GEEKISTA | STYLE

Beauty Secret Weapons: Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving might be over but I’m still giving thanks for the save-my-life beauty products I’ve discovered this year.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer in Beige. Think of it as a cheaper (and yes, slightly less potent) version of YSL’s legendary/cult-status Touche Eclat concealer, at a fraction of the price. I dab and blend under eyes, down the center of my nose and the laugh lines around my mouth. Pro tip: err on the side of darker with this one, especially if you have a medium or olive skintone.

Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder. This is one of those products I’ve seen in every make-up artist’s kit but like with Maybelline mascara, I’ve always had my doubts. Consider said doubts squashed when I picked up a tub of this for myself. As I have this totally charming ability to shine up like a disco ball within 10 minutes of leaving the house, I’ve been surprised at how long this stuff sticks (and maintains matte-ness) after I use it to set my make-up. A godsend.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance Candlelight Softly Illuminating Eye Shadow Primer. The brand’s regular Shadow Insurance is already a staple in my kit and, on a whim, I picked up the Candlelight version. With the same “a little goes a long way” quality as regular Shadow Insurance, Candlelight’s golden sheen means matte eye shadows get a subtle shimmery makeover when applied.

L’Oreal True Match Lumi Health Makeup in Sand Beige. I’m really digging this luminous trend in make-up! Confession: after I finished my bottle of Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation, I was in NO HURRY to pick up another bottle of something that would cost me almost $50 after tax. No thanks. So I nabbed a bottle of L’Oreal’s new Lumi foundation and whaddyaknow: it goes on sheer, is easy to apply (hello,smooth) and is SPF 20.

RapidLash Eyelash Serum. My lashes are wimpy, something I’ve long lamented. I’ve tried Revitalash, then went through a round of Latisse (which worked but was expensive) and now, this year, RapidLash which has promoted (so far successfully) length and some subtle volume. I’ll still be rocking two pairs of fakes when I’m working, though.

Beauty Products I’m Thankful For

Thanksgiving is a time to show appreciation for those you love. For the beauty-obsessed, this not only means family members and friends but also products. Here are some of the essentials I’m giving thanks for all season long:

Target Cucumber Exfoliating Wipes (not pictured). I will always choose being outside, in the ocean, paddling my arms out on a surfboard over being a hamster on the treadmill at the gym. Of course, surf conditions aren’t always in my favor, so in the case I do have to hit the gym, I make sure to keep a pack of these and use one right after I’m done sweating up a storm. They prevent breakouts around your hairline (e.g. “sweat line”), are cheap and really get the job done. They also double as a makeup remover in case you wear mascara while you workout that is, afterwards, promptly all over your face. Of course, this has never been a problem of mine… no… never…

Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Lotion Sunscreen SPF 30. I love this as an everyday sunscreen. It reminds me of summer, even in the dead of winter and also means I don’t have to pile on another fragrance. The only downsides: not waterproof and people always wonder why they smell coconut around you and then ask if you’re wearing sunscreen. Hey, aren’t you supposed to wear SPF daily? I thought that was a given by now.

Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Pure Castile Soap. As the label suggests, this soap truly is magic. I use it not only as a body wash (it lathers up a storm) but also to clean my makeup brushes. And if ever I wanted to move to a hippie commune, I’m sure I would take a big giant bottle of Dr. Bronner’s with me. It’s gentle, organic and doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. If you’re a superfan of the stuff like myself, be sure to check out the 2006 documentary about Dr. Bronner himself, currently on Netflix streaming. At the very least, it gives insight to that soap label I know you’re trying to read.

Too Faced Eye Shadow Insurance Policy High Impact Eye Shadow Collection. I nabbed this palette for only $15 at Nordstrom Rack not only because of the colors but also because it came with almost a full tube of Shadow Insurance, my must-have stay-put eye shadow primer. I’m especially a fan of mixing the colors Full Frontal and Socialite for a pinkish bronze look (not unlike MAC’s Bronze but with less brown), and Glamazon used as a glittery highlight. Protip: use a light hand with Glamazon. When they say High Impact, they mean it.

Recessionista Irreplaceables

Last month I blogged about beauty items I swap out to save scrilla; now it’s time for a follow-up on the items I will use my coupons and eat at Subway for for months on end to afford. That sounds extreme but I would actually do it: I have a whole sheet of coupons for Buy 1 6” Sub & Drink Get 1 6” Sub Free; I’m not afraid to use every last one. Bold, I know.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. I’ve used this stuff for years and ever since Kiehl’s started exclusively packaging the stuff in a larger size, I’ve had no choice but to shell out around $50 a tub. Thankfully, a little goes a long way: it’s rich enough without being greasy and gets absorbed easily into your skin, especially if you prime it first with a serum. Smooth over your face and neck before bedtime for hydration that lasts well into the next morning.

Too Face Shadow Insurance Anti-Crease Eyeshadow Primer. This costs around $18 for what looks like a tiny tube but again, a little goes a long LONG way. For days I’m out in the field (e.g. not shooting in a studio or otherwise controlled setting), I have to knockout a makeup look that lasts all day. This means prepping my skin with primers and anything else that would guarantee makeup’s sticking power against the elements - in southern California that means sunshine sunshine sunshine (hello greasy T-zone; we’ll save that issue for a later post). I dab a teeny tiny sized drop on each eyelid/browbone area and rub in fully before applying eyeshadow. The difference between non-Shadow Insuranced and Shadow Insuranced eye makeup is noticeable: Shadow Insurance does a great job of making shadow instantly brighter when it’s applied so I end up actually using less color. Read: I don’t have to pound on the shadow to make it show up because this magical tube of awesomeness makes it show up almost instantly. I’m so enthusiastic about this, I mailed it to one of my best friends who was living in NYC and working part-time in theater. She, like me, hasn’t laid eyes on another primer since; that partly has to do with the fact that she’s probably still on her first tube.

The only drawbacks are that you need to make sure to rub in the primer all the way so it doesn’t end up looking like poorly color-matched concealer on your eyes and that, if left in the tube unused for too long, the formula gets a little watery-greasy. A simple shake before squeezing usually solves the latter problem.

MAC Bronze Eye Shadow. Increasingly, I buy eye shadows from drugstore brands because when it comes to quality, I don’t find much of a difference between the pricey and cheapy stuff. The only drawback is I’m a terrible judge of color. Yes, that sounds really racist when I write it like that. If there isn’t a sample shadow for me to actually SEE how a shadow color renders, I’m super hesitant to drop even $5 on an eye shadow - I don’t care how convinced I am about what I think the color is. This is why I’ve consistently bought MAC’s Bronze. MAC has always hit it out of the ballpark with their eye shadows with their high pigment and range of colors but at $13 a pop, they’re not exactly, uh, budget-savvy IMHO. But I’m a Bronze loyalist: it’s the perfect shade of golden bronze, not too dark and not too light. Just intense enough to give my eyes a little glow a la J. Lo. It’s my go-to for an everyday look that can be amped up with easily for night with some gold shadow on your browbone or silver shadow in the inner corners of your eyes.

Get Beyonce with me here: do you have any irreplaceables in your kit?