I don’t claim to be an “expert” in the world of beauty, having no formal training in cosmetics, skincare, etc. But I have years and years of experience playing, trying, testing, and sampling beauty products and treatments.
And I’ve been writing about and reviewing them since I started this site in 2007. If my experiences can help people to navigate the big, often daunting, world of beauty then I am more than happy to share.
Q: What is one beauty product you will keep buying over and over?
A: This is a hard one for me to answer. I always start by saying that since I am constantly trying new things it is rare that I do buy products more than once. It is hard to justify, when I can buy something new instead and have fresh material to use. But looking in my beauty product dresser (yes I have a dresser devoted just to products) there are a few that I have bought over and over and will continue to do so:
– Fresh Sugar Lip Gloss in Sugar Cherry – It is the perfect subtle barely red lip gloss that is super shiny, moisturizing, smells and tastes great, and the only lip gloss I literally use until it is gone. And then I go buy it again. And again
– Hourglass Film Noir Mascara in Onyx – This mascara is just great, it gives me lots of volume, no clumps, tons of length, and doesn’t fall, flake or smudge throughout the day. Its $28 but it lastes me 4-6 months of daily use.
– YSL’s Touche Éclat – The famed magic gold pen lives up to the hype, I swear. It is a concealer, highlighter, brightener, and just an all over amazing product. I hadn’t bought it in awhile until recently, since it is hard to justify its $40 price tag, but I don’t regret it for a second.
– OPI Nail Polishes – They continue to be my favorite, no matter how many other brands I try. They always have the most interesting new colors and their applicator brush beats them all out, hands down. I even like their branch off brands, like Sephora by OPI.
Q: Why did you start blogging about beauty?
A: Back in 2007, I was bored and without enough work to do at a job in finance. So I filled my time read blogs about beauty products. In an interests section on an resume draft I had listed “reading beauty blogs online” and when my friend (Katie again!) saw that she literally said, ” That’s lame! You should just write your own beauty blog.” So I did.
Q: Are primers worth it?
A: For eyes? YES!!! I don’t go a day, even on my simple one shadow days, without using an eye shadow primer. My current favorites are MAC’s Painterly and NARS Prep and Prime. For face, that is a bit of a toss up. I would say if you are trying to simplify your beauty routine, you can definitely skip them. But if you are going for a more full coverage look, then using a primer under your foundation will help it to cover more smoothy and last longer. They can also mattify your skin nicely if shine is a concern. My current favorite for this is Hourglass’s Veil Mineral Primer wich has SPF 15, another plus.
Q: I’m buying a new hair dryer – what would you get?
A: 3 years later, I still swear by my T3 Featherweight Dryer. It is pricy at $200, but as you buy it at an authorized retailer like Sephora, it comes with a 4 year warranty so I think it is totally worth it. I had to have my replaced about a year after I got it, due to a power surge in my 100 year old SF apartment. I only had to pay shipping and they replaced it within a few weeks. 3 years and counting, I use my T3 everyday and it is still going strong.
Q: Which concealer, YSL or Make Up For Ever, for under eye concealing?
A: Well, as I wrote above YSL’s Touche Éclat is a-mazing, but MUFE’s Lift Concealer is great option if you just can’t spend $40 on a concealer, I totally get it. Lift Concealer has been a favorite of mine for years, and lasts a really long time. For $28, it’s a steal.
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