Thursday, January 21, 2016

Beyond the Books: Favorite Beauty Products

This week I'm linking up with KissinBlueKaren for Beyond the Books.  This is a meme where we all answer a non-bookish question.  It's always so fun to see everyone's answers and get a peak at the blogger beyond the books.  This week's topic is - Favorite Beauty Products

I love beauty products!  They're my 3rd favorite category closely trailing foodie stuff with bookish stuff in the lead.

I don't have many products that I'm super loyal to.  I wear makeup pretty much every day and I always use the same type of products - tinted moisturizer, concealer, lid primer, bronzer, blush, highlighter, eye shadow, eye liner, mascara, and at some kind of lip product.  However, because I have subscriptions to both Ipsy and Birchbox the brands are constantly changing.


Birchbox and Ipsy are subscription boxes.  For $10/month each I get a box (with Birchbox) or a makeup bag (Ipsy) stuffed with 5 or 6 different products.  Sometimes they're full size, occasionally they're foil packets but most of the time they're travel size products.  Some months I'm seriously underwhelmed but I've also found some really great products.  Plus, it's like getting presents in the mail twice a month!  Birchbox tends to be more classic products and colors.  The brands are usually high end boutique brands but a full size product is very rare.  Ipsy is much trendier and I've gotten some really fun products.  The brands tend towards lower end though I've gotten some department store brands (Tarte, Benefit, etc) and a full size product are pretty common.

There is one thing I just can't live without -
Neutrogena Light Sesame Body Oil.  This stuff is amazing!  I have crazy dry skin on my legs and it gets so much worse in winter.  This stuff has been life changing.  My legs are moisturized and not itchy and dry at all.  I used to go on a quest every winter to find a moisturizer that actually worked and never really succeeded until I stumbled into this.  I actually like the generic Target brand a little better.  It's quite a bit cheaper and while it doesn't absorb quite as well it feels a bit thicker which seems to last longer.  If you have dry skin buy a bottle and put it on right after the shower or bath before you even dry off.  It's amazing!

So those are my favorite products though probably calling the subscription boxes a product is a bit of a stretch!  I do try lots of fun products thanks to them though so I guess it counts.

What do you love?


18 comments:

  1. I am not a big makeup person - mostly because I never learned to put it on correctly! The subscription boxes look fun. I have to try out that body oil stuff because I have the worst dry skin and lotions never help. Thanks for sharing!

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  2. I used Neutrogena's body oil at one time, and can remember how wonderful it smelled!

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  3. Ha! I love beauty products too. Totally obsessed. Do you watch beauty videos on Youtube? I spend WAYYYY too much time with that. I have never done Birchbox or any subscriptions for beauty products but they look really fun. Right now I am LOVING the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette. Have you tried that?

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  4. I love make up. I used to be a big designer fan but now I do a mixed bag. For concealer, blush, liquid eyeliner, and lipsticks, I usually buy MAC. For concealer I got a different brand from Sephora that's great for HD view. For mascara I have always used Maybelline's Great Lash in its waterproof formula. I've learned having little amounts of eyeshadow in any brand is best b/c my old MAC ones sat around forever. I use Target's elf products, like primer and contouring.

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  5. I need to try the oil, I have the worst dry skin in the winter-drives me nuts! As for my favorites-I'm very low maintenance (don't wear makeup etc), but I LOVE John Frieda's Frizz Ease hair products. I have very frizzy/sort of curly hair, and this line's shampoo and conditioners are the only ones that keep things tame. I've tried the expensive salon stuff, and the Frizz Ease works better (for around $6!)

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  6. Neutrogena Light Sesame Body Oil sounds amazing - just what I need. I wonder if it's available here in the UK. I shall have to check in Boots!

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  7. The Birchbox sounds like fun. I might check into that. And the Neutogena body oil sounds wonderful. I use some of their other products, but I haven't tried that. Next time I'm at the store I will look for it.

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  8. I love subscription boxes, it is like getting presents in the mail. I am totally signing up for Ipsy. Thanks for sharing this!

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  9. I totally forgot about Neutrogena when I did my post! I love their Rain shower gel and I have used the sesame body oil, too. My sister gets a box subscription. I do not know which one it is, but she gives me samples that she doesn't want every now and again. :)

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  10. I like Neutrogena...and Olay skincare products. Isn't it great to have makeup that serves us well over time?

    Thanks for sharing....

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  11. I love beauty products and I love subscription boxes as they keep you up today with new trends and stop you getting stuck in a rut. The Neutrogena Light Sesame Body Oil sounds lush but even though the brand is sold here, I haven't seen that product. Will keep my eyes peeled for it!

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  12. I don't really wear much make-up. I used to be into Mary Kay, but the cost . . . And then I got lazy. I'm very picky about moisturizer and while I have tried a wide variety hoping to find something cheaper, Este Lauder's Daily Wear is my favorite. I also really like their night repair product. I use a sensitive skin facial wash which I love. I don't have sensitive skin, but I've been very happy since I switched to it. It's Olay brand, I think. I will have to try theNeutrogena Light Sesame Body Oil. I'm terrible about keeping my body moisturized, other than my face. :-(

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  13. I just can't do box subscriptions like that. I like to use exactly what I want to use. I used to get dry skin too, but Shiseido products are amazing and my most favorite.

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  14. I never heard of Burch Box but you have me intrigued. That would be a nice surprise bix of goodies to come home to.

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  15. Make-up is my downfall(after books that is). If I'm leaving the house I will have at least the basics on. Which include; BB cream, concealer, mascara, highlighter and lipstick. If I'm working it will include eyeshadow and eyeliner. I'm a drug store make-up girl. I just find that it's good enough for less money. Meaning I can buy more products. I love lipstick the most. I am one that doesn't shy away from colour and luckily my skin tone allows me to wear most colours. I am definitely a lip stick hoarder.

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  16. Birchbox is amazing, It is bit more expensive over here at £12 maybe about $18 a month but I love getting it and this month it had great Benefit makeup and cute postcards plus the boxes are fab for storing things plus the bags inside the boxes!

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  17. I am going to have to get that body oil! My legs do the same thing - to the point that the skin is cracked and painful and no lotion really seems to do the trick, wearing off so fast.

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  18. I don't do much as far as beauty products but I do get the Ipsy bag just for fun. It does have some neat stuff now and again. I got a vegan friendly lipstick last time which was great. I thought about trying out Birchbox. Maybe one day :)

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