Every girl has her go-to beauty regimen, bag of Mary Poppin tricks & new finds that she's o b s e s s e d with. I, of course, take obsession to a whole new level. When I find a product I love I devote my life, spending money, hair, skin & nails to that product. Sure, I add a newbie into the mix every now & then, but seldom does it make the every day rotation. You've got to be GOOD—real good—to make that list. Needless to say, these top ten must have beauty products are T H A T good. You'll notice that there aren't any hair products on this list... Silly rabbit, don't you know me well enough by now?! There's a whole top ten dedicated to those must haves. Your flaky skin, dry hair, stagnant complexion, cracked lips, limp lashes & pasty skin will rue the day they met this list...
1. Mary Kay Oil Free Hydrating Gel {$32} - I can't tell you how many years ago I added this to my regimen, but I can tell you that it will never, ever, leave. And if it tries, I will findddd youuuu {nod to Wedding Crashers...anyone? Anyone?}. The best way I can explain this is that it's like milk for your face—it just quenches the heck out of your skin, & you're instantly oh-so-baby-soft.
2. Coastal Scents 22 Piece Brush Set {$32} - Once upon a time I had a gorgeous set of make-up brushes from Sephora on my Christmas list. Of course they cost way more than my face really deserves {let's be honest} & I didn't really do my research to see if they lived up to their pricetag. Enter the hubs—researcher extraordinaire—who came across this seemingly incredible deal on Amazon for a massive set of brushes that had 4.5 stars. Come Christmas morning I open said set of brushes that was NOT on my original list—skeptical, party of one! But all it took was one swipe across my cheek & I was SOLD. These are the b e s t brushes I've ever owned, & I have been around the block with some make-up brushes. At that price you can replenish every year—not that you would need to because they hold up amazingly! Bottom line: buy the brushes, and always trust your hubby's researching abilities.
3. Aquafor {$4} - I used to be a faithful Burt's Bees girl, & although it's still in a periodic rotation, this little tube gave it the regular rotation boot. I credit this marvelous find to my step-sis who swore up & down that it would patch every crack in your lips. Sunburn, windburn, winter cracks, summer chaps—this cures all. And yea, it's a measly $4 at your local drugstore, so stock up—for life.
4. Younique Moonstruck 3D Fiber Lashes {$29} - Remember how I got around with make-up brushes? Well, just consider me the pimp of mascara, because my bevy of tubes was nearly embarrassing. I had four varying kinds in my make-up kit at all times, with a sampler waiting in the wings to mix it up whenever I felt the usual tubes weren't cutting it. And then someone says, "you should try fibers!" One glance at a before & after & I was hooked. The proof is in the pudding...or, in this case, in the fibers. I love those little shreds of magic! Trust me on this one, the price, the oddity of painting fibers {of what look like shreds of carpet} on your lashes & the double tube application is every bit worth it the second you see your lashformation.
5. Coconut Oil {$9} - This isn't just a beauty product, it's a phenomenon. You can now find it anywhere from your local drugstore, to the grocery store, & even at bulk-buy warehouses like BJs and Sam's Club. And yes, yes you do want a massive tub of it, because you will go through it faster than you can say, "pass the coconut oil, please." How? Well, let's see, I've used it as a hair mask, while cooking or baking, on dry skin, to minimize mosquito-bite itching, & have heard tales of adding it to your coffee & using it on diaper rashes. You can literally put that shit on & in everything. E V E R Y T H I N G.
6. Kat Von D LadyBird True Romance Palette {No longer available ::sad face:: Similar & Similar} - Hi, my name is Nikki & I'm a total palette junkie. ::Hi, Nikki:: Ya see, palettes are like a beautiful collaboration of colors that just look so comfy cozy together that I just want to own them and give my face a chance to cuddle with them. Is that so much to ask?! My Christmas list is always laden with five+ palettes, and I use them all on rotation, as needed. But every now & then you come across a palette that you use once, maybe twice, maybe even t h r i c e a week! Now, I know this sounds crazy, but when you have 15+ palettes at your fingertips you don't want to show favorites, but, let's be real - a classic matte palette is just going to hit your make-up sweet spot. And this little LadyBird certainly did.
7. Pink Sugar Perfume {$30-$60} - While I also have at least 10+ scents on my vanity shelves at all times {half of which are of the Britney Spears variety—don't knock it 'til you've smelt it!}, this one is a l w a y s one of them. It's sweet, it's decadent & it just screams girly! *Shopping Score: scope it out at Nordstrom Rack or TJMaxx for half the price!
8. MAC Cosmetics: Prep + Prime Fix {$22} - When you work two jobs, are constantly on the go, by the end of the day your face starts to feel like it might crack from daylong stale make-up. No bueno! Spritz this little hydration-nation on your face and you will instantly be rejuvenated. It's more than water—it's magic in MAC bottle.
9. POND'S Cold Cream Cleanser {$4} - I'm going to let you in on a top family secret...come very, very close...closer now...POND'S, ya'll, POND'S. Yea, that tub of white cream that your grandma used to cake on her face—that's the stuff. Fun fact: Pond's cream was created all the way back in 1846, & there's a reason why it's still gracing drugstore shelves worldwide. It WORKS. My grandma used that stuff for as long as one can remember, & although she passed a couple years ago {insert heart emoji}, she did so with baby soft wrinkle-free skin. W R I N K L E-free, ya'll. Would I lie to you? No. Go buy some POND'S.
10. L'Oreal Sublime Bronze ProPerfect Airbrush Self-Tanning Mist {$8} - As a licensed cosmetologist I have access to some of the finest self-tanning products, & while I still remain faithful to Tan Towels, I could never find a spray that 1.) was inside my monthly self-tanning budget, 2.) didn't stink like rotten bananas, & 3.) left me with a bronze-glow & not an oompa-loompa inspired-tan. That's when a bestie turned me onto this drugstore buy {or, if you're like me, you subscribe to it on Amazon and it shows up on your doorstep every month like clockwork... Time to tan!} & I'll never go back. If I ever hear one word muttered about it being discontinued I will buy the lot of it & never live a pasty day.
