My Top 10 Beauty Products

Hey there! So today, I thought I would share some of my favorite make-up and beauty products with you. It was kind of hard to narrow it down to a top 10 list, so actually, I decided to focus more on which products I would reccommend to others. The 10 products I list really are some of my most favorites, but they are not necessarily the products I use the most often. Although, if you read through, I think you'll see that I found a way to sort of cheat and add in a few shout-outs to the products I do use on a more regular basis.

These products are not listed in such a way as to reflect a rating, (i.e. #1 is not better than #10, nor is #10 better than #1. Actually, I listed the products in the order that you might actually use them if you were applying your make-up for the day.)


#1. STUDIO SECRETS PROFESSIONAL: MAGIC PERFECTING BASE by L'Oreal Paris

This product is a face primer. It is relatively new. I found a coupon for it and decided to try it out. This is the only face primer I have ever used so I can't compare it to any others, but after using this product I would definately recommend using a face primer. This is a beautiful product that you apply after your moisturizer, but before your concealer and foundation. It smoothes out your skin making it feel silky and soft, and it helps your make-up last hours longer than it normally would. Also, I have rather oily skin and I live in a desert where normally I sweat and my make-up doesn't last, but I find that when I use this product, my oily skin and the heat and sweat have less of a wearing effect on my make-up.


#2 URBAN DECAY SHADOW PRIMER POTION


This product is an eye primer. Use it before applying eye makeup. I absolutely recommend this product! This is one of my most favorite makeup products ever because it consistantly lives up to its reputation. This product will make your eyeshadow look vibrant and beautifull ALL DAY! It helps eyeshadow to stay in place, it prevents creasing, flaking and smudging. Seriously, when you use this product, you can put your eyeshadow on and feel confident all day that your shadow will still look amazing even 10 hours after you put it on.


#3 Kabuki brush

Please please please don't tell me that you still apply your loose powder with a pouf! If you are not using a kabuki brush to apply your loose foundation powder, you are completely missing out! These brushes are made with short handles and have a large plume of super-soft bristles that apply the powder more evenly over your face. The best way to use a kabuki brush is to tap some powder into the lid of your powder container, swirl the kabuki brush into the powder, tap off the extra, then apply the powder to your face using circular motions.


#4 Double-ended Smudging/Feathering brush

This is a brush in my collection that I love. You don't necessarily have to buy a double sided brush like this one, but I'm glad this is a two-in-one brush so that I can get away with talking about them both at once. This brush is extremely usefull when applying eyeshadow. I use the smaller end to apply make-up to the crease of my eye. It packs the shadow on thick for a bold look. If I want a softer look, after I apply the shadow with the small end, I use the larger end to soften the look by lightly smudging the shadow from the outside corner toward the inside corner. This is a valuable tool to have if you are a fan of smokey eyes. I also like to use the larger end as a blending tool to soften the contrast between the color in the crease of my eye and the highlight color just under the brows.


#5 ALMAY Trio's

This is more of a general recommendation than a specific recommendation. I think every girl should have a shadow compact with colors pre-determined to bring out her features. You don't have to buy one from Almay, other brands make similar shadow compacts. The reason I recommend these is for convenience. I love to go all out with my makeup everyday, but sometimes, you wake up late. At some point in your life (maybe more often than not) you will be in a hurry. These shadow compacts are life savers in those situations. Sometimes I have very little time to do my makeup, so I'll use the time I have to apply moisturizer and foundation and then I'll grab my Almay trio compact, throw it in my bag, and head out the door. The shadow can be easily applied in 2 minutes (you can find that time in the car, or on the bus.) They are also good to have because they are made to compliment your natural features and not your outfits, so you can make them work no matter what clothes you have on.


#6 L'Oreal Paris - High Intensity Pigments (HiP) Eyeshadow Duo's


If you want bold color, but don't want to pay department store prices, then I definately recommend this line of eyeshadows. They cost between $6 and $8 depending on where you shop. Each container has two complimentary colors. The containers also have mirrors and two applicators included. (I wouldn't recommend using these applicators on a regular basis, but I'm glad they are included. There have been a few times that I would forget to put my makeup brushes in my bag before leaving the house. Those little applicators save the day in those situations.)


