You might suspect that these products would probably fill up a large suitcase all by themselves, but I have found that I am actually a tough customer. I mean, I buy new products very frequently, but it's rare that I stay loyal to them for long unless they are truly AMAZING. I have yet to find a holy grail mascara, for example, and I have been wearing it since I was twelve.
Alas, the holy grains that I HAVE found...
1. MAC Cleanse Off Oil
Retail: $31.50 CAD
Why I Love It: This shit is AMAZING. I am a pretty low-maintenance girl when it comes to getting my makeup off. I don't like using wipes -- they involve too much scrubby-scrubby action, and too much effort to get all of the traces of makeup off of my face. However, my cleanser just wasn't cutting it. Despite its claims to remove all makeup and dirt and grime, more nights than not I was left with raccoon eyes.
Then I discovered this stuff. I was originally hoping to just get the $10 travel-sized bottle to try out, since I was a little leery about paying this much money for something that I had never tried. The girl at MAC assured me that I could return it if I absolutely hated it, so I figured I would give it a go.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE COULD HATE THIS STUFF. Literally all you need is one pump, (maybe a pump and a half if you wear a crapton of eye makeup) and your hands. Smear it all over your face, and BAM -- makeup melts off. Every single trace of it. No raccoon eyes. Yippee! I knew that there was a reason behind me going to the dark side of expensive cosmetics.
2. A nice eyeshadow primer.
Too Faced Shadow Insurance (pictured)
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Retail: $24 CAD (same price for both of them!)
Why I Love It: I have no idea how I survived so long without an eyeshadow primer. Can you believe that I didn't own one until a little under 2 years ago? I know. Sure, I had heard rumblings about eyeshadow primers that were supposed to keep your eye makeup on your face, blah blah blah... but to me, it seemed like a money grab. If I was feeling adventurous or otherwise inclined, I threw a little bit of powder foundation on my lids. Bam. There we go.
But then somewhere along the line, I figured that it was time. I was tired of my makeup melting off my face one hour after I put it on. So I bit the bullet and bought an Urban Decay Primer Potion and never looked back. It is WORTH the money, people! Though... I've heard that ELF makes a pretty snazzy eyeshadow primer, so maybe those of you who are more budget-conscious can check that out.
But yes. Basically, both Urban Decay Primer Potion and Too Faced Shadow Insurance do exactly what they say they do. They are both comparable products in the fact that they pretty much do the exact same thing. The only real difference is the packaging and the brand. Me, I love me some Urban Decay, but I definitely didn't object to getting a free full-sized Shadow Insurance along with my Too Faced Sweet Dreams palette. So that's what I'm using right now, haha.
3. Goody Stayput Slide-Proof Elastics
Retail: Not too sure? Less than $5, anyway
Why I Love Them: I have been growing my hair out for the past three years and now have quite the mane of glory happening. Hair elastics are pretty essential in my everyday life -- they keep my hair out of my face for brushing my teeth, washing my face, doing my makeup, as well as for temperature-regulation purposes. Because long hair, specifically long, thick hair like mine is hot and heavy. And not in a good way.
These elastics are pretty spectacular because they lack the metal clasp of yesteryear, which ensnared your hair without fail. Instead of the icky metal clasp, these elastics have a hair-friendly plastic one, and nice little ridges that prevent the elastic from slipping. They also come in black, brown, and a blonde-ish colour, so you can even get them to match your hair! Ooh, ahhh.
4. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
Why I Love It: At first I had a hard time deciding which Naked palette I liked better (the original, or this one), but I have decided that I most definitely like the second best. I like the packaging better, I like the brush that comes with it better, and while I wouldn't say that I necessarily like all of the eyeshadow better, I have used pretty much every single shade in this palette. Multiple times. I can't say the same for my Naked palette (a couple of shades in that one are sadly neglected -- if you've seen my swatch post, yup. Nothing's changed there RE: Neglected Shades).
All of the shadows in this palette are highly pigmented, have excellent staying power, are neutral (my favourite kind!) and just all-around pretty. The best part is that, there is a matte black in it! SO, provided I take an eyeliner brush with me to the desert island, I wouldn't even really need eyeliner!
5. Babyliss Diamond Titanium 1" Flat Iron
Retail: $179 CAD (I got mine for $110 from CosmoProf thanks to a licensed friend!)
Why I Love It: This flat iron heats up fact, does a kickass job on my hair, and I would be lost without it. I don't straighten my entire head every single day, but my bangs? Different story. Without this iron, I would have Monopoly Man's moustache-inspired fringe.
It also comes with a couple of bonuses -- a Swarovski-encrusted handle (ooooohhh), and a carrying case (ahhh!), which you can throw the iron into while it's still hot (carefully minding the cord) and go.
A warning, though: it heats up FAST, and WILL burn the shit out of your hand, so watch out. I recently burned my entire hand on this sucker, because I thought it was off and it was actually on (derp). I guess this would be a plus on a desert island though, as it could double as a fire starter and/or cooking utensil!
6. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Retail: $16 (1.7 oz) - $43 (6.7 oz)
Why I Love It: I was in the market for a day moisturizer, and just happened to see the little bottle of this stuff lurking in the bins that they have by the check-outs at Sephora. At $16, I figured that I pretty much had nothing to lose.
And what do you know, I ended up LOVING this! This stuff is best for combination or oily skin and soaks in almost instantly, without any oily or heavy-feeling residue. A little goes a long way with this one -- I got my $16 bottle (1.7 oz) almost five months ago, and I still have a fair bit left. If 1.7 oz has lasted me this long, I can just imagine how long the 6.7 oz bottle would! You definitely get enough bang for your buck with this one.
Basically the perfect day moisturizer, in my opinion. The only downside is that it doesn't have SPF, which is a bit of a bummer.
7. NARS Blush
Retail: $32 CAD (methinks this has recently gone up in price... hmmmmmm....)
Why I Love It: These blushes may be pricey, but they are worth the splurge, in my opinion. They are HIGHLY pigmented, so a little truly goes a long way, and the line has a shade pretty much for everyone. They also have spectacular staying power and eye-catching packaging. Can't go wrong with that!
That being said, I only own two of these (Luster and an Orgasm/Laguna duo), because I have a hard time parting with $32 for one makeup product. Even if it is for something as awesome as a NARS blush.
And those are my 6 holy grails that I would take to a desert island! Besides sunscreen of course, but seeing as that's more of an "essential," and not necessarily a "holy grail," I figured I could cheat and not include it ;) Oh, and I would bring a mascara, though I don't have a holy grail mascara...
If you were being exiled to a desert island, what favourite products would you take with you?
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment