Those who know me are probably perplexed. “What business does she have writing a post about beauty products?”
It’s true. I don’t wear much makeup, my hair is pretty low maintenance, and I don’t use any fancy creams or serums. I’m going to suggest, though, that my no frills beauty routine makes me that much more qualified to write this post. If I only use a handful of products every day, each one must be pretty special to make the cut.
So even though I don’t spend too much time on my hair and makeup, I do know what products I like, and I’ve tried several different brands of most of those products, searching for the best.
I’m pretty sure I originally ordered this product by accident. I didn’t mean to add it to my cart from my phone, but then I forgot to remove it and checked out the next day. Best mistake ever. I love what this mascara does to my eyelashes. I’ve never worn false lashes, but I would guess this is as close to those as you can get with a mascara. I think I have pretty average lashes; they’re definitely there, but they need help. This mascara makes them look longer and fuller than any other brand I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot of different brands).
Note: the mascara works by attaching tiny little fibers to your lashes. For this reason, I would recommend not using it on your lower lashes, to avoid getting the fibers in your eyes. Also, as the reviews on the product suggest, you should follow up the fiber mascara with a coat or two of your regular mascara, to seal in the fibers.
Maybe this scenario is familiar to you: I didn’t have great skin in high school. I never had acne, but I struggled with breakouts and never could find a product or a skin care routine that cleared things up. My mom would say, “it’s your teenage hormones; you’ll grow out of it.” Fast forward through college and beyond. I never really grew out of it. My skin got much better, and there were times it even looked great, but breakouts were never completely behind me.
If you can relate to that, you can probably also relate to this: my entire adult life has been a precarious balance between oily and dry skin. Many of the products I tried to clear up my skin left it dry, but the moisturizer I used created oily patches. I felt like I was constantly swinging from flaky cheeks to greasy t-zone. Fun, right?
Now, the only product I use on my face is coconut oil and I’m so happy with what it’s done for my skin.
Note: there are tons of uses for coconut oil that extend well beyond face care; a quick Pinterest search will provide you with endless ideas.
If you’re a mom and have not yet discovered the wonders of dry shampoo, allow me to introduce you. Dry shampoo is an aerosol spray that mists your hair with a fine coat of powder. The powder absorbs oil. When you’re sporting second- or third, or fourth- day hair and don’t have time to wash it before you need to look presentable, dry shampoo will save the day. Just spray it on, let it sit for a minute, and then brush the powder through your hair. Suave is my favorite brand- I’ve tried several- and it also happens to be one of the cheapest.
A few months back I saw a post about tightlining your lashes. I don’t usually care for the way eyeliner looks on me- or maybe I don’t care for the amount of time it takes to make it look right- but I thought this technique was something I could try. I’d been meaning to buy a kohl eyeliner anyway, so I grabbed this one. I was skeptical, because it was so cheap, but it was the only one I could find at Target. It turns out that I love it. I’m way happier with it than with any other, more expensive eyeliner I’ve owned.
I think lip balms are like college football teams in the South: everyone has a favorite, everyone is willing to passionately argue why their’s is the best, and most people are unwilling to believe that another one might be better. With that in mind, I offer up the lip balm that I strongly believe to be better than the others: eos. Adorable egg shape aside, this lip balm goes on smoothly and is just the right texture. The flavors (scents?) are pleasant but not overpowering. My current favorite is pomegranate raspberry, but I’ve tried several varieties and never been disappointed.
(Note: this post contains affiliate links. When you click those links and make purchases, you support me, this blog, and my family.)
What are your favorite bargain beauty products?