Read My Lips...

When it comes to my makeup, I feel fairly confident when I try out new things except for one: lipstick. Meaning I know what works and what doesn't work but lipstick is a mystery to me. 

I've tried quite a few and I haven't found "the one". I have a tendency to bite my bottom lip and constantly wet my lips. Therefore, lipsticks just don't stay put. I've tried the kinds that are supposed to last all day, they just make my lips feel dry, so I lick my lips more, then I end up with no lipstick on the center of my mouth only the outside edges remain. Not a very attractive look. Most of the time, I just throw on lipgloss and call it a day. I carry a few different ones in my purse...

Philosophy Kiss Me Lip Balm - Red

Don't let the color worry you, it adds just a touch of color. Plus it has spf 20 and it have a nice minty scent! It isn't sticky and feels very conditioning on my lips. 

C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve

My sister turned me onto this product. Not only is it an great lip balm, you can use it on your skin and cuticles. Its nice that this salve is so versatile, especially in the winter when my skin gets flaky I can use it to spot touch-up those dry spots on my face. I also have this in Lavender. I only have two minor gripes, it has almost no staying power on my lips (lasts a long time on skin) and it adds no color at all.

After reading quite a few beauty blogs, I ventured out to WalMart and Sally's Beauty Supply in hopes of finding a new lipstick. I am just tired of the rest of my face looking so well put together and then having nothing on my lips. It just looks like an unfinished canvas to me.

I am happy to announce I have *finally* found lipstick that I will actually wear and I just had to share!

Palladio Herbal Lipstick in Brownie

This stuff has some staying power and doesn't feel dry! I only had to reapply after eating. 

Its my go-to for occasions I want a colored lip for. Just enough color but not overpowering. Only downside is it tastes and smells like oily lipstick or something I can't quite figure it out. I now add this gloss on top of it...

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Peach Petal

Very glossy, not thick or sticky, and moisturizing! Doesn't add much color when I wear it alone but on top of my Palladio lipstick, amazing.

Much better for everyday wear. I hate taking pictures of myself, by the way. Awkward...

My final favorite lip product:

Loreal Colour Riche Balm in Nourishing Nude

The perfect nude color for me. Just enough color to wear on days when I barely have any makeup on. It is very moisturizing, but it doesn't last very long as it is a balm so its not very thick. But I don't mind reapplying!

What makes these even better? I found all of these at drugstore prices. It makes it easier to try out new products when I'm not blowing money only to end up hating it.

A few of my NEW favorite things!

I am always willing to try out new makeup and hair products that have rave reviews. I recently added two more "must haves" to my beauty routine and I had to share!

Dry shampoo has to be one of my favorite hair products. I have thin hair and I hate to wash it every day because I color it so the ends get dry, the color fades, all sorts of problems obviously. I have been using Tresemme Fresh Start Volumizing Dry Shampoo for a while now, but it makes my hair feel gunky and full of product. While wasting time in Target one day, I came across Dove Refresh + Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo and I wanted to try it out.

I will never use another dry shampoo again, this is by far the best one I have ever used! It does a great job of refreshing my hair and taking away the oiliness. I have no problems with styling after using this product, its just like I washed my hair. It feels so light and cool, after spraying it in my hair I could run my fingers through and it didn't feel gunky. The smell is so refreshing! If I didn't love it so much for my hair, I would use this as air freshener in my house.


This summer I purchased a Sun Safety Kit from Sephora. Inside this kit were about 15 different deluxe, sample sized products. One of them was Dr. Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45. I have been seeing commercials for BB creams and had no clue what they were, so I was excited to finally sample a BB cream to see what all the hype was about. 

What is a BB cream? Essentially it is makeup and skincare in one cream. Its really big over in Asia and from what I've read that is where "true" BB creams come from. Its not quite tinted moisturizer, full coverage makeup, or a treatment serum. Rather its a combination of all of the above! 

Dr. Jart's Premium BB makeup features "A moisturizer, sunscreen, and treatment serum, this all-in-one product also includes advanced brightening properties...natural looking coverage minimizes the appearance of imperfections and evens the skintone. Antioxidant bio-peptides and adenosine protect skin from harsh environmental factors while restoring firmness and elasticity."

