DIY-er beauty
So, wanted to post these today because sometimes I get very sweet emails and comments from you readers out there asking about how I do my hair or keep my skin healthy. I've always been a little clueless on the beauty front--by choice, really; I tend to flip past the "Beauty" section of my Lucky Magazines--but I think I've got a pretty good, low maintenance routine worked out. And it only took me, what, 15 years of trying to make myself look nice? ;)
The thing is, I'm a DIY-er by nature, and you probably are, too, which may be why you're reading this blog (if you're not, that's okay, I still like you!). As such, it's like, physiologically impossible for me to get a professional manicure (pretty much ever), and I've literally had one facial in my life and I left wondering why I didn't just do it all myself at home. (That's not to say there aren't benefits of professional spa services! But I'm pretty happy with what I can DIY.) (I am also, by nature, thrifty--and a saver. I would much rather save my money for later than spend it now, most of the time!)
Of course, I rely on some storebought items and tools to keep me handy at home. My latest fave for skin is along the Clarisonic trend (those $250 things they have at Nordstrom and Sephora--how I wanted one for so long!). I found this SonicDermabrasion one on Amazon a few months ago and was seriously skeptical because it was so cheap but I bought it and it works amazingly well! Highly recommend it!
Every day I wash my face with warm water and a wash cloth, no soap or cleanser or anything, and I use the brush every other day or so. I wear moisturizer with sunscreen every single day. Every single day! Hope I'll see the benefits when I'm much older--trying to prevent problems later!
I haven't bought fancy makeup much since high school, so most of mine is from Target or wherever, and I don't care enough about it to be picky about brands. But, I can totally recommend this lipstick as an awesome everyday make-you-feel-more-glamorous-without-being-over-the-top essential. I put on Revlon ColorStay liquid in #1 Nude
every morning and it sort of stains my lips because it's the liquid kind. Then I reapply Burt's Bees throughout the day. I discovered it before our wedding since I didn't want my lipstick wearing off, and wore Prized Peach, and then bought #1 Nude
as a more everyday shade! (I also have Top Tomato for when I want a super long-lasting red!!
Also gotta give you rec on nail polish. I am horrible with nail polish, and can usually only make it last 4-12 hours, which is soooo frustrating. The only kind I've found that works at all (I can sometimes get 2-3 days of wear out of it!) is Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure. It's amazing! I have so many colors! Here are my faves:
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| Fruity Petutie |
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All Fired Up
(great for pedis!) |
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| Shall We Dance, so pretty and soft |
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| Commander In Chic, the perfect purple-ey grey |
So, that was fun, sharing my cosmetics pics, but whew, that's enough beauty talk for me. I'm not enough of a girly girl to keep blabbing about it. Sometime soon I'll share my hair routine system! I do have a very few fave hair products as well!
Hey, what about you, DIY-minded ladies? What are your fave easy beauty products and ideas??
I am quite low-maintenance as well, but I don't have a problem spending more money on quality stuff - especially when it's going on my skin! One of my faves is Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (it has SPF!).
ReplyDeleteOoh, thanks for the tip! I love the idea of tinted moisturizer but have never found a good one.
DeleteIt's wonderful! It's *pricey* but you can probably get a trial size, or just test it out at Nordstrom's or Sephora. Laura Mercier's stuff is supposed to be all-natural. I use her finishing powder over the moisturizer as well.
DeleteI just wanted to tell you that the Sally Hansen stuff is all I use too... and the two most common colors I use are Commander in Chic and All Fired Up too!
ReplyDeleteAwesome!!! Great stuff!
DeleteI love to wear make-up. But I don't wear it every single day. When I put it on, I'll use a moisturizer before I put my make-up on. Untill lately I didn't spend a lot of money on make-up either. But recently, they opened a MAC-store near the place I work. Pure out of curiosity I went by and I have to admit, I lover their stuff! Especially their Dipdown Fluidline. Soooo much easier than the regular liquid eyeliner and it holds better.
ReplyDeleteBut as for nails and stuff, I still go for the colors I like, no matter the brand, even though I usually wear a french manicure instead of painting all my nails one color.
Oh, and every once in a while I do use a scrub for my face and a purifying peel-off mask.
MAC is fun... I remember in high school I liked all the crazy but beautiful colors of eye shadow, haha!
DeleteI love Sally Hanson! I am a nail polish addict, but I prefer Sally over Opi, Essie, and China Glaze... I just wish they followed the nail polish trends more. As for makeup, I only use mineral. I buy it all at low prices from etsy sellers, and it's just as good, if not better, than Bare Minerals!
ReplyDeleteIf you don't want to shell out a lot of $ for makeup, I highly suggest buying mineral makeup on etsy. It'll be the best thing you do for your face.
Great idea, I would never have looked on Etsy for mineral stuff! I have been wanting to switch to it.
DeleteI agree--Sally Hansen works much better than some of the fancy brands!
If you want your nail polish to last longer, use a top coat! I used to have the same problem where it didn't last very long but now that I use a clear top coat it lasts almost a week. My fave so far is Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Anti-Chip Top Coat (Obnoxiously long name I know). It comes in a red bottle, in a box. I love it!
ReplyDeleteOoh, thanks for the tip! I use a top coat on my pedicure and it sometimes lasts a whole month!
DeleteI like finding out that other people out there are low-maintenance too! I don't use any kind of soap on my face either - warm water and a wash cloth for me, and grapeseed and tea tree oil. I wash my hair with baking soda about once a week, and use coconut oil to smooth the ends of my hair. So easy!
ReplyDeleteWarm water works just great for me too! Never tried the natural shampoos but good to hear they're effective!
DeleteCommander In Chic is my favorite nail color! I've got it on my nails right now :) I've bought a few high end make-up brands, but I feel like a lot of the stuff works just as well as drugstore brands. The only products I would consider purchasing high end would be foundations. Everything else I just stick with drugstore.
ReplyDeleteGood call!! Yep it's a great color!
DeleteAre you still finding the SonicDermabrasion is still working well? I have read mixed reviews and am very interested in purchasing one.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it still works just great! I even use it in the shower!
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