@lunavera A long list is forming in my head, but I’ll try to whittle it down here.
Skincare:
Good Light Taste of Space Lip Milk - a lip treatment made of hydrating and antioxidant ingredients. Since it helps keep my dry lips very happy, it’s part of my PM skincare routine. I like to top it with the next item on this list.
Aquaphor Healing Ointment - this petrolatum-based balm is my multipurpose hero. It’s my daily lip balm/mask, wound protector & healing helper, occasional eye cream (when my undereye skin’s excessively dry), full face buffer against frigid windburn weather each winter, foot cream, and barrier to protect parts of my face (lips & eyes) while I apply fairly strong exfoliants. I also sometimes use Aquaphor as a makeup mixing medium, especially when creating custom lipstick shades with Danessa Myricks Colorfix.
Peach Slices Redness Relief Azelaic Acid Serum - the cheaper of the two 10% azelaic acid serums I alternate nightly. (I use a 15% azelaic acid serum in the morning that costs more than $25.) Contains azelaic acid and centella asiatica, two of my skin’s favorite redness reducers, plus soothing allantoin and panthenol. It has a lightweight lotion texture my skin drinks up, and it doesn’t pill under my retinaldehyde serum.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum for Facial Wrinkles
(formerly known as “Buffet”) - my favorite full face hydrating serum. It’s loaded with great hydrating ingredients for my mostly-dry combo “mature” skin. I’d also list the copper peptides version of this serum (my twice-daily eye serum) if it didn’t cost more than $25.
The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm 5 oz/ 150 mL
- not only does it effectively remove my makeup (including eye makeup) and sunscreen, it saves my skin whenever I have a bad reaction or irritation flare. I apply it, let it sit 5-10 minutes as a soothing oat balm, then massage it a bit with wet hands before applying my usual PM cleanser right over it. Then I just rinse everything off at the same time. When my face is painfully irritated, I’d never be able to wash it (without a lotta pain & increased irritation) without using this balm. And it never leaves my skin feeling dry or stripped. In fact, it makes my skin feel very soft.
COSRX Low pH Niacinamide Micellar Cleansing Water - my favorite micellar water. When I don’t use TIL’s Oat Cleansing Balm, I use this instead. I really like using it in the morning since I rarely use a traditional cleanser in the AM. (Eh, I’m a PM shower person.) And I especially like using it in a foam dispenser bottle, so I can’t accidentally splash micellar water everywhere while trying to get it onto a reusable cotton round.
Makeup & tools:
Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix - Multi-Use Eye, Cheek & Lip Waterproof Liquid Pigment Iconic
(all shades; can’t tag product without randomly picking a shade) - I’m a longtime fan of these and wish Danessa hadn’t retired any of the older shades. (Now I’m nursing the heck outta my discontinued shades. 😅) These are truly multi-use: eyeshadow, eyeliner, lipstick, lip liner, blush, and I can even use ‘em as highlighters by sheering them out (with a mixing medium) or mixing them with certain blushes.
Phytosurgence Skin Spark Cream Blush - I’ve fallen deeply in love with these blushes, partly for their texture (neither dry nor overly emollient) but mostly for the nuanced shades. And I appreciate the brand founder for listing which shades have a low white base. Psst, Canadian friends: Phytosurgence is a Canadian brand!
Esum The Mascara - it’s $1 over the price cap but I’ll list it anyway because it’s that good. It won’t give a super dramatic falsies look. Instead, it gives my short straight lashes great definition, and it lifts and lengthens them. On me, it doesn’t flake or smudge everywhere (note: I only apply mascara to my top lashes), and it doesn’t irritate my eyes.
SEPHORA COLLECTION PRO Crease Brush #19
- if I could buy only one eyeshadow brush and my cap was $25, I’d pick this one. It’s designed as a crease brush but can also lay down lid color and blend out corners/edges. It’s not as small as I’d like for getting into my tight inner corner space, but it can get color in there—just not in as targeted/detailed a way as I normally like. I originally got one of these brushes as a gift from Sephora in exchange for review. I liked it so much, I bought 2 more with my own money.
By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra-Powder 8HA (translucent loose version) - the $23 mini jar lasts a looong time because the teeniest tiniest amount of this powder is all you need to set anything. This has been my rockstar setting powder for a few years. It was reformulated a year or so ago to this “8HA” version, which works as well as the original. It never makes my skin look dried out and it locks my concealer down all day, even in sweltering humid weather. There’s also a pressed version of this powder that (for me) doesn’t work as well as the loose version unless I use more of it.
I’ll stop there, for now. Though I’ll also say: I save a lotta money by joining various brands & retailers’ reward programs. Most folks here in the US know about Ulta’s program; I’m always sitting on a mountain of hoarded points there. 🙃 I’ve gotten plenty of things for $0 OOP just by using my Ulta points. Ditto for Nordstrom’s Nordy Notes. (I’m also a Nordy cardmember, so I rack up Notes quickly.) E.l.f. fans: are you a member of their “Beauty Squad” reward program? Did you know you can buy e.l.f. products from any retailer, then upload your receipt to e.l.f.’s site and get reward points that way? And see, I didn’t even list any e.l.f. products on my list up there… maybe I’ll have to come back for a part 2 list.
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