Top Ten Tuesday- Beauty Products

[never leave home without it]

Yes, you read that right- my freebie for The Broke and the Bookish's freebie topic is beauty products. While I don't experiment with crazy eye shadow colors or change my hair style four times a year, I'm always on the lookout for better products that help me look a little better put together. This is one area that I am willing to spend a little money, too; while I do have some tried and true drugstore/Target favorites I have found that in many cases the pricier brands can last longer throughout the day or just look better (especially when it comes to foundation or eye shadow). Beauty blogger I am most definitely not, but here are some of my current favorites:

1. Clarisonic Mia 2- I've mentioned this a few times but with each day that passes I love mine more. I can count the break outs that I've gotten on one hand in the last three months and my skin is much smoother and less flaky. It's worth the $150, I promise.

2. Lisurgence Lip Gloss (Tarte)- This stuff is the best; it doesn't get clumpy, the coverage is even, and the color and shine are somewhere between minimal and hooker. I love it so much I just ordered a new tube (fine, three) a few minutes ago.  

3. Facial Spray with Aloe, Herb and Rosewater (Mario Badescu)- I love this stuff! It's less than ten bucks a bottle and I spray it on in the morning for a quick hit of moisture and then after all my makeup is on to set things and make it look a more natural.

4. Urban Decay Naked2 Eyeshadow Palette- This is old, but it's my absolute favorite and pretty much the only thing I use (although I do need a matte palette, which I wish they'd make).

5. Stippling brush- I just picked this up a few weeks ago to use instead of sponges for my foundation. I saw a tutorial on one of the blogs I occasionally watch and decided to try it out. The coverage is much, much better this way, but I'm still working on making sure everything is even. It also takes two or three times as long to apply. Nonetheless, I'm a convert.

6. Covergirl LashBlast Mega Volume Mascara- I'm not really into brows or eye lashes, but I grabbed this at Ulta last week and like it more than the other variations in the past. I'd definitely buy it again.

7. Moroccan Oil- Original Oil Treatment- My hair is super, super dry and this oil helps out quite a bit when I put it in at night. I also use it to soften up curls or slick back pony tails. It's really pricy, but you can get by with just a pump or two, so I only have to buy it every six months or so. Sometimes I panic that they'll stop making it and consider stock piling, but that would be crazy... (right?)

8. Hemp Foot Protector (The Body Shoppe)- I know I've mentioned it before, but this stuff is great. I am not kind to my feet- I go barefoot, I don't have regular pedicures, I exercise often, and I'm just lazy when it comes to dealing with their appearance. This stuff works miracles, though (when I remember to use it).

9. Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream for Dry and Sensitive Cream- I have extremely dry skin and this moisturizer has worked wonders for my skin. It's pretty heavy so I don't usually use it under makeup, but I have and it hasn't been too big of a deal.

10. All About Eyes (Clinique)- I started using eye cream at night about a year ago, since I am in my thirties now and I do have a child that is bound and determined to make me look as exhausted as humanly possible. I think it's sort of hard to say whether or not an eye cream really is working when you don't have many lines, but I can say that it helps with my under eye circles and I haven't gotten any wrinkles in the last year. Plus it feels nice.