I absolutely LOVE this BB cream! Its definitely a medium coverage and it applies so smoothly. After wearing it all day, it doesn't settle into my pores or fine lines (eek!). It provides a fantastic, even coverage and easily disguises my uneven skin tone. Another plus, my face doesn't feel gross or oily after wearing this all day. When I wash it off, my face doesn't feel dry or suffocated from wearing it all day. I also love that a little bit goes a long way with this product. What is even better, this BB cream only comes in one color! I was afraid of this at first because I am so pale, most of the time that "one shade fits all" ends up being too orange and dark on me. This was not the case with Dr. Jart's BB cream, this shade blended perfectly into my skin.

Some things are just too good to keep to myself, I just had to share these great finds!

My Life With Kids

Oh my does my daughter keep my life interesting! I am sure anyone that is around kids on a daily basis says the same thing, and they have the stories to back it up.

Something my daughter said last week was too good to keep to myself so I just had to share.

She has become more aware of her bodily functions since we have been potty training, so I've had to teach her to say "excuse me" whenever she burps or farts. Let me tell you the funny story about the exact moment she realized what a fart was.

So last week while I was buckling Little Miss into her car seat, she farted. She looks at me questioningly and says, "Mommy, my butt made a noise." Then she looked down, her brow was furrowed like she was deep in thought. Then she looks up at me with wide eyes full of realization and exclaims, 

"MOMMY MY BUTT HAS HICCUPS!"

Priceless. I will definitely tell this story for years to come. She will probably hate me for it for sure.

Thanks to my daughter, I have become acutely aware of the lyrics to many children's songs. Lately, she has been on a Dora the Explorer kick. We have about 6 dvds that I use whenever I need to keep her occupied (hello crafting time!) and I often find myself singing along. 

Last week, a good friend came over with her kids to help me move stuff into my attic. I don't have an attic ladder yet so I have to haul an 8ft ladder upstairs and climb into the most awkward shaped opening. Of course I decided to do all of this hours after my first half marathon so I was tired and sore. After this daunting task was completed, my friend and I both broke out into song,

"WE DID IT, WE DID IT, WE DID IT YEAH!"

Obviously, her daughter is also a fan of Dora. 

These moments were just too funny not to share and they make me smile just thinking about them. Little Miss gives me alot of grief, that is expected we are battling the terrible 2's, but over time the struggles will fade and these lovely yet comical memories will remain!

 

Autumn, Football Season, and Homecoming!

Summertime is starting to wind down, the kiddos started back at school here in Louisiana. NFL preseason football started up this week too. There is nothing this girl loves more than LSU football, and they are ranked #1 in many of the preseason rankings! 

I have plenty to look forward to. Fall is my favorite season by far. I love the crispness of the air, the colors of the leaves changing. We are now 5 months into this final deployment and each day that passes is a day closer to Homecoming! I am starting to pull together my carefully selected outfit and accessories for that special day. I am hoping to make Little Miss her dress, unless of course I find something cuter than I can sew. 

I can hardly wait to wear my boots again! I have been working on having a wardrobe that is more interchangeable with pieces that will transition from late summer to fall. Dresses that were cute for summer will pair nicely with leggings with boots in cooler weather. Top it all off with a belted cardigan and voila!, an outfit that goes from summer to fall. Target is clearing out alot of their summer stuff right now. I snagged a cute dress, a long skirt, and tee for under $30. They all work well with my new favorite piece of clothing: a chambray shirt. Check out what I am talking about:

Go check out her blog, this was her "Chambray Shirt Project". She also does project with red jeans, green jeans, and a gingham shirt. I picked up my chambray shirt today at Old Navy and I can hardly wait for the weather to cooperate so I can try out some of these looks!

But alas it is still summertime and I still have plenty to do. I have the half marathon in less than a month, I will be running 10 miles on Sunday as part of my training oh goodness wish me luck! All this training should keep me busy enough to pass the time :)

Trying Out New Things

Since deployment started over for us last week I have been getting back into survival mode. You would think it would be easier since homecoming is only getting closer, but nope not for me. You know how when your sailor deploys like a million things go wrong? I thought we were exempt from that since we are still technically on the same deployment. Boy was I wrong. After a rough start to this week, a special delivery on my doorstep made me very happy: new makeup!

