Current beauty favs

We all have our go-to’s… the beauty items we can’t live without. The ones we buy over and over again because they just seem to work for us. And if you’re anything like me, it’s sometimes scary to step out and try something new because, let’s face it, we don’t want to waste money and by stepping out, we’re taking a chance in doing so.

I thought I’d share a few of my tried and true beauty MUST haves.

And for all of you who have asked about what products I use for my hair- I’ve included all of my go-to’s. Believe it or not, I actually have pretty fine hair. It’s how you style it that makes all the difference! I believe in hairspray and A LOT of it 🙂 (funny, because rewind to my toddler days when my mom use to stack my hair high to ceiling with hairspray and I absolutely hated it!) I also believe in back combing, dry-shampoo, and leave-in thickening conditioner. Again, all of these products are listed below.

Maybe one of these days I’ll muster up the courage to do a video tutorial on my hair or every day make up routine. But for now, this will do 😉 I’m not a beauty queen by any means so please don’t hold me to knowing my stuff, but I thought I’d share the products I use on the daily and personally love.

What are your beauty must-haves?? I really am curious! I may just get crazy and try something new! There’s nothing like finding that product you can’t live without!

If I’ve missed something- feel free to ask away!

Hair

Hairspray– Big & Sexy (Tip: Every Christmas it’s on sale for $7 a bottle- believe me when I say I bought 7 bottles last year to stock up 😉 – Hey, that’s almost 1/3 of the full price!

Leave-in thickening conditioner– Nick Chavez – this stuff is a game changer- seriously! Before blowdrying, apply it mainly to your roots and then run the remainder throughout the rest of your hair).

Curling iron– Hot tools ceramic – The brand “Hot Tools” is nothing new, however, their curling irons have always worked great with my hair. You also want to go with the ceramic to give your hair more protection from the extreme heat.

Miracle leave-in product – it’s a 10 –  I can’t say enough about this product. Pun intended, but this stuff truly is a 10! It helps condition, protect, revitalize, etc. I spray this on right before I brush out my hair.

Dry Shampoo – Suave – Dry Shampoo is my saving grace most days. I seriously hate washing my hair and will go about as long as possibly before I absolutely have to wash it. This dry shampoo is cheap & works extremely well! All you mamas who are busy like me- try it!!! You can pick it up at your local Target/Walmart.

Make up

Foundation – NARS – Foundation is one thing I will always splurge on. It makes all the difference in my opinion. I feel like I’ve tried everything out there, too. I’ve gotta be honest- at first I wasn’t a huge fan of the NARS foundation. But about six months to a year ago they changed the formula and it is now my favorite! It tends to be a bit drier so if you have normal to oily skin, this will work great for you! The coverage is great, stays on forever, and the finish is perfect! I use the shade “Fiji” as it’s one shade darker than my normal skin tone. I tend to go for one shade darker than my skin tone as I prefer tan skin over my pasty-white self 🙂 My bottle has lasted me five months so far- score!

Primer – Smashbox – Another not so new discovery but another favorite! I’ve tried a lot of primers- this one beats them all hands down!

Blush – MAC – To be honest, I think blush is one item you don’t need to splurge on. I’d be happy with a $3 find from the drugstore. But if you want to use the color I always wear- try this one. I love MAC’s mineralize blush. It adds a finishing shimmer and glow that is really pretty! I use the color “Dainty”.

Bronzer – MAC – Another one that I don’t think you necessarily have to splurge on if you find one you like at the drugstore. However, sometimes bronzer can be kind of tricky- you’ll find a lot of orange tints that you want to steer away from. I love this particular bronzer because it gives off a bronze tone without too much of the orange-y feel.

Finishing Powder – MAC – A lot of people skip this step as they might feel it isn’t necessary. However, I notice a huge difference when I don’t use a finishing powder of some sort. This one is probably my favorite. However, if you don’t want to take the plunge $$$ – check out this $3 version from Target by e.l.f.  – I use both and highly recommended either or!

Dipbrow Pomade – Anastasia Beverly Hills – Eyebrows are a huge game changer! I look back at pictures when I just used clear mascara to tame down my curly brows and wonder why on earth I hadn’t invested into this stuff. I feel like eyebrows can make/break you and I’m sort of smack dab in the middle. Some days I’ll walk out of the house with two different shaped eyebrows and wonder when the heck I’m going to get it. Other days I think my eye brow game is strong 😉 All this to say- I can’t encourage you enough to invest into dip brow pomade. Love this stuff!

Eye shadow primer – MAC – Another one I didn’t know would make such a drastic impact. I guess this isn’t really a “primer” per say, however, it acts just like one. It’s basically your bottom layer before applying eye shadow. It thickens the base so that your eye shadow really pops. And it stays on ALL.DAY! I recommend either color- Bare Study or Soft Ochre.

Mascara – Loreal – This has been a favorite of mine for YEARS! It’s cheap, thick, and does it’s job well. The only and I mean only other mascara I would recommend is Younique’s 3D fiber lash mascara. You have to go through a consultant (I believe) to purchase this, but if you ever have the option to do it- DO IT!

Liquid Eyeliner – Revlon – For $7.99, I love this eyeliner! I like to do more of a cat eye and the wand on this is perfect to achieve that look. It also stays on all day!

Lipstick – MAC – If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love myself some lips! Lipstick is just the cherry on top. It makes a drastic difference and adds that finishing touch to any outfit. I’ve tried MANY drug store lip sticks and have never found one that applies as well or stays on as long as MAC’s lipstick. Here are a few of my favorite colors- Candy Yum-Yum, Creme Cup, Cyber, Diva, Fabby, Flat Out Fabulous, Hang Up, Heroine, Media, Politely Pink, Ruby Woo, & Russian Red.

XOXO