Women's Beauty Products that I Love - A Helpful guide

I'm sharing some of the beauty products I have been using for years or that I have just discovered. For some I have had to try many others to find the ones working for me, and if I can in any way help you avoid that, I thought that I should make it available. For those products that are more obscure I will include links and for those more generic or easy to find, I will include which store to go to. I will also include the price, many times being an important factor when choosing our beauty products.



Face Products

• Facewash around $5 from Tader Joe's - in fact, my husband uses this one as well, as it is light yet effective and foamy but not too much. It doesn't dry my face and I usually use it to remove all my make up at the end of the day 

• Face cream - for this one I have two different products, one that is high end,  Nerium, which is anti-aging. I was actually introduced to it by my dad who is very much preoccupied with looking forever young (he actually already looks pretty young for his age), and being 30 years old myself I figured it's probably time to start some anti-wrinkle stuff. The day cream is light and works great underneath make up; but what's truly amazing is the Night Cream, which is actually so thick that you need to apply on damp face and rub it in. It will be kind of sleeky for a while but it drys off pretty quick. So I'm not so sure it really undid any of my wrinkles, but what it does is it heals my face really well. Also because at times I pick on my face only to regret it at the end; well with this cream it's all cleared out by morning. I've also received comments about my face looking clear and good. So if you have about $120 which is the price for both creams combined, this is the best product in my opinion. And you can order it here

• Face cream - I came across this in 2011 when a friend from Australia who is into healthy stuff had some day cream and I got to try it. Afterwards I had to order myself some more, which is actually shipped from England. I now have a night and day version of it. The day cream I buy from Amazon for abt $15 with shipping. You have to be careful with these products because shipping increases as you add more products. Sukin Day Cream Amazon The night one I also got it from Amazon but I just found a cheaper one, for $17.97 instead of the $26 on Amazon. Sukin Night Cream 

• Face Sunscreen - it was this year that it was brought to my attention that it's a good idea to wear sunscreen on my face every day when being outside. How have I missed this important piece of information throughout my life? So I tried this one from my mother-in-law who is all about sun protection. It's a bit pricier than your regular sunscreen but it's very light and it will last you for a long time, since you only need little bits at a time. I use it on top of my day moisturizer and beneath foundation and/or concealer. You can get it from Target for about $33. It can also come with a tint which may allow you to wear w/out foundation or face powder (regular one can be a bit too light for most)

• Foundation and Concealer - I really like Origins for foundation and concealer because they feel lighter than other high end stuff, but not too light as being ineffective as some too natural make-up. It's also cheaper than high end and lasts for a long time. The foundation is about $34 and the concealer $17.

Hair

• Shampoo - so I've been using this professional shampoo which my mom bought me in gallons two years ago and I'm abt half way through, but that's because I have to have at least two types of shampoos at all times. Head & Shoulders is a good one to have on hand, specially if once in a while you get flakes on your scalps, it does work for me. On a more natural, and better-for-you side, I also have Sukin Shampoo and Conditioner. I only got some because I got them randomly at a Ross for abt $7 each. And it works well, it still shampoos and does what it's supposed to do (I've had some all natural stuff before which felt like using a veggie puree on my hair, with almost no cleansing effect). 

• Serum - Another long-time-used product for me is the Biosilk, which you can apply after towel drying your hair and before blow-drying it. I really think it protects the ends well especially if you straighten your hair on a regular basis. You can buy this at discounted stores such as Ross, Nordstrom Rack or Marshalls, depending on quantity, I usually get the $10 one and it lasts for a long time since you only use a smidge each time. 

• Hair Dryer - I thought to also include this important tool because ever since I was a teenager I've had several blow-dyers burn up on me. I've always had long hair and used to have double the quantity, so it used to take a very long time to dry it, and after a year or two the dryer would burn up. Well I've had Porcelain Ceramic since 2008 and it's never given me any reasons to worry about it, and because it is professional it's stronger and more powerful cutting back on how long it takes to blow dry my hair. Average about $65 on Amazon

Perfume

• My Signature perfume is Irresistible from Givenchy. It's a nice, floral smell, not too strong but it lasts for most of the day. As a matter of fact, I like it so much that I got it twice as a gift this year for my birthday. I have an Eau de Toillette, which is the less strong one, and I use it as a day perfume. The other one is a Eau de Perfume, and being stronger I use it as my night perfume. You can buy it here for much cheaper. The website scentiments.com it's best for perfumes, many times they're cheaper because they're missing the lid or the original box because they're testers, and who would complain abt that, since testers are actually made to be stronger and last longer (so you'll need less of it per usage, lasting you even longer).

• If you want more of a granola, earthy scent (I call it my Zen perfume), I like Origins Ginger Essence. They used to have a vial of it, like a roll-on, which was around $15 and perfect for my needs. They since got rid of it and now only sell it as a full-on spray perfume for $45.

• Another calming, earthy, light one is Karma from Lush. It comes as a vial spray for abt $15 or as a balm for $10. It's also a Ginger based smell and if you usually don't do perfumes, you may tolerate and enjoy these last two ones. 

Make-up 

• Fancy stuff - I like Laura Mercier. It is pricier and you can find it in Macys  department at the mall. But it feels light and it has nice, subtle nuances. 

• Day-to-day - and if you want to keep your make-up minimal and light, I like 100% Pure. They're supposed to be made of plants and not animal tested. And unlike other such products, don't cost a bank, they're pretty reasonable and last a long time. 

• Mascara - Ok, I absolutely LOVE this one from Lancome. As a matter of fact it is the only Lancome product I would ever recommend. I first tried Defincilis Long Lashes mascara when I was a Junior in high-school, and I loved it so much that I've been having one every year ever since. It costs abt $22, but it's a great investment and it will last you a while. I use it when I wanna get all jammed-up and look my best.

• Mascara - on a day-to-day basis, when I don't need to be all jammed-up I found another good, lighter-feeling mascara, 100% Pure, abt $18 on Amazon 

• Nordstrom Rack make-up - surprisingly enough can have quite a collection, I buy my lipstick from there. I like them so much that at one point I had 4 or 5 different shades. I usually get the NYX matte stuff, which feels light and matte, duh...and it lasts for a looong time. They also have the shiny version of these ones. Oh, and have I mentioned that they only cost abt $4 each. 

Let me know if you have any more questions about any of these products, or also if you have suggestions for similar or different beauty products.