My Personal “Best Of Beauty 2018” 

We all have our “can’t live without” beauty items. You know, that lipstick you never leave home without, the moisturizer that makes your skin glow, the shampoo that smells delightful and leaves your hair silky smooth. Some we find by trial and error and others on recommendations from friends. Regardless of how you discovered them they are your beauty must-haves and your day-to-day routine just isn’t the same without them.

With that being said, some stand the test of time and become a part of your beauty routine year after year. Others get discontinued (gasp!) or we replace with our latest and greatest discovery. I’m going to share my current favorites because I believe when you find something great you should tell your friends!

Daytime Moisturizer: Avon Anew Vitale Day Creme SPF 25 ($28). I discovered this one when the store clerk put a sample in my bag. I had been using the same moisturizer at night as I did during the day because it did the job and I don’t necessarily believe in having two separate moisturizers.  It lives up to the company’s claim of returning vibrancy, reducing dullness and improving clarity. I literally couldn’t believe how great my skin looked and felt! As for the claim that it evens out skin tone I haven’t seen anything dramatic there. If you want a great moisturizer that make your skin glow and has a substantial amount of SPF, I highly recommend this one. And at a $28 price point it won’t set you back much. If you catch it on sale you get even more bang for your buck!

Nighttime Moisturizer: This one has been the same for several years now – DHC Extra Nighttime Moisture ($36). DHC is a Japanese skincare company that sells their products in the U.S. via their online store. I discovered this line about five years ago when I received some samples in the mail – I’ve been hooked ever since. All their products are virgin olive oil based (olive oil is packed with antioxidants and very moisturizing), are non-comedogenic, and do not contain parabens, colorants or fragrance. Great all around moisturizer that does the job and does it well. Their Virgin Olive Oil is also a great moisturizer and I will occasionally use it in place of the Extra Nighttime Moisture when I want to switch things up.
For reference, my skin is normal and tends to get dryer in the winter. It’s also on the sensitive side.

Foundation: My go to for the last ten years has been Bare Minerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15 ($29). This stuff is an Allure Readers Choice award winner for 10 years running – and for good reason! It’s lightweight, doesn’t clog pores, is free of talc, parabens, phthalates, fragrance, preservatives and chemical sunscreens and the finish is silky and luminous. Plus, they have 30 shades to choose from! The coverage is buildable and provides light to medium coverage. I also like Avon True Color Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation ($12), their version of mineral powder foundation. Avon’s comes in 12 shades, is fragrance, talc and oil-free, however, it has no sunscreen.
For reference, I have fair skin with pink undertones and wear Fairly Medium in Bare Minerals and Light Beige in Avon.

BB Cream: NYX Professional Makeup BB Cream ($13). I typically use this most days and save the foundation for special occasions. This mineral infused, oil-free beauty balm gives you that “no makeup” look (read your skin but only better) and smooth, supple skin. It can also be used as a primer for your regular foundation. I’ve tried several prestige and drug store brands and this one is a solid performer, and in my humble opinion, better than some of the pricier alternatives. I like to set mine with Bare Minerals Original Mineral Veil Finishing Powder ($23) or Avon Translucent Glow mineral powder ($12).
For reference, I wear NYX BB Cream in Nude.

Sunless Tanner: I have two that I really like and I use them together to get the look that I prefer – L’oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Mist (about $9) in Dark and Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion Deep Dark Color (about $7). Both formulas dry quickly and don’t have a terrible odor like most sunless tanning products. I like to use the L’oreal Self-Tanning Mist all over. It’s simple to use and has a 360 degree wide angle applicator so you can get to your back and other hard to reach areas with ease. No need to rub in, just spray, let dry for 5 minutes and you’re good to go.
I use the Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion just on my legs to give them an extra boost of color. The lotion is tinted so you can see where you’re putting it and to help avoid streaks. It’s also self-adjusting so you can acheive the deepest, most natural tan possible for your skin tone. It also contains Aloe Vera and Vitamin E so it’s very moisturizing.

All-In-One Hair Styling Product: It’s A 10 Miracle Leave-In Potion Plus Keratin ($19). I really didn’t know how to classify this one but it literally is a miracle potion. This non-greasy formula smooths, conditions, adds shine, strengthens with keratin, provides humidity resistance, and separates curls without build up. This product can be used on wet or dry hair and works for straight or curly styles. I focus mostly on the ends when using in wet hair and before heat styling. Once dry, I use sparingly all over to smooth my straight style or separate my curls when I wear my hair natural.

Root Cover-Up: L’oreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer Spray (around $10). This stuff buys me time between hair appointments saving me time and money. It’s perfect if you’re covering gray but also works well if your natural color is different than your current color. The nozzle is very precise so no need to worry about overspray. The product goes exactly where you need covers exceptionally well.

Dry Shampoo: This is a tie between Batiste Dry Shampoo ($8) and Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo ($31). Batiste is a steal at just $8 and it works great! I haven’t found a fragrance in this line that I’m super fond of but that won’t stop my from using it. It comes in many different fragrances and I haven’t gotten around to using them all. It also comes in a tinted formula that helps blend in root regrowth. I just purchased the tinted formula and haven’t had a chance to use it yet but I’ll be sure to report back.
I’ll be honest, I like the Aveda Shampure Dry Shampoo because it works well but what I really like is that it smells AMAZING! However, this one is not an aerosol – you squeeze the bottle and it comes out in little “puffs”. The delivery system of this product takes a little getting used to but it’s a great product nonetheless. For products like dry shampoo, I typically can’t justify the $31 investment. However, I treat myself to this one a few times a year – usually the same time I treat myself to their Color Conserve Shampoo & Conditioner.

Are Those Your Real Lashes?

I’m asked this question all the time and the answer is yes and no. They are lash extensions that are individually attached to my real lashes. These aren’t the Ardell lash strips you wear for a day or two and remove- these are individual lashes that are applied to each of my natural lashes, one by one, by a very skilled and licensed lash artist. I really like them because they look very natural and have simplified my beauty routine tremendously.

Lash extensions are also a great way to enhance your appearance (who doesn’t want to wake up looking fabulous everyday??) and cut down on time spent on make-up application. However, you may need to make some changes to your daily routine if you decide to go this route. For example, if you like hot yoga or going to the sauna – that’s out. If you wear water-proof eye shadow or liner you’ll need to switch to a regular formula as you can’t use oil-based make-up removers with extensions. This article goes over more of the pros and cons so you can decide if lash extensions are right for you:  http://www.instyle.com/bea…/eyelash-extensions-pros-and-cons