I know that I talk about various and sundry beauty products here, and I know that I claim many of them to be the bee's knees.
But I've added three things to my beauty arsenal that I swear are amazing. They're almost too big to live in one post. But I'm a daredevil, so here they are.
My esthetician at Kate Somerville talked me into a Clarisonic Mia 2 after she used one during my facial. Her skin was gorgeous, and she said that she used one daily. The Mia 2 is like the Sonicare toothbrush, if you're familiar with that, except it's for your skin.
It's waterproof, so I keep it in the shower and use it daily. My skin has a ton of cell turnover, so I really need to lightly exfoliate regularly to look my best, but I'm usually too lazy to do it. Having the Mia 2 in the shower makes it so much easier. I swear it has changed the texture of my skin. (To be totally fair, I've changed several things about my skin routine lately that are all contributing a healthier looking face, but more on all that later.) I am convinced that the Mia 2 is a huge part of why my skin looks smoother, which in turn makes my makeup look better.
Speaking of makeup, the new NARS tinted moisturizer is some sort of answer to my prayers. I struggle a lot with foundation (as evidenced here), and lately I've been sticking to Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer for its ease of use and general look. And it was almost right, but even the oil free version was just a little too dewy for me. The color wasn't quite perfect, either.
I'm a big NARS fan (their velvet matte lip pencils are my favorite lipsticks, hands down), and I believe that make a really quality product, so I was anxious to see how their tinted moisturizer would turn out. I tried it in the store before I went back and bought it. It's the definition of creamy, and it looks so natural, like I don't have a thing on. Perfect for day wear.
I will say that I always wear real moisturizer under tinted moisturizer, as the name never seems to fit the product exactly. It also helps it to go on more smoothly. As with the Laura Mercier, I'm sort of an in-between color. My skin fits perfectly between Finland (Light 1) and Alaska (Light 2). I bought the lighter one and have been warming the color up a bit with Benefit blush/bronzer.
If you follow me on Instagram or are an HH facebook fan, you know that I have fallen hard for the Urban Decay Naked palette. I use the Naked 1, but the Naked 2 also has beautiful colors. I'm always kind of "eh" on eyeshadow. Many times I buy the drugstore brands. But I saw someone on twitter raving about the Naked palette, so I decided to check it out the next time I was in Sephora. The colors are so pretty, but I was still skeptical. I bought it on a whim, and hoped for the best.
Y'all, I have never had people comment on my eye makeup before when it wasn't applied professionally. Since I've started using Naked 1, several people have mentioned it! It's the only shadow I'm using and the combinations are endless. The only downside I can see is that it's so big, it's not great for travel. I like to travel light in the beauty department, and this is not light. But it may just be worth making a little extra room.
For more of my favorite beauty products, I've made a beauty board on Pinterest.
Tell me your new favorite beauty items! I love seeing what other people are using.
*Affiliate Links included in this post, but, as always, my opinions are true and my own. I have purchased and used every product mentioned in the post and no one perked me to talk about them.
