5 “Good to the Last Drop” Beauty Favorites I Buy on Repeat
Once upon a time, in a bygone era I like to call B.I.P. (Before Instagram and Pinterest), I wanted to be a beauty editor. Design? Wasn’t even a thought. I read all the blogs, all the magazines, I had the internship, I did the freelance writing—in which I was paid in beauty products, of course. Beauty was my life. This was actually a byproduct of wanting to be in fashion, but knowing my size 12 figure would never quite be accepted (probably not as true anymore, but certainly felt true in the early 2000s). Mascara, though…that fit EVERYONE.
I’ve tested A LOT of products in my time, but I’m a bit rusty when it comes to “new tech” in beauty. I don’t really know the players anymore or all the terminology. My brain replaced skincare for sofas, at least in terms of expert knowledge.
But what I DO know is what I use to the last drop and buy over and over again. Sure, sometimes, I might try something new…play the field if you will as I can be a bit fickle when it comes to beauty commitments. My skincare trollop ways always leave me wanting more, which is where I inevitably dip back into my old faithfuls when that new moisturizer leaves my combination skin mysteriously too flaky or that dry shampoo made “just for brunettes” should instead be labeled “just for brunettes who love to flush money down the toilet.”
While I have a long list of makeup and other skincare I really love (some you can find here), these five right here are “holy grail” status for me. If we were still living in the days of MySpace—again, B.I.P.—and my face had an account, they would have taken the first slots in its Top 8 (ha remember that?!?).
Before sharing, here’s a little 4-1-1 on my skin. It’s:
- The epitome of combination: somehow very dry and oily all at the same time. I have to find the perfect balance of product so I don’t have grease dripping from my nose onto my flaky, patchy cheek. #itscomplicated
- Sensitive: less so now in my 30s but still doesn’t love most things I put on it
- Acne-prone: whoever said pimples would stop when you were a grown-up should go to prison
- Prone to scaring from said acne: see above
- Big pores: no product that promises to shrink these puppies has ever worked, so I’ve come to terms with the fact that my face will never look as smooth as the velvety skin of YouTube makeup bloggers. It boggles my mind.
Alright, let’s get into the products, because that’s what you’re here for.
Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser, $26
I cheat on this cleanser SO much for no good reason besides the fact that I’m a glutton for punishment, and evidently, breakouts. It’s like the best friend in movies you, as a watcher, recognize would be the perfect partner to the protagonist if only they’d get out of their own way, and maybe get a better haircut. This is SOLID.
It leaves no traces of foundation but also doesn’t dry out my very complicated skin. It doesn’t have a heavy scent, the bottle is easy to squeeze (that sounds strange, but so much skincare is put in impossible bottles and you end up fighting with the packaging the whole time you use it or wasting so much at the end), and it just feels so nice on the skin. Korres is a wonderful brand if you’ve never used it, cruelty-free and not quite as expensive as some other “premium” brands but frankly, its better.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow Vitamin C + Turmeric Face Oil, from $40
A brand with almost no duds in its lineup, Sunday Riley is cruelty-free and while yes, it’s pricy, this stuff DELIVERS. When I don’t have this serum, my face looks and feels a bit dull. The vitamin C in this really, truly, gives me an “inner” glow that maybe no one else will notice but I promise you will. A little goes a long way, so a bottle lasts me several months. I just mix a few drops into my daytime and nighttime moisturizer, it absorbs super fast and doesn’t leave me the least bit greasy (I can put makeup over it and not be an oil slick).
Amika Perk Up Talc-Free Dry Shampoo, $25
Here’s a fact about me: I HATE DRY SHAMPOO. I wash my hair every.single.day. because my scalp is as greasy as my T-zone and no amount of “training” helps. Trust me. I’ve written plenty of articles about it. It’s just not in the cards for me. But I like to have dry shampoo waiting in the wings for times when I just don’t have time to wash it or am in no mood to (you know, basically all of quarantine) and this is the best one I’ve found for my brunette hair.
It doesn’t leave my hair feel chalky, it actually absorbs the grease and a few shake-shake-shakes and there’s no white residue left. It’s not QUITE like freshly washed hair, but it gets me as close as I think I can get.
L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise, $7.33
Fair warning: the L’Oreal brand is not cruelty-free as they sell in mainland China. I’m not exactly proud of myself for buying this on repeat, but sometimes, I just do not want to spend $36 on a high-end mascara when this one is just as good. Drugstore mascara can be tough because it flakes so easily and the bottles dry up very fast, but this has NEVER left me with raccoon eyes, gives me so much length and volume for my super stubby lashes and I’m on my…5th?? bottle. For a cruelty-free alternative, I like Too Faced Better Than Sex, which Lash Paradise is just a dupe of, tbh. It’s VERY good; makes me feel like I’m wearing falsies, it’s that voluminous.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch, 3 Packs, $9
I refuse to be without these patches. They are the ONLY acne solution I find that 100% works, and fast. Your pimple has to be at the right stage for it to perform its *literal* magic, but 1-2 days of one of these patches on a zit and it’s flat. This I promise you.
Tag you’re it! What “good to the last drop” skincare and beauty products (cheap or premium) are always in your rotation? You know I’m fickle and always looking for something new, so be a friend and share in the comments!