The Beauty Products I Recommend to All of My Friends

As someone who has had oily skin all my life, I can assure you that I’ve tried every loose powder, blotting powder, oil removing sheet, and mattifying product under the damn sun. No powder holds a candle to Tilbury’s Perfecting Micro-Powder, every time I apply this product I am genuinely shocked that my skin actually looks that good. It’s impossibly finely milled so as to blur every pore, dark spot, or blemish on your face into oblivion.

I ended up buying Brow Wiz by total accident, I had intended to repurchase Anastasia’s Brow Definer and while being in a hurry at Sephora picked up the wrong product -- I’ve never been so thankful for my pitiful attention to detail before. Brow Wiz is insanely pigmented and super precise as the tip is thin and rounded, I can quickly fill them in for everyday makeup or draw out some dramatic Kaia Gerber-esque brows for a night out with the same product.

TEG’s Editorial Director Allyson put me on to this product after Kim Kardashian’s personal makeup-artist-turned-celebrity himself Mario Dedivanovic told her that it’s his go-to for prepping Kim’s face for flawless makeup. Ok so maybe he didn’t tell her that directly and maybe it’s actually that we both take vigorous notes any time we watch one of his tutorials and tell each other what we learn but either way -- this primer is absolute GOLD.

I’ve gotten curious about other foundations and I’ve sampled multiple offerings from different lines -- but I’ve yet to find one that beats Ultra HD for everyday wear. Super blendable and buildable coverage that never pills or cakes and layers flawlessly over skincare and MUF has 40 inclusive shades in its range so I feel good recommending the line to friends -- unlike a lot of makeup brands which in 2018 somehow still only cater to light skin tones.

If you’re willing to go through a bit of a frustrating learning curve, magnetic lashes are an absolute game changer. If Ardell ever threatens to discontinue them, I will end up with a storage building filled with as many cases as I can afford.

Some tips: Start with the accent lashes as they are easier to work with and the most natural looking. Bend the band when you first open them to make the strip more flexible. Curl your lashes, apply a few coats of mascara and let it dry completely. Place the top strip as close to your natural lash line as you can and gently look up to meet the magnets together with the bottom strip underneath. A plastic false eyelash tool makes application easier but tweezers can work too, just don’t get them too close to the magnets! You can make a pair last about two to three weeks so long as you are gentle with them.

I’m pretty sure that M.A.C’s clear Lipglass was the first high-end makeup product I ever owned, purchased for me sometime during middle school by the person who would inspire my lifelong obsession with all things luxurious -- my mom. I’ve never not had a tube of the stuff since. A high-shine glossy lip is as timeless as a bold matte red, and while Lipglass is perfect to layer over your favorite lipstick or liner, I’ll always prefer mine over bare lips.

At minimum I’d say that I own roughly 48 different (but all incredibly similar) variations of muted pinks, mauves, and dusty roses -- shades that are considered “nude” for my particular skin tone. I wish I had known a long time again that my absolute favorite would end up being a $3 lip pencil, I could have saved a ton of money. Even if this shade wouldn’t be ideal for you, I can attest to the formulation of these liners as a whole. These pencils sharpen easily and behave the same way as a lot of their high-end counterparts.

I would have never thought that my Holy Grail highlighter would be a drugstore find, but the entire line of Maybelline's Master Chrome Highlighters have found permanent residence in my kit. Rose Gold is my absolute favorite -- the finely milled powder doesn’t have a single speck of visible chunky glitter (my biggest highlighter pet peeve) and looks warm and glowing against the skin, not bubblegum pink the way you might expect from how it looks in the compact

My skin has gone through a lot of phases in my life, and very few of them have been good. But thankfully that has now changed, and I can say that beyond a shadow of a doubt the best thing I have ever done for my face is incorporating daily acid exfoliation into my skincare routine. Lotion P50 is the gold standard by which many companies have based their products on in an attempt to recreate magic in a bottle, but you’re much better off sticking with the real deal -- most of the knockoffs achieve their acidic pH by including drying chemicals.

Narrowing it down to just one Drunk Elephant product for this list was nearly impossible; nearly all of their incredible product line has quickly become my skincare ride-or-dies. I’m a big believer in Vitamin C and its benefits for your skin, but finding a quality formulation of this active ingredient is challenging. Of all the products I’ve tried, C-Firma takes the whole cake.

As a fair-skinned, can’t-tan-to-save-my-soul redhead, I can assuredly state that I have tried and hated nearly every facial SPF product sold in the United States. Sunscreen rarely plays nice with other skincare products, and if it wasn’t turning my face strawberry red, it was pilling and refusing to blend with my foundation. This all changed once I discovered the Lagom Sun Gel, the Korean sunscreen essence that sells out within hours every time it gets restocked on Peach & Lily. I buy one every single time I get the email saying it’s available again, even If I already have an unopened bottle on hand.

As much as I love textured beach waves, the look doesn’t lend itself to the healthiest looking hair thanks to the types of products you need to create separation. I like to finish off my waves and curls with a dry oil to add shine back where texturizing products have muted it down. This one from IGK smells amazing but isn’t overpowering and adds the perfect amount of non-greasy shine to hair as well as your arms, shoulders, and décolletage.

Your scalp is easily the most ignored area on your entire body, but it is the (literal) root of health your hair. Bi-weekly scalp exfoliation helps correct a long list of hair issues, and if you’re not quite the DIY type who would rather opt for a well-formulated product rather than mixing up some baking soda paste in your kitchen, the Briogeo scalp duo cannot be beaten. They provide a good deep clean with the added treat of cooling and refreshing peppermint oil.

I’ve had my fair share of salon Olaplex treatments and always marveled at how impossibly healthy my hair could look despite having just been chemically colored. I’m not exaggerating when I say that the second I became aware that an at-home Olaplex treatment was now available for purchase, I was in my car and en route to Sephora. Olaplex is a bond-builder, meaning that it restores vital proteins to hair shafts making them stronger, shinier, and more resistant to damage from heat styling and breakage.

Remember earlier when I mentioned being on an eternal quest for perfect sunscreen? We’re back here again. I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more sun protection and since I, unfortunately, look really stupid in hats, finding a good SPF touch-up makeup product has been my primary goal for a while. Supergoop finally made my dreams come true when they released their Invincible Setting Powder earlier this year. I always have one in my bag for quick reapplications throughout the day.