version which is redness correcting, but the texture of this is so amazing that any type you try you’ll love. Your foundation stays on better and longer, and if you live down South and get to fight the daily humidity battle, you’ll find this to be a life-saver. Need proof? Consider the photo below. Lucky for you people, this chick works at a manufacturing plant where it’s totally acceptable to wear boat shoes and no makeup. And to walk around with half your face primed and the other half bare, which is exactly what I did this morning before snapping the photo below.

Bear with me as I’m still working out the details on how to snap “product demonstration” type photos, but believe it or not, I’m standing directly under the middle of the light, and you can see the difference the primer makes when it comes to shine and redness. There’s no foundation on either side of my face, and no other face makeup being used whatsoever.

LashBlast in Very Black by Covergirl

Love DiorShow? Well- meet its $8.99 counterpart. A quick tally reveals that I currently have no fewer than six of these babies permanently stashed in my purse, makeup bag, kitchen, clutch, bedside table, and various other locations that no mascara should ever be, but when it’s this good you’ve just got to keep it handy at all times.

Larger than Life Eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte by NARS

Let me just state up front that I take no credit for this little trick I’m about to teach you. Let me also say that this trick only works if you’re running on not enough sleep, have larger under eye circles than you’d like, and can’t seem to cut your wine intake back enough to take the red out of your eyes. If none of these apply to you, no need to read further.

However if any of the above seem to be accurate description of your present state, let me present you with the Nude Eyeliner:

Not only does the left side have a botched eyebrow (Just as a side note, I would not recommend plucking after 3 glasses of Chardonnay), but it’s also benefitting from nude eyeliner applied to the inner lower eyelid. This is a close up view, and to show you what it does from a distance, we’ll return to the primer picture:

It might be a small difference, but I do honestly think this eyeliner helps brighten up your eyes, and when used with the LashBlast, it’s a pretty killer combo. *Note: If you want to use this along with your regular black eyeliner, here’s what I recommend- use the black eyeliner on the inner and outer rims of your top eyelids, and on the outer rim of your bottom eyelids, and use this nude liner on the inner rim of your bottom eyelids, especially on the inner parts of your eye.

Exfolikate by Kate Somerville

I don’t care how beat up your face is looking right now- this will bring you back to baby bottom smooth skin. As a warning, it will sting a bit while you have it on, and if you’re like me and have somewhat sensitive skin, use this at night only as your skin will definitely be red for 30 or so minutes afterwards, but the way your skin will feel makes all the pain bearable.

So there you have it- my top favorites. What are yours? Feel free to leave a comment and share your top product lists!

I also wanted to mention but forgot to last time- please let me know if there are products you’d like to see reviewed . . . chances are if you mention a product I’ve either tried it or have been wanting to try it (and we all know my self-control goes out the window the moment I enter Sephora)- so let me know!



Thanks Erin! You know the Clarisonic has been on my wish list for nearly a year now. Hopefully Santa will be adding that baby to my stocking.

 

Happy Hump Day everyone!