I don’t know how many times I’ve sat in groups of women talking about the products they use on their hair, faces, and bodies. All I can tell you is that it’s a lot of many times. One of my favorite things is to learn about the cleaners, mascaras, lip glosses, and conditioners other people count as their holy grails, and if there were a beauty retreat where all I do is sit there and listen (and sample), I’d be all in with rapt ears and a ready face for the product slathering.
As it happens, every now and then, I hit upon my own beauty must-haves and consider it my moral girl-code duty to share, which I’m doing right here, right now.
So…below are the products I’m digging hard core and why. Maybe they will help your hair, face, and body as they’ve helped mine:
Skin Authority Brighten & Firm DUO
They had me at “firm.” Fact is, I own most Skin Authority products and haven’t looked back for the past year-and-a-half I’ve been using them. Normally, I bounce around from skincare line to skincare line because my face is a picky disaster and something always makes me break out, somewhere. But back in July 2013, I began using Skin Authority’s everything and experienced zero breakouts and 100% happy epidermal layers, so have mirthfully reordered its products ever since.
The Brighten & Firm DUO is especially wonderful because it comes with the Resurfacing Accelerator (if anyone needs her face resurfaced, it’s me) that acts like a daily peel to get rid of old skin cells and bring out new ones. I use this nearly every night and my skin feels new(ish) in the morning. It also feels firm. I love the word “firm.” And while I despise the word “moist,” I must say the Resurfacing Accelerator is a good moistener (is it possible to make the word “moist” any more gross? Unless it’s referring to your face?).
Here’s where things get even better: after resurfacing, I use the Tri-Power Peptide Hydrator to plump up the volume. Adding the two products together supercharges the awesome-skin results, which is possibly why Skin Authority named them the “Brighten & Firm DUO (I get it now!). My good friend even asked me the other day where my crow’s feet went, and that’s a question I don’t mind answering. Of course, I have no answer other than “Skin Authority must have a place it keeps people’s old skin? Maybe like a face dump?” I assume the company is sustainable that way. All those ancient skin flakes need to go somewhere.
Meanwhile, word to the wise, unmoist ones: I usually get my Skin Authority products on the website and they’re not cheap, even if they last forever. BUT, on October 30 at 5PM (PST), Skin Authority’s founder will be on HSN’s Beauty Report selling the Brighten & Firm DUO for $79 (both products together normally cost $138).
I’m telling you, if you’re into firm, lifted, moist (ew) skin, you might want to check these products out STAT.
Hourglass No. 28 Lip Oil
I read about this product on another beauty site about a year ago, and stuck its specs in the back of my head for a rainy day. Apparently the emollient properties of the lip treatment ranked as epic and far surpassed any other lame product I might have tried. Considering that up until last week, I’d been using a chapstick I received at BlogHer in 2010, I figured now was the time to go big. And big it was, because this treatment is $42, which is no small potatoes for someone who’s been using a free chapstick for four years.
Unfortunately, the Hourglass lip oil shocked and awed my lips and I’ll find every other treatment completely subpar for the rest of my penniless life.
The lip oil is a little thick, but not tacky and manages to velvetize my lipstick so my lip lines don’t look like Magda’s from “There’s Something About Mary.”
I wear it alone most days, and it has the consistency of a clear lip gloss that jazzes my lips up a bit, and when I wear color on my lips, I put the oil on underneath and over the lipstick.
It’s a winner, dammit.
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics
I know. Most of America and Europe has this already. I’m not a trend setter, just a girl trying to make it through Sephora without pawning my wedding ring to afford all the blings. I usually don’t wear eyeshadow because I feel like it settles in my lid lines a la Magda, so I’ve often hesitated before buying palettes. But yes, most of America and Europe, you were onto something, because the Naked No. 2 eyeshadows glide over my lids eradicating all sense of Magdaness (wear an eyeshadow primer to really see awesome lid action). I love the neutral colors that increase in intensity, and am really into the smoky color situated at the end of the palette for eye drama on those days I wear something other than my husband’s sweat socks.
There’s a bunch of Naked palettes available in varying color combinations, but No. 2 is the most user-friendly for my needs, and it was less than the lip oil ($29).
So there are my new things! What are you using? I need to know! No seriously, I need to know. I have FOMOOBP.
Disclosure: Skin Authority provided me with a Brighten & Firm DUO to replace my dwindling Resurfacing Accelerator and Tri-Power Peptide Hydrator , but I buy all my other Skin Authority products. Everything else was purchased by me and is not sponsored in the least little bit, nor are there affiliate links included here. Thank you kindly.
You had me at firm too. And again at resurfacing. I will steal-borrow my daughter’s Naked palettes to try them. Don’t tell.
I turned 46 and am suddenly Nora Ephron in “I Feel Bad About My Neck.”
Seriously. What the crap?
If you tell me this Skin Authority stuff can tighten the sag below my chin, I’m there.
I’ll totally pawn my wedding ring.
Shhh.