"Cannot Live Without" Beauty Items

I'm constantly trying new products that claim to be the best and the greatest, but I've found over the years there are somethings I just continue to go back too.  Here are a few of my "cannot live without" beauty items.

MAC Bulk Wipes

These are a lifesaver!  One wipe will remove every stitch of make up including mascara no matter how much make up I'm wearing.  It's EXTREMELY important you remove your make up before you wash your face.  Your face wash was never meant to do double duty by washing your face and trying to remove make up.  (A bonus with these wipes is if you're in a time crunch or just too exhausted they can be used as a one stop shop-removing make up and hydrating your skin.  Great for those nights when you just want to get to sleep!)

La Roche-Posay Toleraine Purifying Foaming Cream

I have been obsessed with this face wash for years!  As someone who has sensitive, dry skin I have to be cautious about what products I use and this one has never let me down.  This cleanser is so concentrated, just a small pea size amount is plenty to wash your face so the bottle seems to last forever, plus it has a nice rich lather and does not strip my skin of moisture. (La Roche-Posay in general has amazing products.  Check out one of my favorite sunscreens in this post)

Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cream

Trader Joe's Honey Mango Moisturizing Shave Cream

You know those shaving commercials...the ones where the girl's leg is completely covered in a foam shaving cream minus the one strip she's already shaved off?  For years that was me, shaving my legs like the girl in the commercial.  A non-foaming shaving cream just seemed so bizarre to me that I resisted trying anything else until one of my guy friends (yes, even guys get beauty too :) ) mentioned how the Trader Joe's Shaving Cream kept his face from breaking out after shaving.  From my first bottle I knew I was never going back.  As one who shaves my legs every day (I really hate prickly legs) this product is perfect for continual use on your legs...and all other delicate areas that need shaving.  A little goes along way with this product, so you need just enough to create a barrier between your skin and the razor.  Also, a bonus is that it's Paraben free and 100% Vegetarian. (For those who don't live near a Trader Joe's you can order it off of Amazon here.).  Get ready for silky, smooth legs!!!

MAC Brush Cleanser

Oh, I cannot stress the importance of properly cleaning brushes!  Next to my hands they are the most important tool in my make up kit and that is why I use this both personally and professionally.  There are plenty of other brush cleansers on the market (and even some DIY Pinterest boards), but I DON'T suggest them.  For me this brush cleaner packs a triple punch-it cleans/shampoos, disinfects with an anti-bacterial agent and most importantly it conditions the bristles.  It's not as imperative with a synthetic brush that the bristles be conditioned, but it is with a natural bristled brush.  Just imagine washing your hair and never putting a conditioning agent on it; it might be clean, but it's probably not going to be the softest and silkiest it could be.  Trust me after you feel how soft the bristles are after you've washed your brushes, you won't go back to another brush cleaner.

 These are just a few of the beauty items I can't live without.  Let me know what are some of your "Can't Live Without" items!

Jamie

Gel Eyeliner that lasts all day, to good to be true? (I think not)

I'm always on the lookout for products that will last, but will still look fresh when my day is over.  When I heard this new company, Inglot Cosmetics, had a gel eyeliner that outlasts any other on the market my interest was peeked.  The official product name on their website is Matte Collection AMC Eyeliner Gel.  I used number 77.

The test was a 15 hour day (applied at 7AM, removed at 10:30PM) and the application was a 50's style winged eye liner.  This application requires exact precision, with this look no mistakes can be made and covered with with a smudged line.  I used a synthetic bristled, angled brush to apply this product, similar to the 263 brush referenced in my essential brushes post.

Review

-Budget friendly - There's a large amount of product for the price. (0.19 oz vs 0.1 oz which is about the average size)

-Tons of matte colors (as well as metallic colors not shown on the website)

-Simple, easy packaging.

-Opaque, velvety color.

-Paraben free and no animal testing.

-The texture is great!  This is my ultimate test for gel liners.  It's has a nice slip to it when painting it on the skin and it's not too thick.

-At the inner corner of my eye, on the bottom near the tear duct, a small amount of product that transferred to the skin midway through the day.  This is not an uncommon place for a product to transfer/run because of the amount of moisture near the tear duct.  I simply used a q-tip to remove the product.

Final Judgment

-This is a product I will use both personally and professionally.  This product wore for 15 hours without budging.  All the pictures here were taken at the end of the 15 hour day!

*Because this product is so new it can only be found in select markets.  Nigel Beauty Emporium is the only place that I know of in LA that sells this line of cosmetics.  This store one of the amazing make up stores that I use when I'm purchasing products for my kit.  You can use the Inglot Cosmetics website to research their products.  If you're local, head on over to Nigel's or place an order because they literally ship make up supplies all over the world!

If you try this product, let me know.  I'd love to hear your reviews on it!

Jamie