Thank goodness this post is not about bags though.
Instead it's about a few of the make-up and skin care products I use not necessarily on a daily basis, because I'm lazy like that, but occasionally at home before going to a party, on a hot date, or to the park.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads
A few years ago, I didn't have acne problems. Most days I would just rinse my face, occasionally using a bit of cetaphil as recommended by my mom's dermatologist. Shortly before my wedding none of that seemed to help like it had in the decade before. All of a sudden spots would appear on my face and they would take months to disappear! And when they finally did? I was left with little red marks on what was previously clear skin. Needless to say, I began to get anxious when acne appeared on my face. I just knew that one day I wouldn't recognize myself in the mirror due to all of the acne scars. That's a pretty awful feeling … and I was in my 20's! Well past the time when this should have been a problem!
Enter salicylic acid as found in these pads. It was some crazy treatment I had read about online. It, along with the next product on this list, worked! It took approximately 2 weeks to clear my face after the first use, but I have not had a problem since! I should note that I do not use this product every day or even every other day. I only use it when I feel a pimple coming on (my face gets itchy) or I have a pimple. I'm afraid this product could be very drying to your skin if used too often. I love taking this product on vacation to clear my face of excess oil after a walk on the beach in the humidity or when traveling abroad since it is not a liquid. Yay! If you're having problems with acne, I highly recommend Neutrogena Rapid Clear along with…
Clean & Clear Persa Gel 10
I bought this product due to the benzoyl peroxide which is also suppose to be great for clearing acne. The Clean & Clear Persa gel is used even less often than the Neutrogena Rapid Clear pads. This gel is for acne that takes up residence and stays on your face for weeks at a time. Benzoyl peroxide is extremely drying and should only be used in small areas once a day or so. If you use the gel too often and dry your skin too much, you could find yourself with more pimples and acne than you had to begin with. That's not typically the goal, right?
Maybelline New York Cover Stick Concealer in Light Beige
If I'm having to use medication for my zits, I really try to avoid concealing or covering them up with make-up unless I have something really important I'm going to or the spot is really embarrassing (i.e. red or in existence for far too long). I've used this Maybelline concealer for a while now originally bought on a whim from a grocery store. With 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon, it must not be too awful. Plus, it's worked just fine for me for the past several years.
Bare Minerals Stroke of Light Eye Brightener
I bought this product shortly before going to Europe to help with the dark circles under my eyes. Some days I think to myself: "I'm so glad I purchased this! It works so well!" And sometimes I think the complete opposite. Either way, if I had a bag, this would probably be in it.
Rapidlash Eyelash and Eyebrow Enhancing Serum
About two or three months before traveling abroad I bought this product just to see. It was recommended by one of my favorite brands, BHLDN, and I thought that it would be a fantastic product for someone that doesn't like using mascara! I'm not entirely sure if it worked or not because I don't pay too much attention to my eyelashes to really know or care. I wanted it to work. I loved the idea of having thick, long, beautiful eyelashes, but I was also not incredibly vigilant about using this product. Maybe it will work for you? Others' reviews seem to imply so.
Bare Escentuals Medium Beige Foundation
My mom got me started using Bare Minerals make-up nearly 20 years ago when I was still a kid. Obviously I didn't actually use the make-up, but she bought it and put it away for me for when I got older. Supposedly bare minerals make-up is more natural and better for your skin? Anyway, that's all I use now if I'm going to use a foundation. I also use SPF mineral veil with the foundation, because I hear that protecting your skin from the sun is generally a good thing…
L'oreal Dazzling Plumping Lipcolor Glam Shine #110 Prima Donna
Occasionally I use Mary Kay lipstick, but more often than not this L'oreal lip gloss is exactly what I want. It's not too wet or too dry and it adds the perfect amount of shimmer and glossy look to your lips. It's also a very old product that you may have trouble finding. What can I say? If I try something and love it, I stick to it!
Bare Escentuals Eye Color
If you ever get the chance to wander into a Bare Escentuals store, I highly recommend it. Before my trip to the store, I used drug store and Mary Kay eye shadow. They were okay. But once I walked through the doors of my local Bare Escentuals shop, I had to have one of every color they had out on the counter. It was like… GLITTER! I'm not entirely certain I had to have all of the colors for my face though; I would have been quite content to do sand art with the "glitter" or … any other kind of art, really. Unfortunately Bare Escentuals is just a bit too expensive to make art out of. If you are going to buy it, you might as well use it on your face. (Soooo boring. I know.) I recommend Daydream, Hyacinth, Fairly Light, and Chameleon as my favorite colors.
Mary Kay Powder Perfect Cheek Color - Azalea
The last item in my bag is another oldy but goody. Do they even sell this color any more? It's one of my favorite blush colors because it is so subtle. I hate bright and dark colors that are so noticeable. This shade is perfect for brightening my cheeks just the tiniest bit and adding just a bit of pink to them.
Now that you know what would be in my bag if I had one, do you have any recommendations for me? Do you use any of the same products as I do? What are your favorites?
** I'm participating in August Break! Join me! Share a link to your blog in the comments below, so I can see what you are up to!