#7 120 Color Eyeshadow Palette (from Ebay)

Can you really say no to 120 colors?! These palettes are available on Ebay from many different suppliers. The majority of them ship from China and you usually only have to pay the cost of shipping. I got mine for $14. My sister envied this product when I got it, so I ordered one for her birthday from a different seller and hers came all broken. It wasn't packaged as well as mine had been, so I would be very careful about who you order from. I bought mine from the ebay seller "eachdesk". Although, you can order this palette from www.buyincoins.com for about $15 (free shipping) and their products come well packaged. The shadows themselves are actually very good quality. The colors are bold and pretty, they have a very good color pay-off. I use this palette constantly. This is a very good product if you want lots of color options with good quality for a low price.


#8 Gel Eyeliner

I only recently started using gel eyeliners and I absolutely love them! They stay put, they don't smear or smudge and they don't irritate my eyes. I normally use liquid eyeliner, and still do most of the time because it's faster, but the liquid liner gets into my eyes and sometimes it irritates my contact lenses. I love that the gel liner stays on my lids and doesn't get into my eyes. I use the gel liners for bold looks and for doing winged eyeline designs and cat eye's. I personally don't use gel liners on the lower lids or waterline, although I know that some women do and they haven't had a problem doing that. I personally wouldn't recommend it, but I don't know that it is unhealthy, so you might try it. Some gel liners are sold with an applicator brush, many are sold alone, without a brush. There are two brush styles you can use to apply a gel liner, a regular eye-liner brush, nearly every makeup line has one available. You can also use a small angle brush, which is what I prefer to use. I think the angle brush gives me a better advantage when making the winged design. I personally buy very small angle brushes from art supply stores because they are cheaper than makeup brushes but they are made the same way and work just as well.


#9 Red Lipstick

Every woman should know how to rock the red lipstick look. This is definately not something for everyday (unless you are a dancer maybe), but I would recommend that every woman have a red lipstick that suits her. It took me a long time to find a red lipstick that would look truely red on me and that would last. I am sort of cheating here, because I have to use two products to achieve the perfect look. I use a lip liner from Rimmel London's EXAGGERATE line. The one I use is #024 RED DIVA, I use this lip liner to line my lips and fill them in completely. Then I apply a lipstick from Max Factor, it is #40 Ms. Right Now. Together, these two work perfectly for me. It is a good idea to use a lip liner all over your lips before applying a lipstick, because the lip liner lasts longer, so even if the lipstick fades, the liner will still be there. Even more so, I absolutely recommend Rimmel London's EXAGGERATE line of Full Color Lip Liners, because they provide excellent color pay-off and they last forever! Seriously, when I use this red liner, I pretty much have red lips for at least two days. It really lasts.


#10 Pink Sugar Perfume - Available at Sephora

Looking for a unique, bold and playful scent? Pink Sugar is consistantly one of Sephora's most popular items. I first bought this perfume in 2003 because it smelled absolutely delicious and I haven't been able to give it up since then. (I've been through three bottles of it in the past 7 years). This is a strong perfume that I would recommend only wearing when you "go out". Although, I have been known to wear it to work or school. Anytime you wear this perfume, someone is bound to ask "Do you smell cookies?" It really does smell delicious. However, if this scent is too much for you, I would also recommend a perfume called Be Delicious from DKNY, it is a sort of fruity scent that really is beautiful. My bottle is nearly empty and I will definately be buying more when it runs out. If a flowery scent is more your thing, I suggest Princess by Vera Wang. The large bottle of this perfume costs $75, but it is absolutely worth it. I've been through two bottles of it in 4 years. It is one of my most favorites.


Finally we are done! I know this was a long blog. Hey, just be glad I didn't start talking about mascara! I could write a whole blog on that topic alone. I do hope you enjoyed it though and that you found some helpful tips. Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments, well that's what the comment section is for! :-) I enjoy reading your feedback. Also, what are your favorite beauty products? Do you have any beauty secrets to share? Let us know in the comments! Until next time, goodbye.