Makeup bag peeping is practically a national pastime. Apparently there’s a very internet name for all of this…hashtag and all: #beautyshelfie. Of course, right? According to my pals at Total Beauty, this glimpse into our worlds is where a beauty lover is her truest (errr…curated) self. I’m game. Shall we?
I’ve been a creature of habit lately, relying on mostly the same few products every day. Most impressive is this MAKE Face Gloss. It’s just .SO.COOL. Not a highlighter, in fact, completely clear, but somehow gives a luminosity to skin that rivals the pile of illuminators I have sitting in a bin. The gloss factor lasts for hours! To really have some fun, dab some on your eyelids and get all editorial with yourself.
Oh, and there’s also this prime-perfect pink-hued SPF from Radical Skin Care that I slather on dutifully every day. And, this new mascara from Benefit that does something known as “hook and roll” to give you insanely long and separated lashes.
For more from me and to peek onto the shelves of beauty babes, hop on over to Total Beauty!
My sister tasked me with this latest low to luxe: eye makeup remover! Oh, and I have such strong opinions on the topic. I find it to be a very important step in my nighttime cleansing ritual. It’s my step one, always. But why is it that so many are filled with synthetic fragrance, dyes and other irritants? The last place I want to be rubbing something like that is near my eyeballs. I’m sure you all have experienced the painful eye stinging that usually follows. It’s the worst! But fear not, there are some great formulas out there that are gentle enough for your peepers.
You cannot deny the convenience of a wipe, and the Simple Eye Makeup Remover Padsare your best bet. Super convenient for travel and one pad remove even the heaviest of eye makeup, with ease – I’d add, on both eyes.
Brooklyn-based SW Basics uses just a few ingredients in all of their products, and they all serve a very important purpose. The Makeup Remover uses a blend of organic oils – olive, jojoba and sweet almond – and the tiniest bit removes everything. It’s very concentrated, so you don’t want to use it like you would a traditional liquid. I dip a Q-tip in the bottle and then drag it across my lashes. Then flip it to the other end to clean up and then repeat on the other eye. I used to use a cotton pad, but found it was too absorbent. The Q-tip method will ensure your sustainable glass bottle lasts months!
A legacy staple, I’ve been using Clinique Take the Day Offsince I was a teenager. It’s one of those early discoveries that has stuck around! I like the oily texture because it removes everything easily. If you have to tug or rub too hard, you’re just asking for stretched out skin and premature wrinkles. A bottle lasts forever, and I find that minis always come in the Clinique gift-with-purchases. Which, of course, was how I first tried this product as a teen!
I recently discovered MAKE Dual-Phase Eye Makeup Remover after getting a sample in my Birchbox, and am majorly impressed. It’s equal parts oil and cucumber- and chamomile-infused water, without any fragrance or parabens. Shake it up and it quickly removes even this eyeliner, which may be the most stubborn (in a good way) I’ve used!
Meet the place where face creams and kabuki brushes come to live. Otherwise known as my bathroom drawer. I think my spring cleaning urge has officially activated. I relish in a good cleaning day. Organizing and decluttering can lead me to my happy place. But the mood has to strike. For example, on New Year’s Day I spent hours cleaning my pantry. Talk about the ultimate sense of achievement. I’d been putting that one off for a loooong time. With all this talk of spring beauty, I realized it’s time to tackle the drawer. I’ve only got so much bathroom counter real estate, so I tend to cram and stack a lot in there for the sake of keeping things tidy.
The “before” is a sight and I’ve already made a note to move my near empty Kiehl’s Rosa Arctica tub in the recycling bin (back to Kiehl’s of course — they give rewards!) and to repurchase my favorite SPF. But there also some new discoveries in here that are making their way into my spring beauty routine.
In my March Birchbox, there was a pretty hefty sample of MAKE Eye Makeup Remover. It’s gentle and removes even my most challenging makeup (like this). This is a brand new on my radar but between this and the mini lipstick I received, I’m interested in knowing more!
Eco-Tools came out with this nifty Foam Applicator that has one flat side and a pointy edge. It applies concealer pretty flawlessly. Plus, it’s cheaper than lunch.
Dr. Dennis Gross makes my favorite self-tanning body towelettes and now he came out with a sunless version for body. It smooths (tackling keratosis pilaris), evens out discoloration, exfoliates and tones. Short sleeves and bare legs are coming and these are helping my body come out of hiding.
Aveeno entered the land of BB Cream! Their new formula lends a light and luminous coverage with an always welcome SPF 30. I wore it to the gym last weekend since I don’t like walking there without SPF protection. It held up well. Testing continues!
Now that I’ve begun the task of pretty-ing this drawer up for the sake of spring beauty, I’m excited to see what else I uncover.
Note: Aveeno provided me with a sample of the BB Cream as part of their 2013 Ambassador program.
