I can’t truly call myself a beauty product junkie, but I will 100% go on a quest in search of those gems I will end up ordering and reordering for years to come. The below seven products are the ones I’ve used daily and packed on every single flight with me last year, and ones I totally stand behind as game changers!
NUFACE – I’ve had this little device for exactly a year now and it’s become my bi nightly Netflix watching partner. I zone out on a show before heading to bed and spend about 15 minutes rolling this bad boy all over my face, but mainly around the sides of my mouth (with an away from the mouth motion on each side toward the upper ear) and my forehead. To be honest, when I first got it, I didn’t use it diligently and it sat in a drawer for a few months. Then one day, I was getting a facial while on vacation in Carmel, and while chatting with my aesthetician gal I asked the question I ask every time I have a professional trapped with me for an hour. “What’s the one product or treatment you swear by?” And guess what she said. “Girl, that little NUFACE device gave me these cheekbones!” Let me tell you, she had some amazing cheek bones! I went home, grabbed that bad boy out of the drawer and have been using it every other night since. I’ve since bought one for my mom as well. *The mini is totally big enough for all areas of the face. Pro tip – you totally don’t have to buy the larger $399 one.
TAN-LUXE – The never-ending quest for the perfect faux tanning product struggle is real y’all. I could show you a drawer chock full of tanning products, which really gets out of control over the summer, or used to that is. As many new products as I still give a whirl to, I go back to the tan-luxe as my weekly go to every time. In fact, I’ve purchased it 4 times last year, and we’re talking 2 packs girls. I use the medium-dark shade. In my opinion, the light-medium just doesn’t give you enough color and the whole beauty of tan-luxe is that you fully control how light or dark your tan is by the amount of drops you mix in with your lotion. So, you kind of get more of your money’s worth going with the darker shade because that just means having to use less drops. I use it every third shower. As soon as I get out of the shower I dry off, mix the tan-luxe drops in with my favorite lotion (I could actually add this lotion to this list because I’ve used a full bucket of it last year) and lotion up my whole body. I use 4-5 drops per leg, and then about 5 drops for my whole upper body. It doesn’t stain, it doesn’t smell, it doesn’t do that weird cracking thing like a spray tan on day 5. It’s literally the easiest thing to blend into your routine. Let me just make one more note on the lotion though. I’ve used these drops with some other lotions and didn’t love it as much. The lotion has to be really emollient to work well, so I highly recommend getting this duo.
PERCISELY MY BROW – BROW PENCIL – This has been my go-to eyebrow pencil for SO many reasons. It glides on so well, the color range is perfect to match to your hair, and it is true to its name: precise! I use it in small strokes through the brow, followed by the gimme brow volumizing fiber gel. I must have gone through 10 of these last year!
FRENCH GIRL LIP POLISH – A friend of mine who knows and loves all things beauty recommended this scrub as “life changing” and she was 100% right. Even if you don’t think you have dry lip issues this scrub will change the way you think your lips should feel. Especially if you wear long wear and matte lipsticks and lip stains. I can’t imagine not having it in my vanity’s top drawer! I use it a couple of times a week, spreading about a pea size all over the lips and then making the motion you would, when you’re done applying lipstick. The back and forth mix. Then wash away, following by your favorite lip moisturizer. This one is mine (it’s supposed to be overnight, but I use it as all day every day)
SKIN CEUTICALS RENEW OVERNIGHT CREAM – This is the Cadillac of night creams (do people even say that anymore?), basically the holy grail. It is riiiiiiich and makes your skin feel like it is getting to spend the night, covered in a moisture filled lush little cloud. What I love about it most is that when you wake up in the morning your skin feels REALLY hydrated. If you have dry skin like I’ve always been prone to, you will love this cream!
ARMANI LUMINOUS SILK FOUNDATION – (I use color 3) I was on a quest for the perfect foundation last year and after many “meh” moments in foundation adventures, I finally found the one. Her name is Armani Silk and we are soulmates. Pricey but goes a long way and what I love the most about it is that it is offers great coverage while not feeling heavy. It also layers very well with sunscreen which I wear under it 100% of the time. (I give the sunscreen about 3 minutes to settle before applying the foundation over it)
PETER THOMAS ROTH MAX MINERAL SPF45 – Speaking of sunscreen! I did a post on all my favorites and chose a few true stand outs, HERE. Well, if I had to pick just one to bring with me while competing on a season of Survivor, it would be this one. It layers perfectly under foundation, and I wear it in place of foundation on my “make-up free” days, of which there are actually quite many. I also love that I can dab it over my foundation and powder mid-day (hope you all do this too because sunscreen is really only active for two hours!) without streaking or looking caky. PS, I use a wet beauty blender to do this. I saw someone showing this in a tutorial and it was a game changer! I actually apply my SPF exclusively with a beauty blender and just love how much better it lays on the skin that way.
Aright ya’ll, that’s the top favorites from the past year. I could have listed a good 10 more products but wanted to be super choosy. I’ll be sure to do a deeper dive on a few specifics I mentioned like using the beauty blender and NUFACE before and afters. As always, send any questions my way on my IG!
