As you all know, I’m a beauty junkie!! Why else would I spend my free time writing about beauty?!  Here are some of my favorite beauty products.  They are tried and true.  Tested and retested by my clients and I.  These products are proven to be effective, fun and great gifts to keep everyone smelling great and looking good.  Feel free to ask me questions if you need more information.

MASCARA – When I put on the Dior Show Mascara, I don’t notice a difference right away, but after a few hours, I get compliments on my lashes all day long.  It’s pricy, but good.  If you need a cheaper but still super effective version, I recommend Loreal Double Extend.  This has the white length and volume building fibers on one end and the mascara on the other.  I have to say this mascara is worth the cheap price if you’re willing to put on a few layers.  This is probably the best mascara I have ever used, regardless of price.

FOUNDATION – For powder foundations, I like MAC for darker skin tones and Bare Escentuals for light to medium skin tones.  The titanium dioxide in mineral foundations usually turns up ashy on darker skins, thus the split.  You MUST use the correct brush for these powders, or else you will look blotchy.  Sponge applicators use up too much foundation and clog your pores due to reusing sponges that are filled with dead skin cells, creams and oil residue.  Invest in a good brush, learn how to use it correctly and you’ll have it FOREVER.  Yes, brushes really can last forever if you use them right.

For cream foundation, again I prefer Studio Tech from MAC.  Laura Mercier and Armani also make great foundations in liquid form.  I find the Armani foundation stays put like my airbrush foundation.  They’re all around the same price range, but once you use the right applicator, it should last you a few months

MAKEUP REMOVER – There are two I love.  One is from Phoenix Rising in the rose or lavender scent.  It almost feels like an eye treatment because of the anti-aging ingredients.  I got a lot of the drag queens in NYC hooked on this makeup remover.  Who can argue with a drag queen about makeup remover??  The other I love is the oil free makeup remover from Xtreme Lashes.  It can be expensive, since it is for those with lash extensions, but if you’re only going to use it around your eye area, it’s worth the price.

ANTI-AGING SERUM – I have two that I absolutely love and use together.  One I use during the day, and the other at night or when I feel really dry.  I use the Cellular Matrix serum from Nelly De Vuyst during the day.  It feels like a botox shot and that’s just how you use it when shooting it from the needle like dispenser.  Don’t worry, there is no needle involved, just a firming of the skin where the product is applied.  It has identical peptides that firm the skin just like Stivectin. The other anti-aging serum I love is the Repairing Serum from Phoenix Rising.  This is pure meadowfoam and rose.  These are two of the most anti-aging and free radical fighting ingredients on the market.  I tend to be dry, especially in the winter and this serum makes my skin feel like velvet, silk and satin all in one!

ESSENTIAL OILS – We can’t get enough of Young Living Essential Oils.  What’s the difference you ask? Well, these are pure, therapeutic grade oils that have such small molecules, they actually go into your bloodstream and create changes on a molecular level.  Who knew?!  They even make blends that will actually change your mood and physical being.  Physics and biology are just now catching up with how oils work.  Not all oils are created the same and Young Living proves that with every sniff.

SHAVING OIL/CREAM – I have 3 favorites in this category.  If you’re shaving everyday, you’ll understand what a difference a good cream or oil can make.  Men love the shaving cream from Fresh.  It is olive oil based and men tend to obsess on the product even though it might set you back $22.  If men only use one product in their whole beauty regimen, it should be a great shaving product.  A unisex and sensitive skin shaving oil from Phoenix Rising makes your skin feel like “buddahh” with each and every use.  You need very little and it creates just enough of a buffer to give a long lasting, smooth result.  Men sometimes use this underneath their cream, so they get the soothing benefit of the oil, but can see where they are shaving better with the cream.  My third pick is for the women.  I hosted one of those sex toy parties and one of the best things I came away with was their Coochy Body Shave Cream.  Yes, that is the name of it.  It’s put out by Fantasia Home Parties.  I was shocked to find out it really did work and the name always makes me laugh.

BODY SCRUB – I love scrubbing.  I have no idea why it’s only on my body and not the kitchen floor, but here you go.  I love the Brown Sugar Body Polish from Fresh.  It’s really expensive for sugar and oil, but every time I use it, I remember why I spend over $65 on it.  I dream about the Morning Brew Coffee Body Scrub from Phoenix Rising Skin Care.  It is pure coffee grinds, marinated in healing oils.  This makes waking up in the morning so much easier and smoother all day long.

CANDLES – Ok, so maybe candles aren’t beauty products, but they sure do make me feel better.  My mother and I are absolutely obsessed with the Demitasse candle from Fresh.  I guess we have a thing for coffee and this totally gives us our fix.  Even when you don’t burn it, it fills the room with the aroma of an Italian café.  At $50 bucks a flick, it better!  Another candle I love, is the John Galliano candle from Diptyque.  At $68, I keep it in my bathroom and only light it when company arrives.  On the cheap, I love the tulip scented Yankee Candle.  It’s a smell everyone loves and it really clears out a smelly room with a light, fresh smell invoking the sounds of Tiny Tim.

I could go on and on with the products I love.  Email me if there is a product you want to know the specifics about.  It just gives me a good excuse to go shopping!