I am stuck in a rut. I have been wearing the same makeup colors for at least 5 years now. I am long overdue for a makeup makeover! I have been kind of hesitant because I don't want to spend the money then hate the product or the color looks bad on me. So when I noticed that e.l.f Cosmetics was having a 50% off everything sale I just couldn't resist. Most of their stuff is only $1 so even if I didn't like the color, I wouldn't feel as bad if I didn't use it.

I did my research and I have one friend that is raves about e.l.f. makeup, I figured I could try it out. After browsing internet reviews, the only 2 negative complaints about the makeup were there wasn't enough pigment so you needed to apply more than usual and the makeup didn't last all day. But a vast majority of the reviews raved about the product because it was of good quality and it was inexpensive. Sweet!

So here is the box of goodies that arrived on my doorstep today! This entire box cost me under $30.

-Fair Skin Collections Starter Kit $20

Brightening Eye Color in Nouveau Neutrals

Clarifying Pressed Powder in Ivory

Tinted Moisturizer in Light

Hypershine Gloss in Bare

Blush in Innocence

All Over Color Stick in Persimmon

Under Eye Concealer & Highlighter in Glow/Fair

Concealer Pencil & Brush in Fair

Signature Case

Eye Shadow Brush

Blushing, Bronzing and Blending Brush

Total Face Brush 

- Essential Brightening Eye Color in Ethereal $1
- Studio Makeup Mist and Set $3
- Studio Blush in Tickled Pink $3
- Mineral Lipstick in Natural Nymph $5

So I prepped my face like I normally do, and I made sure to use makeup primer. I absolutely love Smashbox's Photo Finish Primer with SPF 15, I just wish it was cheaper! 

I applied the tinted moisturizer and it was very sheer. A little more sheer than I expected, but my goal was to find a lighter foundation to wear day to day and this was it! Then I tried out the under eye concealer. I was hesitant because I don't feel I need anything specifically for my under eye area. Also in the past when I have tried out under eye concealer I end up looking like a raccoon! So when I tried out the e.l.f. under eye concealer I was pleasantly surprised. It was very lightweight, easy to blend, and didn't settle into my under eye lines. On the other end of the concealer was the highlighter. It was a very sheer, white shimmer. I used it on the inside of my eyes near my nose and right under my eyebrows. I read somewhere that is where you supposed to apply highlighter but this was my first time trying it out. Next I used the clarifying pressed powder with my new total face brush. So this powder has salicylic acid in it and that is a total win for me since I am prone to breakouts. But, I haven't used a clarifying powder in years and I just remember the weird smell they used to have. The e.l.f. clarifying powder didn't smell like that all. The powder did its job well and as for the brush, it was okay I just prefer something with more bristles. It was soft and I didn't notice much shedding. But I still prefer my Smashbox Face and Body Brush #19 and like most of Smashbox's products it cost me way too much money...The last product I applied to my face was the studio blush in tickled pink with my new blending brush. I put on the blush and it did take a few swipes to get the color to show. I also applied the all over color stick in persimmon to my cheeks and blended it with the blush. The combo worked out really well.

For my eyes, I always start out with Urban Decay Eye Shadow Potion in Sin. This primer will make any eyeshadow last forever. I ended up using both of the brightening eye shadow quads. Noveau Neutrals were all matte and Ethereal was pretty much identical but in shimmers. So I used some of the shimmers and some of the matte. What I did notice about the white eyeshadow is the one with shimmer, lost its shimmer as I applied it. I had little specs of shimmer on my face. Otherwise the colors were great! I applied my usual eyeliner, Clinique Quickliner for Eyes in Dark Chocolate followed by my usual mascara, Cover Girl LashBlast Volume. Oh yah, I also covered my eyebrows with Bare Minerals Brow Color in Ash Blonde.

