Meme of Beauty

(source)

I saw a version of this beauty meme going around and thought it looked like fun, and then my friend Amy asked me what I’m using on my hair these days. So I decided to go for it! It’s like an Into The Gloss post for us commoners. I often say that I’m a low-maintenance girl in a high-maintenance body. I’d love not to need a lot of products, but since I do, I try to embrace and enjoy it. I love to talk about beauty products and routines and hear what’s working for everyone else.

SKIN CARE

Facial cleanser: Biore Ice Cleanser, and the accompanying Biore scrub (I can’t remember what it’s called).
Toner: I don’t use it much – it seems to make my skin worse.
Moisturizer: I don’t need it, except under my eyes during the driest part of winter. I love Mary Kay Oil-Free Hydrating Gel for that.
Eye cream: I just started using Biore See the Future Fortifying Eye Cream. I found it at Ulta. It’s supposed to help with dark circles too.
Eye makeup remover: Mary Kay is the best, hands down. But Neutrogena is a good cheaper alternative.
Sunblock: I love Aveeno sunscreen (the kind with the yellow labels). It feels light, smells good, and doesn’t make me break out!
How many times a day do you wash your face? Twice, usually.
Is your skin oily, dry, or combination? Very oily. I’m thankful that it’s keeping me young, but it’s embarrassing to need prescription creams and look shiny all the time in your 30s.
What is the best thing about your skin? Like I said – it keeps me youthful!

MAKEUP

Foundation: Cover Girl Clean Liquid Makeup.
Powder: I ordered an Everyday Minerals Try Me Kit about two years ago and am still layering it over my foundation in the mornings! It lasts forever. I wish I could use mineral makeup alone, but it’s not enough to even out my skin tone. I use Cover Girl Clean Pressed Powder for touch-ups throughout the day.
Eyebrow pencil: I’m deeply weirded out by the idea of coloring in my eyebrows. Never have, never plan to.
Eyeliner: I’ve yet to find a really great eyeliner, but Rimmel’s are probably my favorites. They’re cheap too!
Eyeshadow: Eyeshadows are my cosmetic kryptonite. I have way too many and am always tempted to get more. My favorites are the Almay trios for your eye color – I have them in brown, hazel, and green! Cover Girl also has nice eye-color sets, and the brush that comes with them is great. Ulta, Revlon, and Mary Kay make pretty, complementary, long-wearing colors. And lately I’ve been curious about the Urban Decay Naked Palette. Is it as great as everyone says?
Mascara: I’ve used Cover Girl Exact Eyelights a for few years, but I just bought a new kind. Unfortunately I can’t remember what it is!
Lipsticks/glosses/balms: My other major cosmetic weakness. I’m more of a gloss and balm girl – lipstick is too high-maintenance for everyday. My staples are the Burt’s Bees tinted balms. I also like the Revlon Just Bitten lipstain and Color Stay liquid lipstick (though they are very drying). Oh, and I’ve been addicted to Carmex since ninth grade. I don’t care if it may contain rat poison. If so, it’s very moisturizing rat poison.
Nail polish: OPI is the best in every way. I also like Revlon, and Wet N’ Wild is incredible quality for a dollar. I’m currently using Nailtek II basecoat (I have ridgy problem nails) and Seche Vite topcoat. Seche Vite is the reason I can do my nails so often – in 10-15 minutes, it’s dry enough for you to go about your business. (Though, as a friend memorably told me, you wouldn’t want to make a meatloaf.) It’s worth every penny.

HAIR

Shampoo and Conditioner: Herbal Essences Totally Twisted (the purple kind). It smells great. I alternate with an organic tea tree shampoo to help my scalp, and Garnier Fructis Triple Condition deep conditioner. But if I could justify the expense of Ouidad products, I’d use those all the time
Leave-in conditioner: Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Defining Lotion. I will cry if it ever gets discontinued.
Gel: Tresemme Bouncy Curls gel. I’ve heard that this has been discontinued, but the Wal-Mart near me still stocks it, so I buy multiple bottles at a time and hope for the best. I also have a bottle of Biosilk Glazing Gel and use it sparingly.
Mousse: I used mousse poorly and excessively during my Awkward Years, so now it scares me. On a whim I bought a can of Tresemme mousse last summer, but so far all I’ve done is stare at it.
Blow dryer? I’m on my second Conair Infiniti Tourmaline dryer with retractable cord. It’s fantastic, under 30 bucks, and comes with a good diffuser.
Curling iron? Not necessary.
Straightener? I own a generic ceramic-plate straightener, but the last time I used it was for a friend’s wedding in 2007, and I scalded my head. True story.
Do you color your hair? No. I like my natural color, and I’ll have to start covering it soon enough.
What is your stylist’s name? Susan Harris at Gould’s Cordova. She is AMAZING.
What is your natural hair color? Dark brown with natural highlights (especially in the summer).
Do you have straight or curly hair? I’m a 3b on the official curl scale.

FRAGRANCE

Body wash: My all-time favorite is Aveeno Calming Body Wash. I’m sure it’s a placebo effect, but it does make me feel relaxed. They recently changed the formula, so it doesn’t smell like lavender anymore (which makes me sad), but it’s still a nice smell.
Perfumes (name five): My current perfume perfume is Clinique Happy Heart. Everything else I wear is Bath & Body Works – Cotton Blossom, Sheer Freesia, White Tea & Ginger. But if I could afford it, I would use nothing but Kai. I imagine that Kai is what the Garden of Eden must have smelled like.
Do you always have to smell good? I prefer to! I looooove fragrances.

JEWELRY
Are diamonds really a girl’s best friend? Not necessarily a best friend, but definitely in the circle of trust.
What is your jewelry essential? I like necklaces.
What jewelry do you wear most? My Hope ring. It’s just a plain silver ring with Hope engraved on it. It was an impulse buy ten years ago at a Catholic bookstore, but it’s become a sort of amulet.
What jewelry do you crave most? I gravitate toward simple jewelry, though I have gotten more bold in the past few years. Actually, I just made some Etsy purchases that I’m very excited about:

Earrings by Moorea Seal. Horseshoe necklace by Olive Yew Jewels.

Happy weekend!