Beauty bloggers are often asked about our favorite products, tips & tricks. Makes sense. We get a lot of intel. But truth be told, a product has to be really great in order to stand out amongst the slew of competition. Especially skincare. No matter what it says on the box or in the commercial, you don’t generally see results (if you see them at all) until at least a month of consistent use. Which is where the blogger issue can come into play. When testing out so many formulas, it’s rare we have flexibility to use only one product at a time, as directed. Keep this in mind when reading beauty blog reviews.

Makeup, fragrance, hair tools, and bath products are a whole different ball game. One and done. You can tell in seconds if they’re a keeper.

So having stated all of the above, I do have some beauty product-related knowledge. Whatever isn’t news to you, just chalk up as a reminder. Here are 11 things I know for sure…

1. Lips will never look better chapped. Dry lips don’t look healthy. Grab a natural lip scrub, leave it on for 5 minutes. Massage in circles before rinsing off. Then follow it up with a rich lip balm or treatment. I love the Whipped Cherry Fruit Scrub and Agave Lip Mask from BITE Beauty.

If you really are anti-scrub, try this: Smile with your lips together, then place tape over them. Smooth the tape over your lips for a minute or so. Then rip it off. Once you see what’s on the tape, you might want to grab that scrub!

 

2. Before you hop on the lip filler bandwagon, try a plumping gloss. I’m partial to Buxom’s Full-On Plumping Polish or Cream but almost every brand makes one now. The good ones really work and make your lips fuller and smoother with continued use. If you’re looking to rectify lip lines, hold off on injections until you try products like Dr. Macrene’s 37 Actives High Performance Anti-Aging and Filler Lip Treatment, Embryolisse’s Re-Densifying Eye & Lip Contour Cream, or Meaningful Beauty’s Remodeling Lip Serum.

 

3. If you want to combat under eye puffiness, stick to serum. Creams can work for dark circles, but if you really want to dilute those bags, you only stand a chance with a serum like SkinMedica’s Uplifting Eye Serum or the Ferulic + Retinol Triple Correction Eye Serum by Dr. Dennis Gross. Ice cubes don’t hurt either.

 

4. Also for those battling eye puffiness (as I clearly am) or discoloration, I’ve tried all the methods of concealer. Hands down, the upside down triangle trick works best. Message me or google it if you aren’t familiar, but it basically consists of using your concealer to draw an upside down triangle beneath your eye – filling it in, then blending it into your skin and additional face make as needed. Trust me, it works far better than the other hacks you’ll hear about. New must-try fave: Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Away Concealer!

 

5. Floss. Just do it. I never used to. But in an age of kale, seaweed salad, and celery sandwiches – using dental floss is necessary. I always feel a sense of accomplishment getting that celery string out, too. It’s the little things in life… amiright?

6. For any of us who over-plucked in the 90s or weren’t blessed with long luscious lashes, there are products out there that work. You can definitely grow longer eyelashes and fuller eyebrows with OTC products. GradeLash is really popular lately, but NeuBrow and NeuLash have consistently worked wonders for both my lashes and sparse brow zones.

 

7. Matte works better on youth. It just does. Matte lipstick. Matte foundation. Matte powder. All of it. As much as I’d love to pull off a deep red matte lip, it just makes me look older than I am. Same with face makeup. If you must go with a matte foundation, try adding a dewy highlighter or pearly sheen to your cheekbones. And on that note, glitter is generally for youth, too. If you want some sparkle, go for a finely milled shimmer, pearlized or holographic sheen. Think Hourglass vs. Stila.

8. Play with primers. They make a difference. I love Urban Decay eye primers. As for foundation primers, try one from your favorite brand of foundation. Let it set for a minute or two before applying makeup. Your lids and face will become a much smoother canvas. They also help keep makeup on longer.

9. You know you need to wear SPF (natural is better) and to wash your face every night. Skincare 101. And I won’t bore you with my favorite cleansers or makeup removers. But I will say that Micellar waters are effective. I’m always surprised how much makeup didn’t come off from washing alone. After you wash and pat dry your face, saturate a cotton round with Micellar water (I like IT Cosmetics Miracle Water 3-in-1 Tonic) and swipe it over your skin. You’ll see what washing left behind.

 

10. Do you still get those awful cystic chin pimples? I do. And my instinct has always been to douse them in hot water or hit a steam room when I can. Wrong. Turns out heat only exacerbates already-irritated skin. Leave the pimple alone. Do not try to pop it. If you absolutely have to do something, dab it with cool water or a covered ice cube to help decrease swelling.

 

Well those are my top 10. Let me know if they helped at all. Or if you have any specific questions, send ’em my way. Maybe I know more than 10 things. ; )

 

xo