I tried out all 3 lip products and I still have some playing around to do. I will definitely NOT use the all over color stick in persimmon on my lips, it just was the total wrong color for my lips. The hypershine gloss in bare was a great gloss, not at all sticky or gooey feeling. The mineral lipstick in natural nymph was great too. But both colors were just a little too pale for me. Which I thought was pretty impossible but hey you learn something new every day! I think if I used my pinkish-mauve lipliner with the lipstick I will end up with a great color. I would need a darker lipcolor in order to apply the gloss over it as well so I don't end up looking so washed out. So both of them were wonderful products, just in the wrong color. I think I may order the mineral lipstick in nicely nude to see if it looks better for me!

After getting all of my makeup on, I applied the makeup mist and set spray. Then I gave this new makeup the ultimate test: 60 minutes of Spin Intervals class! *Muahahaha*

I know I know you aren't supposed to wear makeup to the gym and I usually don't! But for the sake of research, I wanted to test out this makeup through sweat because in case you all didn't notice it is summertime outside. Not the ideal conditions for makeup. So here are my lovely before and after photos:

Yup, the makeup made it through my workout! I swear, I was sweating in the gym. I was even wiping, well patting, my face with a towel throughout class. But I don't drip sweat from my face when I workout either. I am a little shinier on the after shot, but that is to be expected. You can see the little shimmers from the white eyeshadow are no longer there and neither is my lipstick. Otherwise, this makeup passed the test. But you know what the key is to make any good makeup last? PRIMER. If you have a good base for your makeup, it should last. My eyeshadow didn't crease. My foundation didn't crease. Everything stayed put. That is why you need primer folks. I also believe the mist and set spray helped out too. I used a different brand of setting spray for homecoming last year, in July, and my makeup lasted through the day. I also used primer.

My latest makeup purchases have made me very happy, I will be mixing in these new e.l.f. products with my old makeup must haves. I am very excited that even though this makeup was cheap, it looks and uses like the other pricier brands. 
 

Louisiana Saturday Night!

I am writing this blog while listening to Alabama's version of "Louisiana Saturday Night", maybe I'm a tad homesick. I have gumbo cooking on the stove top and Hubs helped me make our first King Cake. It's Mardi Gras season ya'll! King Cake has a pretty interesting history, for the best explanation check it out here.

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to find a fabulous King Cake recipe from none other than Holly Clegg! I am a huge fan of her trim&TERRIFIC cook books. I love that she resides in Baton Rouge too, so who else could come up with a fantastic King Cake recipe? I wanted to share this simple recipe with all of you and even if you don't usually celebrate Mardi Gras, do you really need a reason to make cake?

King Cake with Cream Cheese Cinnamon Filling

Makes 16 servings

2 (8-ounce) cans reduced-fat crescent rolls
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven 350°F. Coat 10-inch round pizza pan with nonstick cooking spray.

*I used my Pampered Chef stone, so I didn't need cooking spray*

2. Separate crescent rolls at perforations, into 16 slices. Place slices around prepared pan with points in center. About halfway down from points, press seams together.

Our crescent rolls all laid out

 3. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Spread on dough in center where seams have been pressed together.
 

4. In another small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over cream cheese. Fold dough points over filling, then fold bottom of triangle over points forming a circular roll like a king cake.

*Funny story, Hubs and I both somehow managed to blend step 3 with the first part of step 4. Meaning instead of having 2 bowls of stuff, we had everything in one bowl. Oops!*

See how all the ingredients are in one bowl?

Not going to lie, Hubs did most of the work I just made the icing and took pictures

I did "test" the cream cheese filling, I apologize for not having any make-up on!

Spreading the cream cheese mixture around the dough

All rolled up and ready for the oven!

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly, drizzle with colored Mardi Gras Icing.

Mardi Gras Icing:

1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1-2 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Yellow, Green, Red, & Blue food colorings

1. In small bowl, combine all ingredients, except food color. Divide mixture into three bowls.
2. In first bowl, add a few drops of yellow food coloring. In second bowl, add a few drops of green food coloring. In third bowl, add equal amounts of drops of red and blue food coloring (to create purple).
3. Drizzle over baked cake.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 184 Calories from fat 36% Fat 7 g Saturated Fat 3 g Cholesterol 9 mg Sodium 275 mg Carbohydrate 26 g Dietary Fiber 0 g Sugars 16 g Protein 3 g Diabetic Exchanges 11/2 carbohydrate 11/2 fat

Ta-Da, King Cake! I was so excited I could hardly wait to eat it and it was just as yummy as it looked. And did you see it was only 184 Calories per serving? Even though we messed up steps 3 & 4, I don't see how it made any difference in the outcome. Just one less bowl we had to clean up afterwards. When I made the icing I was worried it wouldn't be enough when looking at it in the 3 small bowls, but after spreading it on the warm cake it thinned out and was just the right amount. 

