Beauty Favorites

Whether makeup or skincare, trying out beauty products is definitely a fun experience. With the "discovery" process, I've found new products I love and stuck with old favorites. So, here are the beauty-related items that I keep coming back to:
1. bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation. Maintaining clear skin is not always an easy process. With blemish-prone skin, I've discovered that foundation can often clog up my pores and make my skin look more uneven. Five or six years ago, I saw my cousin using her bareMinerals starter kit and noticed how amazing her skin looked. I immediately went to the nearest bareMinerals, had my shade matched, and purchased the whole kit (which I would highly recommend). This foundation is hands-down the best foundation I have ever tried. While the coverage is medium-light, it doesn't compromise on uneven skin tone and covering up darks spots.  
2. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. In my opinion, there are few things that look more flattering on any eye than a classic cat eye. Over the years, I've incorporated it into my daily makeup routine and love how winged liner can transition so well from a day to evening look. Kat Von D's liquid liner pen is fantastic because unlike a lot of liquid liners, the pen applicator makes it easier to have better control with the thinness or thickness of the line. 
3. C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve. This product rules. Its consistency is great, works for any dry spots (I use it mostly for my lips), and smells lovely. I've gone through several lip balms, and I know for a fact that this is a keeper. 
4. Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk. My haircare routine used to involve washing my hair every day, but I cut it down to three times a week (after repeatedly hearing my mother and friends make fun of me for doing so). At first, I had no idea what to do with my hair on days when I did not wash it, but dry shampoo is really a savior. I've tried Batiste, which seems to be the most popular option, but in my opinion, Klorane is where it's at. Their dry shampoo works like magic, so if you're worried about visibly oily hair—fear no more. One thing to be wary of is that if you have dark hair, you really have to brush it out of your hair, otherwise you'll have visible white patches (I obviously speak from experience). 
5. Benefit Roller Lash. Now if there's anything I can claim wholeheartedly, it's that I've been through probably 10 types of mascara, and had not found one that I particularly liked. I have sparse and short lashes, so finding a good mascara has proved to be a challenge. Benefit's Roller Lash is great because it's defining and also curling, which is something that I haven't come across in any other brands. If I ever want a more dramatic look, I put on a coat of Roller Lash and then finish it off with a few coats of their They're Real! mascara (out of the two, I do prefer Roller Lash). 
6. Trish McEvoy 'Intense' Gel Eyeliner Pencil. I love the look of lining the lower waterline. Especially on darker eyes, it adds such a beautiful intensity. Previously, I used eyeliners that were such a pain to apply. It was uncomfortable, since it took a lot of effort to get the actual product on my water line. My mother gave me Trish McEvoy's Gel Eyeliner Pencil, and I'm so glad she did. The formula is spectacular. It glides on without any pressure and is so creamy. I have it in a sparkly black and it's very pigmented, which I love. 
7. bareMinerals bareSkin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer. Sometimes, I get lazy with foundation, so this concealer does the trick with covering up "problematic areas". I use it under my eyes and for dark spots and blemishes. This concealer rocks. bareMinerals rocks. 
8. Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Wild Ginger Sea Salt Texturizing Spray. My hairstylist recommended this to me when I asked about how I could bring life and volume to my hair. I spritz in this product after I wash it and then blow dry while scrunching. It works super well and enhances my waves nicely. Plus, it smells awesome.
9. benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream. Similarly to my experience with mascara and foundation (and practically everything else), finding the right moisturizer can be a hit and mostly-miss situation. I'm not really sure how I found this mini version of the moisturizer but it's a great way to try it out and see if it works with a specific skin type. This moisturizer has given me clean and glowy skin and just does it's job fantastically.
10. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. Brows are serious business. We all know this. In addition to threading and tweezing, I like to slightly define my eyebrows without overdoing it (since mine are not naturally sparse or thin). The Brow Wiz is great because it fills in lighter spots and really gives my brows a "bang". I also love the wand portion of the pencil, which evens out the product nicely.