New Year, New Favorite Beauty Products

Hello! Lisa here, and I’m talking beauty today. You may recall that I am a bit of a beauty product junkie. I love my face creams, serums, lipsticks, hair products, you name it. I try out a lot of products, and more often than not, I get halfway through an underwhelming bottle/tube/compact, and toss it into the beauty graveyard. But some products stand out to me, and those are the ones I’m sharing with you today. For the record, the products from last year’s post continue to stand the test of time, and I’m still a fan. But as the in-house beauty product guru, I feel it is my duty to dish on my newest faves in my beauty arsenal.

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1. Mascara is one beauty product I almost always wear, as one quick swipe can transform my eyes from tired-looking to wide awake. I expect my mascara to multitask, and this mascara from Make Up For Ever really delivers. It makes my blonde eyelashes look darker, fuller, and longer, and the precision brush keeps clumps away. Wiggle the wand while applying for extra oomph.

2. Speaking of lashes, I reach for my eyelash curler most days before applying mascara. It may look like a medieval torture device, but three quick squeezes along the length of the top lashes (at the base, middle, and tips) make a dramatic difference in just seconds. It’s instantly eye-opening.

3. On days when I have a moment for more than just mascara, I reach for this gel eyeliner in taupe-colored Sepia Ink. I apply this long-lasting neutral shade along the lash line with an eyeliner brush for soft, natural-looking definition. When paired with a bold lipstick, it brightens the eyes without competing with the lip.

4. Even when I don’t want to wear a bold lipstick, I still like to wear lipstick. I have a sizeable collections of lipsticks, balms, and glosses, but until now I have never found that perfect nude color. I love the idea of a nude MLBB shade (My Lips But Better–and yes, MLBB is an actual term used by beauty junkies), but every time I tried on a nude lipstick, it was as if that little tube contained some sort of evil life-sucking demon inside that gave my pale skin the pallor of the undead. Nudes have always washed me out to say the least. But not so with this nude lipstick by Charlotte Tilbury called Pillow Talk which I recently discovered, which has just enough of a blush undertone to give my lips a boost of pretty and natural color, perfect for daytime or paired with more dramatic eye makeup for the evening. And it feels great on my lips. This shade is very popular and sells out often, but it’s worth checking back for!

5. There is something so luxurious about applying a facial oil, especially in the harsh conditions of winter. So many people are afraid of putting straight-up oil on their faces, thinking it will make their skin greasy. But high quality facial oils sink right in and can help to balance the skin, leaving it radiant and hydrated (tip: I always rub any extra oil into my cuticles!). Jillian recently introduced me to Beauty Counter’s facial oil which brightens and soothes my skin without any harmful chemicals. I especially like using it after exfoliating.

6. Speaking of exfoliating, this polishing mask is amazing. It’s actually a mask and an exfoliating scrub combined, and it leaves my skin luminous and silky smooth. While I’m letting the mask sit on my face, I usually massage a bit on my hands as well to get rid of rough patches.

7. While we’re on the topic of hands, I have to tell you about this hand cream! As soon as the weather starts turning cold and the heat inside the house comes on, my hands get so parched they crack painfully and feel like alligator skin. I’ve tried so many hand creams, and either they aren’t very effective, or I can’t tolerate the greasy feel of them. But this hand cream is ultra rich and healing while still being quick absorbing. It feels wonderful on my skin and has turned my hands butter soft again.

8. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t neglect the skin on the rest of my body! I love to slather on this lightweight-but-rich hydrating body lotion to keep my skin soft. Since I use so much of this product all over my body, I really like that it’s organic and free of harmful chemicals. And it smells absolutely divine without being overwhelming.

9. I only wash my hair every other day to keep it healthy, but when I wake up on Day Two with my blowout all messed up with weird bends and kinks, it can be a challenge to smooth it out again. But I recently discovered this protective and smoothing blow-dry styling lotion, made with heat-sensitive microwax which is reshapable with a little heat. Now on Day Two, just a quick hit with the blow dryer and a brush reactivates the product, and in no time, my hair is looking just like Day One!

Here is my everyday natural makeup look using several of these products. It’s a “no makeup look” that is definitely fresher than an actual no-makeup situation!

While I still love to do it up for a special occasion, my everyday beauty routine is all about enhancing my features, skin, and hair in a natural-looking way for a little extra glow. Try these products out to give your beauty routine a fresh boost for 2018!