I had an epiphany the other day that for the first time, I use several beauty products that I like so much I've actually used them in their entirety and then replaced them! I'm not much of a beauty junky but I am constantly trying the "newest thing" at Sephora and then turning to the something else before I ever finish it. I thought it might be fun to share this collection of A++ products that I've gathered from the various hair & makeup pro's I've worked with on photoshoots and friends as well as a few personal favorites I discovered myself.
1. Urban Decay All-Nighter: A must-have for me year round - I swear foundation melts off my face.
2. Benefit 'Gimme Brow' Volumizing Fiber Gel: My coworker used to work for Ralph Lauren (i.e. the gods of the strong brow) so for when she recommended this eyebrow gel I assumed it would be amazing - and it is.
3. Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam: I wouldn't call this a "foam" by any means but it is the BEST cleanser. It smells amazing and doesn't dry out my skin. I got a sample of this randomly and squeezed every last drop out of it before giving up and buying a full size. Now I'm on a fourth!
4. L'Oreal True Match Foundation: My very favorite makeup artist (hi Maria!!) recommended this foundation to me - regardless of price!! I didn't believe her until I tried it myself and now I'm hooked. Perfect coverage, stays great. I'm forever grateful for an awesome alternative to the Armani Luminous Silk I was using ($$$$$$).
5. Redken Velvet Gelatine: Our new Events + Sponsorship Director recently joined us from many years at Redken/L'Oreal - I told her I was desperate for a good blow-out cream that didn't make my hair greasy or weigh it down and she told me this was the golden ticket. It's AMAZING. "Cushion-y" is the only way I can describe the results... I love it!
6. Lili Bermuda 'Calypso': We did a feature on the lovely owner of this small Bermuda perfumery when we were down there shooting a campaign few years ago. This is now my signature scent and I happily spend a nice little chunk of money to ship to the U.S. because it makes me feel like this gem of a fragrance will stay my little secret :)
7. Prive Volumizing Dry Shampoo (not pictured): I have been religiously testing dry shampoos for a few years now and mentioned it to our hairstylist Kristi on our last shoot. She gave me this one to try out and I LOVE IT. It's all natural unlike the DryBar one I also like, and it also smells INCREDIBLE. Highly recommend. It doesn't over-powder and it's keep me shampoo-free for three days now.
8. L'Oreal Elnett Hairspray (not pictured): One of my other favorite hairstylists (hi Corey!!) looped me in on this magic and I've been buying it ever since. I literally haven't bought another brand in over two years. Corey tipped me off that the European formula of this is even BETTER but I've yet to find a reliable source of it.