Sunday, August 29, 2010

Beauty Picks of the Moment



Okay. I realize that I'm not what you'd call "glamorous" or anything--I'm just pretty normal, really. But I do (surprise!) like to look good. It's been a battle over the years when it comes to trying various beauty products and either liking or hating them (but so rarely loving them) and when something really, truly works, it's time to celebrate! Or, at least, it's time to give these products some serious recognition.

I go for a low-maintainace beauty routine. I spend my share of time in front of the bathroom mirror, for sure, but I'm not the kind of girl to primp and paint for an hour every morning. 20 or 30 minutes, and I want to be done and out the door. So I'm always looking for easy ways to improve my routine, and I think a lot of ladies out there feel the same.

So here are a few of the products I've tried and loved in the past few months. They definitely deserve a try if you're looking for something new (and easy!) to make your morning routine easier.

1.) Maybelline Gel Eyeliner. This stuff is SO amazing, and I'll tell you why: pencil liner just isn't heavy-duty enough to last, and liquid liner is not forgiving enough. When I try to use a pencil, it can be like I'm carving into my skin since I have to push so hard just to make it show up. Plus, it's usually faded in a few hours. Liquid liner is better, but it can have a mind of its own. And...have you ever tried to apply this stuff if your hand is even just SLIGHTLY shaky? It's everywhere! It's not very easy to get off, either, if you DO mess up.

Enter gel eyeliner--a happy medium between pencil and liquid. It's easy to control like a pencil, but bold like liquid liner. It's SO EASY to apply with the included brush, and it's difficult to mess it up, no matter how clumsy/shaky/clueless you might be with makeup (me!).
2.) Covergirl Outlast Lipstain. I hate lipstick. HATE! So much. I mean, it's gone after an hour or so, a casualty of drinking/eating/licking my lips/whatever. And it's sticky and gross and it comes off on everything. Lipstick and me, we just don't get along.

That's why I tried this stuff--lip STAIN. What is lipstain, you ask? Imagine a really expensive crayola marker that you use to color your lips, and you've basically got the idea. This stuff is easy to use, it looks natural, and you won't lick it off in ten minutes. It's certainly not perfect...it doesn't last all day or anything. But it's perfect for people who hate feeling a sticky layer on their lips and would prefer a very thin lip covering that won't come off on anything.


3.) Garnier Fructis Leave-In Conditioning Cream. How do you feel about frizzy hair? Not a fan? Thought so. Neither am I, but I've fought with it for, like, my whole life. I don't mean that my hair poofs into an afro, but when I want it straight, little hairs tend to rebel and curl in a most hideous way. No hairspray or flatiron can tame those menace strands.

Oh, leave-in conditioner--why have I shunned you for so long? If I'd realized that THIS would be the solution, I wouldn't have snubbed it over and over again! I wasted my time on sprays and shampoos that just couldn't cut it. But THIS stuff...it works!

When my hair is still damp, I just work a blob of this stuff in, then style as usual. No, it's not a match for 100% humidity, but on a normal day when my hair would start getting frizzy, this stuff helps a lot. My hair is sleeker and more manageable.

4.) Tresemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo. If I had to pick one favorite beauty product, this would be it. Holy. Freaking. Crap.

Many hair experts tell you to wash your hair every other day. WTF? My hair is just GROSS on the second day. I've always been a "wash my hair everyday" kind of girl, even though it sucked more time from my day. I've tried dry shampoo before, but without much luck--its weird smell and high price forced me to step back.

But this stuff? AWESOME. You don't have to wash your hair in the shower on the second day. Just shake, spray, wait a minute, then brush it out. Oil? Gone. Odor? Gone. Guilt over buying expensive hair products? Gone (this stuff if cheap!). And as a plus, it adds body to your hair! Some days, I don't even need to style my hair after using this, just a quick brush and I'm good to go. It seriously saves me like 20 minutes on my routine. Love.

1 comment:

J said...

This is awesome. I feel we are somewhat similar. I really don't feel like I can leave the house without doing something to my hair and face, but it gets so old getting ready every day, ya know? So, like you, I want stuff that's easy. I've tried the lipstain and it's pretty cool. It's like coloring your lips with a marker, just like you said! Because of this post I am going to have to try the dry shampoo. I can't go more than a day without shampooing or else my hair looks super greasy. That's definitely not the look I'm going for. And added volume? Uh, yeah, I'll take it!