An Esthetician's Rolling Beauty Guide
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As an Esthetician, I am very picky about what I use in my beauty routine and in this post we'll break down all my favorite brands, products, tools, and routines so you can discover your next beauty staple. Now keep in mind, this is a revolving post and will be added to over several weeks time. So be sure to check back frequently so you stay up to date and don't miss a thing.
My Favorite Beauty Tools
Embroidery Scissors I know, I know, you're wondering how on earth embroidery scissors can be useful as a beauty tool, but I promise they're great. I use them for trimming my eyebrows and the darker mustache hairs at the corners of my mouth because they are small enough to get close to the brow without over-cutting and they're great for navigating the contours of the mouth. They're also great if you have sensitive skin and can't or don't wax. Just be careful and maybe buy a cap or make one out of hot glue because these scissors are very small and very sharp which results in lots and lots of holes in your makeup bag. Oh, and if you're wondering why I'm specific and prefer embroidery scissors over plain facial scissors, the answer is because it seems like the plain facial scissors I've used in the past dull fairly quickly and aren't as fine tuned so the cut is a bit rougher than I prefer.
In my opinion, you cannot beat the old stand buy of Tweezerman tweezers.
These little guys are a staple in my makeup bag due to the small and pointed 'nose' allowing me to be more precise than the flat or slanted ones allow. And when you don't trust others to wax you due to some bad experiences, you need a little precision in your life.
Plus, these tweezers are also amazing at helping work out ingrown hairs without disturbing the skin too much which I love. No one needs ingrown hair bumps near their brows.
If you were to look in each of my purses and my desk at work right now, you'd find a set of these in each area.
I cannot stand hangnails around my fingers and these trimmers, or nippers if you will, are amazing at nipping the skin off without tugging, which if you've had a manicure before, you know dull nippers can hurt. But they are among some of the sharpest nippers I have ever purchased so it is really nice that they come with a plastic topper to protect them.
As for the pusher, I love how thin the curved edge is allowing it to push the cuticles back without tugging at other areas of the skin and without being too abrasive on top of the nail.
My Favorite Applicators
1) Studio M Pro Blending Sponges Rose Water Infused Sponge Coconut Infused Sponge Charcoal Infused Sponge Blending Sponge with Collagen Now I know a lot of people have differing opinions between sponge and brush applicators, but I strongly believe the use of a sponge is essential to get a more consistent and even coverage. And bonus, there's no annoying hairs or drag lines which takes a lot of care and a lot of work to be able to achieve with a brush. But I do hate the fact that sponges are incredibly porous, so I only use a single sponge for about two weeks total even with washes and then I throw it out to help prevent zits. That's one of the reasons I personally opt for the cheaper sponges. But I have used all sorts of sponges from Real Techniques to the Original Beauty Blender to EcoTools and many others, but the cost and result of Studio M Pro infused sponges from Meijer are the best bang for my buck. Most other sponges will still get the job done too though, so don't be afraid to try out a couple different ones.
My Favorite Makeup Products
My All Time Favorite Foundation Look, if I can recommend just one product to you, this is going to be it. I've used the expensive stuff, and nothing, and I mean, nothing beats this foundation. I've used Naked Skin, Tarte Clay Foundation, Lorac, Benefit, Bare Minerals, MAC, It Cosmetics, Loreal, Almay, Covergirl... and so many others and still none of them can compare. And you want to know why? Because I'm one of those people whose skin tone is not only hard to match (hello Buff!) but I also want the coverage without the cake, and none of those foundations could do it. None of them. Not a single one! And I even had other estheticians and Sephora and Ulta workers try and match me. They all failed. (Except for the ones who custom mixed foundations and who wants to do that every day?) And you want to know what else? This foundation is cheap! And no, I don't mean the quality is cheap, I mean the cost is. I've never paid more than $10 for this foundation, and most people can't say that. Most people pay more than $40 for a product you just put on your face and literally wash away later. Think about it, $40 literally in down the drain. So have I built it up enough? Are you ready to learn what the foundation is? Good! Because I don't think I can keep it to myself any longer. It's Revlon ColorStay! Yes, you read that right, it's not a joke. Revlon ColorStay is amazing! I'v'e been using it since I was in high school and it has the longest wear I've ever experienced with no creasing, no shine, and IT DOES NOT MOVE. Oh, and big benefit, it comes in over 43 colors! I even used this foundation on most of my clients because most of the expensive stuff just doesn't wear as well and either breaks down through the course of the day if you don't apply more powder, or it doesn't match as well. And if it tells you anything, the ColorStay line has been around since 1994 and this foundations has had so much success that in the last year, they've expanded it into various other coverage formulas to meet the new demands of the market. There's the Revlon ColorStay Full Cover Foundation which I am a BIG fan of. I don't even need my concealer with this foundation. But, of course, in order to be able to achieve this kind of coverage, the product can quickly begin to cake up so make sure to prep and set correctly. There's also the Revlon ColorStay Whipped Crème Makeup, which is quite a bit more expensive, but as the name indicates, it's lighter and creamier than the original or full coverage formulas. And if you're someone who likes lighter coverage, even though it's not the ColorStay formula, Revlon still has you covered with the Revlon PhotoReady Candid Glow Moisture Glow Anti-Pollution Foundation. Its light, dewy, and build-able. Now, if you're wondering what comparisons I have product wise for Revlon ColorStay, below are the products I consider my runner ups. Prestige Foundation Runner Up 1: Naked Skin for Light Flawless Coverage (Light Coverage) Prestige Foundation Runner Up 2 : Tarte Amazonian Clay for Full Coverage (Medium-Full Coverage) Drugstore Foundation Runner Up : Wet N Wild Photo Focus for Medium Coverage (Medium-Full Coverage) And the products I still want to try are Nars in the color Gobi as I've read it's a good match for the Revlon Colorstay Buff color which is what I use and Giorgio Armani which I read has the best coverage, wear and feel. But since both of these are pretty expensive, I'm pretty happy with Revlon. And next up we'll be talking about mascara, the one beauty product I'd take with me to a deserted island... you know, if the stipulations were not taking food, water and shelter... Talk again soon!