1. I thought I would start with these because I believe in using and loving Q-tips, an ingenious way to clean all of those teeny little cavities God saw fit to bless us with, and the solution to a multitude of beauty blunders. Blending, removing excess product, and spot application are just a few of my favorite uses!
2. Blonde Glam by Redken: this stuff is AMAZING!! Blonde hair requires a ridiculous amount of maintenance, and this shampoo creates soft, silky Barbie locks that would otherwise look like bleached straw. However, the shampoo-conditioner system are not only for us blondes – it does wonders for brunettes and redheads alike (just FYI for those of you not lucky enough to have a cosmetologist as a sister)!
3. St. Ives Skin Renewing Collagen Elastin is my favorite lotion out there! It’s got a light smell, the texture is perfect, and my skin just drinks it up. It treads that fine lotion line between greasy and pointless. Although collagen and elastin molecules are too small to actually travel through the surface of the skin, somehow nothing quite moisturizes like this lotion does. I’m hooked. UH-MAZING!
4. I use St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub every couple of days to exfoliate my skin. I primarily use it on my face, but before I apply self-tanner, I exfoliate my entire body. You can put it on your fingers to massage into your skin, but I prefer to use a washcloth because it seems to really smooth off those dead skin cells that make your complexion look grey and dull. I used it for the first time when I was 14, I think, and I’ve been addicted ever since! I always get compliments on having pretty skin and I definitely give this find the credit for it. (Note: this product is definitely not for everyone – I have very oily stubborn skin, but St. Ives does make gentler versions of this scrub.)
5. Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash – Pink Grapefruit [link to http://www.neutrogena.com/product/body+clear-+body+wash+-+pink+grapefruit.do ] is a savior to my skin. There is nothing like sweating and stress to cause breakouts, and I work out and freak out daily. I’ve been using this for years, and I don’t even worry about it anymore. (Wow, I sound like a commercial – I should definitely be getting paid to talk up all these products! Can my secretary, I mean my assistant, I mean my…hubby or my Pomeranian…get someone on the phone about this stat!? Honey? Sweetie??)
6. Mirabella Magic Marker is such an incredible liquid eyeliner. It goes on exactly like it sounds – you feel like you are lining your eyes with a Sharpie. Just as smooth and just as dark and impactful, and if you know how to write with a pen, you will become a pro at using this thing quickly!
7. Now, I’m a big fan of caffeine to help me though my crazy schedule, and coffee and soda drinking are not something any good dentist would recommend. (Diet Coke and soy lattes are like the ultimate anti-beauty products.) I use the Rembrandt 2 Hour Whitening Kit. In two hours, my teeth are blindingly white, and it was so easy to use and very comfortable. I whiten my teeth when I have two hours at home alone doing laundry or computer “networking” (cough, cough “Facebook”), and when I’m done, I always have a brilliant smile. I like to do this every three or four months for upkeep.
8. Wet n Wild COLORICON Eyeshadow Single in Panther, a matte black, is fantastic! My favorite use is to smudge and set my pencil liner, but it adds impact to any eyeshadow color if properly blended. And at $1.99, I’m super impressed!
9. Working in a nail salon taught me that Essie [link to ] is the only nail polish worth using. The colors are fun and grown-up at the same time, it is fast drying, smooth, and shiny!
10. My final favorite is something just a bit pricier: Diorshow Iconic Mascara in Black. I have devastatingly short eyelashes, and by devastatingly, I mean nearly invisible and blonde, just tragic. This mascara makes me look like I have falsies on, which I couldn’t believe, but it’s TRUE! It’s absolutely incredible!! The gigantic brush was developed because during runway shows, makeup artists were applying mascara to the models with toothbrushes – how cool is that? I recently found a near drugstore dupe though – The Colossal Volum’ Express by Maybelline. Not quite as breathtaking, but darn near close enough with a $20 price difference.
Until next time, dolls!
Jessica