My 15 Favorite Beauty Products

I am very much not a beauty blogger. I don't do anything fancy with my face, I haven't gotten a hair cut in a year, & I've watched, like, a singular YouTube makeup video - ever. I wrote recently for Her View From Home about my longstanding eyeliner addiction, though I've finally weaned myself off of it - & don't know how to do much else.

Still, I do make an effort to look nice, & I like to try to keep my skin in good shape. My straw-textured hair usually seems (or at least feels) like a lost cause, but I try on that front, too (except for getting it cut, apparently). Below, I've rounded up 15 of my favorite products - five each in the categories of hair, face, & skin.

Have you tried any of these? Can you recommend anything better than any of these? Hit me with your best beauty products. Fire away!

Hair

1. Carol's Daughter Sacred Tiare Shampoo & Conditioner
   I love this sulfate-free combo, which is designed for dry hair & is available at Target. After using it, I can usually get away with three days of unwash.
2. It's A 10 Miracle Leave-in Product
   This comes in a big, bulky, stupidly shaped container that's difficult to handle, but the product itself is really kind of a miracle. It keeps my waves wavy, not crunchy. 
3. Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray
   Like everyone else, I originally fell in love with the Bumble & Bumble version, but this one is much cheaper & works just as well. It gives my hair a little texture where it's otherwise lacking.
4. TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo
   I've used a lot of different kinds of dry shampoo, but this is my favorite of the bunch. I keep a big one in my bathroom & a small one in my purse & my car. It smells like summer. 
5. DreamDry Dream Turban
   This was the one good thing in an otherwise terrible subscription box. It's super absorbent, designed to soak up excess moisture without leaving hair frizzy. I use it after every shower.

 

Face 

1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
   Confession: I use this one my eyelids and on my lips when I'm putting on lipstick. It works better than lip primer & keeps everything from sliding off my almost-always-sweaty face.
2. Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
   I love this so much that I blogged about its being discontinued. Good news: For now, at least, it's still available! It's my holy grail of liquid liner. Nothing else compares.
3. Sephora Collection Perfection Mist Airbrush FoundationI first learned about this spray-on foundation when I got my makeup done at Sephora for a wedding. Since then, it's all I've used. It goes on seamlessly! 
4. MTJ High-Definition Mascara
   I got this in a GlossyBox but now can't seem to buy it anywhere - which is distressing, because it's the best, least clumpy mascara I've ever used.
5. Bite Amuse Bouche Lipstick
   I use a few different kinds of lipstick, of course, but these are my new (expensive) favorites. The smooth, creamy formula smells like fruit, stays on pretty well, & doesn't bleed.

Skin

1. CoTz Face Natural Skin Tone SPF 40
   In the summer, this tinted sunscreen is my daily BB cream instead of, well, a daily BB cream. It goes on smoothly, isn't greasy, & doesn't haven't that standard sunscreen smell. 
2. Perfectly Posh Best Face Forever Exfoliating Daily Face Wash
   This zingy face wash is gentle but effective. It makes my face tingle but not burn or dry out, & it's made with grapefruit & peppermint essential oils, so it smells nice, too.
3. Simple Cleansing Micellar Water
   I'm not technically sure what this stuff does, but it sure does feel nice. It's gentle, removes any trace of makeup or dirt, & leaves my skin feeling hydrated. Also? It costs less than $5.
4. Perfectly Posh Moisturize 911 Caffeinated Face Crème
   Some moisturizers seems to lose effectiveness with repeated use, but no matter how many times I used this, it continues to have the same effect on my face: a tingling, energizing feeling. 
5. Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Towelettes
   I've been using these for ages. They're the easiest way to remove makeup & clean my face without actually, well, cleaning my face, & they travel well, too. 

So there you have it, my very basic basics - & they don't get much fancier. I pretty much use the same stuff day in & day out, on casual days & on dressed-up ones.

Like I said, I'd love to hear what you use & whether you have any feelings on the products I've shared here. Tell me your trade secrets, people of the Internet! 


This post includes Amazon affiliate links to the products I discuss. If you buy a a product using one of these links, I will receive a small percentage of commission. Please don't feel any obligation to use these links, but please also don't judge me too harshly for including them.