BEAUTY
10 BEAUTY PRODUCTS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT RIGHT NOW
Oh, the joy of discovering a beauty product so next-level that you can’t imagine how you ever lived without it. You know the ones: the take-to-the-desert-island products, the ones you never hesitate to repurchase when supply gets low. Below, seven hero beauty buys that are topping my summer list.
DYSON AIRWRAP
For me, there’s nothing better than a great blowout. I will go to great lengths to work it in to my schedule, whether I am at home or traveling to a city I’ve never visited before. Along with hair color, it’s the beauty service that is always worth it to me – no matter the hassle. There’s simply no substitute for the real deal but (!) the Dyson Airwrap comes very, very close. It’s a true game-changer. Not only does it dry and style with one single product, but it’s easy to use and never feels like a chore the way pulling out a blowdryer does. I love it so much that if it were to break, I would replace it same-day, without a second thought.
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CLE DE PEAU BEAUTE THE FOUNDATION
After years of using only tinted moisturizer, I’ve reached an age where my skin really needs a little more coverage. I’ve always been so wary of foundation because the majority of the ones I’ve tried are simply too much: too heavy, too cakey, too makeup-y. But not this one. With an almost gel-like base, this foundation goes on so smoothly and provides a natural-looking coverage that’s somewhere between sheer and medium. I use the shade B20 and find it to be a perfect match. A little goes a long way so you don’t need a lot – which is good because it’s super expensive but, in my opinion, totally worth it.
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SILICONE SHOWER BRUSH
I’ll admit I was a loofah girl for a long time – that is, until I learned the fun facts about how gross (read: so much bacteria) they can get and, well, I haven’t been able to look at one since. I’m not a washcloth gal so I needed something else. I finally found the perfect replacement in this silicone scrubber I buy from Amazon. It gives me that same foamy lather that I loved about the loofah but without the bacteria. The shiny star for this one though is the exfoliation. The bristles have enough scrubbing power to leave my skin feeling properly exfoliated and smooth but, thanks to the soft silicone texture, it doesn’t cause any sort of irritation.
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ELTAMD UV CLEAR SPF 46
I sound like a broken record talking about this sunscreen for the millionth time – but if this is a post about my hero products then it definitely has to be mentioned. I’ve been using it forever and ever and despite having dabbled in trying a few other sunscreens out there, I have yet to find one I like as much as this one. It’s so lightweight, never causes a breakout or any sort of irritation, and just feels really great on my skin. I use it every single day, year-round but never more so than right now. It’s a summer must-have.
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CLE DE PEAU BEAUTE ILLUMINATING CONCENTRATE
When the aesthetician at Joanna Czech told me this mask required more than one step, I was reluctant to hear more. Too many steps and I’m less likely to use it. But! Almost every great skincare product I’ve discovered has been at Joanna Czech so I proceeded with the purchase. Fast forward a couple of months and here I am adding it to my list of super favorites. It’s a quick (really) and simple three-step process that involves a lotion, an essence, and, finally, the mask. I leave the mask on for about half an episode of RHOBH before removing it to find my skin looking visibly brighter (glowy!) and less stressed.
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DRUNK ELEPHANT T.L.C GLYCOLIC BODY LOTION
While I’m highly focused on my facial skincare routine, I pay way less attention to the same for my body. After a few breakouts on my chest along with some “bumpiness” on the back of my arms, I realized a little TLC might be in order – literally. Enter Drunk Elephant’s T.L.C. Glycolic Body Lotion, a new-to-me moisturizer that provides gentle exfoliation while still giving my post-shower skin the hydration it so needs. I use it every other day and have noticed smoother (read: the bumps have disappeared!) skin along with clearer, more even tone – especially on my décolletage.
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WESTMAN ATELIER BEAUTY BUTTER BRONZER
I do just about everything I can to avoid getting sun on my face, but the truth it I look better with a little color. This bronzer – the first one I’ve ever really loved – is where I get it. Like every other Westman Atelier product I’ve tried, this one is top-notch. It’s velvety, glow-inducing, and it checks the most important box of all when it comes to bronzer: no shimmer. I use the Coup de Soleil shade and follow Gucci Westman’s trick for application: instead of following the angle of my cheekbones, I swish the bronzer horizontally across which really does make it look more natural.
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JOANNA CZECH C+ SERUM
Everyone raves about the benefits of Vitamin C for the skin (brightening, hydrating, promotes collagen production, and so much more) but despite trying several different ones, I simply could never find one that changed my life the way everyone said it would. Until I met the C+ Serum. I love the way it feels on my skin and the results have been major: my hyperpigmentation (read: melasma) has decreased significantly and the overall tone and texture of my skin has improved.
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BIOLOGIQUE RECHERCHE P50 LOTION
This product really is the holy grail that everyone says it is which is one of the reasons it never leaves my beauty routine. The only switch I make during the summer is the frequency with which I use it. Since my skin tends to be slightly more reactive during this time of year, I limit my use to every other night. This product is a lynchpin in my routine. When I don’t use it (which is pretty much never these days), I notice a lack of brightness, in addition to an increase in milia bumps on my forehead.
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LUMIFY EYE DROPS
I blame too much screen time (way too much) for the fact that my eyes are consistently dry and red. Years ago, a makeup artist introduced me to these eye drops. She told me they were her trick to making the eyes look white and super bright for photos. She was 100% correct. While they really don’t do much for the dryness, these eyedrops are MAGIC when it comes to removing redness. A drop in each eye and – poof! – the redness disappears and stays that way for pretty much the rest of the day.
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