Jan 6, 2012

My Favourite Beauty Products of 2011

 

Burts Bees honey lip balm
Honey and Vitamin E, Helps nourish dry lips with Honey and Vitamin E
What it does:
Living in Arizona my lips are often dry due to not only the heat but the constant a/c being run. I have tried and tested numerous lip balms and usually find that they leave a heavy and waxy film unlike Burts Bees Honey Lip Balm which I think is the best. It really does nourish and moisturize and makes my lips silky smooth and is so cost effective at around $3.00. This can be used if you have very dry lips or as a preventative measure. It is easily obtainable and can be purchased in Walmart, CVS, Walgreens and many supermarkets,


No7 High Lights Illuminating Lotion Link
 
What it does:

I decided to give this British  illuminator a try for two reasons:
1: The cost at $12.99 for one ounce which I felt was reasonable compared to Benefit at $26.00 for less than 1/2 oz and Mac at $30.00 for 1.7 oz 
2: I was born and raised in the UK and always loved Boots No 7 products when I was a teenager (a long long time ago) and was delighted when Target started to sell this line!There are numerous highlight illuminators on the market...Benefit High Beam, MAC Strobe Cream to name a couple and I have tried them all. Some choose to use these products as a highlighter to the upper cheek and brow bone after foundation application but like myself I often found them to be a little too 'shiny'. I then thought I would try adding illuminators to my foundation mixing at a ratio of 1:4 and was pleasantly surprised when it gave me the 'glow' I had been looking for. So if you feel your foundation can sometimes look a little dull and flat add some of the No 7 Highlights Illuminating Lotion and I promise it will give a beautiful soft glow to your skin that you will love.

Tweezerman Slant Tweezers Link

 
Oh how I love these tweezers! this is another (like makeup brushes) that is worth spending a little more money on. They are precise and will 'grab' the tiniest of hairs and will last a lifetime if you take care of them and remember to place the plastic cap on the top of them after every use.


Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo Link
 
Washing our hair everyday is not only time consuming but also damaging to our hair. But there is nothing worse in my opinion than flat lifeless hair and Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo is the ultimate time saver and really works. The art is to use very little. I choose to place some on my fingers and run it through the roots of my hair and it gives me instant lift and volume. It has a pleasant smell and is Paraben and Sulfate free and therefore very gentle for the hair and scalp. You can also apply this before going to bed so as to 'prevent' hair becoming greasy over night (I have tried this and it does work). This is a great product to have at hand even if you only use it occasionally. 

Makeup Brushes
I was always under the assumption that it was a complete and utter waste to spend large amounts of money on makeup brushes. I spent years (yes years) wasting time and money on useless brushes that either shed, fell apart after a few uses or were just to 'prickly' to use. Finally I decided to give a MAC brush a try. I admit that I had to take a few deep breathes before purchasing but now understand what all the hype is about. No matter how wonderful the foundation, blush, eyeshadow etc is you will never get the best out of it unless you have some good quality applicator brushes. However, I do want to emphasize that not all expensive brushes are good and of course some of it is down to personal preference. I have tried numerous brushes and below are the ones that I personally reccommend.

MAC 187 Duo Fibre Brush
 
I originally bought this as a stippling brush to apply my foundation but found it a little to large especially around the eyes and nose area. The brush itself is fantastic, shedding is very minimumal and it is so so soft. Rather than waste this I now use it as a blush brush and it works perfectly.
MAC 188 Small Duo Fiber Brush
 
This is the baby sister of the 187 and I love it for stippling foundation. It is large enough to cover areas speedily but small and soft enough to get close to the eyes and around the nose.

MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush
 
This is perfect for applying and layering your eyeshadow. It does not shed and is so so soft on the delicate eye area.
MAC 217 Blending Brush
 
This in my opinion is one of the most important brushes you should consider investing in along with the 239. The 217 Blending Brush does exactly what it is supposed to do....blends. I had always struggled in the past trying to create that beautifully blended smokey eye but this brush (with a little practice) makes it so easy. Just like the 239 it does not shed and is extreamely soft but firm enough to enable you to have control.
There are a few other brushes I use but the above I feel are the most important so as to get the best out of your makeup application.

Foundations
MUFE HD Foundation Link

This was the first silicone based HD foundation I had ever tried and even though I am currently using Temptu Pro S/B Foundation I absolutely love MUFE (Makeupforever). This has the most creamiest and smooth texture I have ever found in a foundation and it is true to its word when it states that it gives a flawless finish. The only downside is the cost at $40.00 for 1.0oz. This is a light to full coverage makeup and silicone based hence the creamy smooth texture.
Temptu Pro S/B Foundation Link

This is my 'everyday' use foundation. This can be applied  through an airbrush compressor or applied with the fingers, an applicator sponge or with a stipple brush. This foundation is NOT the pod version and comes in either a 1oz at $27.50 or 4oz at $100.00 (the 1oz bottle was $25.00 but has recently had a price increase). This is a medium to full coverage foundation and again is silicone based.


Latisse Eyelash Growth Serum (Generic)
This is my ultimate 2011 favorite. My lashes have gone from regular length to WOW! I spent the 70's wearing falsies the 80's 90's and up to 2009 coating my lashes with 'lengthening, thickening, volumizing mascara and then 'voila' I found the ultimate eyelash growth serum and have never looked back.
Mascara

Now that my lashes are sooo long I have tried and tested so many mascaras in the search for one that coats them without making them longer (I cannot believe I now have to say that). My search ultimately bought me to Maybelline Full N Soft Mascara Link. This by far is the best mascara to work for long lashes. It does not clog or smudge and gives a great finish with only one coat and at only $5-6 is a real bargain. This can be purchased at any Walmart, CVS or Walgreens,

2 comments:

  1. Jennifer did you use Careprost on your eyelashes to get the length you wanted?

    Letitia

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  2. Yes, I have been using it for about one year now and my lashes are lovely and long. Once I reached the length I wanted I decided to go into maintenance mode by only using it every other day but I noticed that after 3 weeks there was a distinct reduction in there length therefore I went back to using every night.

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