Overall, I give this 5 stars! Hubs liked it too, his only comment was he wished it didn't taste so much like crescent rolls. I did not notice an overly crescent roll-y taste, maybe because I was paying attention to the yummy cream cheese & sugar BUT for how easy it was to make, Hubs said it was amazing.

As much as I want to sit down and devour this entire cake right now, I must wait for our turkey & deer sausage gumbo to finish cooking! We made it with the leftover turkey from our Christmas dinner.

By the time the gumbo is ready, we should be getting settled in for the Saints game! This is the closest I'll get to a Louisiana Saturday Night for awhile.

Tools of the Trade

I am super excited to be hosting my first PC show this week, so I want to blog about my favorite tools & gadgets and show you all my wish list! With all the cooking I do, this stuff makes it simpler and easier to clean up.

*This blog post is not sponsored by PC, I am writing this simply because I love their products*

I literally use the following utensils every day in my kitchen, whether I am preparing cookies or making dinner!


Mix N' Scraper: The unique shape of the silicone head allows you to both mix adequately and scrape the bowl clean (as the name implies)! I've had mine for a couple of years now and it hasn't cracked or melted. It scrapes the bowl so clean that there is no need for licking the bowl anymore. I use this to mix everything, it has *almost* totally replaced my electric mixer!


Apple Wedger: Little Miss LOVES apples and this makes it so easy to slice an apple into 10 slices!


Stoneware: I use 2 different round stones and their bar pan stone. Whether I am baking cookies, biscuits, or pizza these stones come in handy! At the last PC party I went to they made this amazing ultimate brownie sundae in the bar pan that is on my list of things to make. What I like about the stoneware: They evenly distribute heat, they don't retain odors or flavors, and they keep food warmer longer. 


Mix N' Chop: This is a must have if you brown meat on the stove-top! It does a great job at breaking up what  you are cooking, plus it won't scratch up your cookware. I've also used this to break up cake when I am making cake pops. 


Measure-All Cup: I absolutely loathed having measuring cups all over the place in my kitchen. This one cup eliminates that problem! You can easily measure liquids or solids in this one handy tool. Definitely helps get rid of the clutter in kitchen drawers. 


If you are looking for a few basic pieces, I would definitely go with those. I use them all daily, they are very affordable, and will last you a long time!

Okay here is my Wish List!


Deep Covered Baker: The final piece of stoneware I want for my kitchen. I can bake a 5lb chicken or a casserole in this. But what I love best: There are recipes to use this in the microwave to make dinner!! They made yummy bbq chicken sliders at the last PC party in this using the microwave. Talk about an easy way to prepare supper!


12" Skillet: Every year it seems I am buying a new skillet. They start to warp in the center and they stop evenly distributing heat. I have a friend who has this whole set and swears by it. She had Cephalon before and she says this set is even better! I use my current skillet at least 3 days a week so I am looking to make a long term investment. 


Small Bamboo Knife Block Set: I desperately need to upgrade my current knife set. This one has a lifetime guarantee and my friends who own this set love it. 


If you are interested in browsing their online catalog, take a look here! You can also order online or find a consultant near you, the parties are lots of fun and a good excuse to have a house full of people and yummy food!



 

 

These are a few of my favorite things...

Thank goodness payday came this week! I was running low or completely out of some of my essentials. It has taken years of trying new products to find my list of favorite things and I wanted to share! Also I am hoping in return I can get some advice about a few things to add to this list :)

• Philosophy Purity Made Simple. Once I found this one-step face wash, I knew I'd never use anything else on my face! I have very oily, acne-prone skin. Not the little zits, but the big massive cystic acne. Yucky. It has taken YEARS of prescriptions and over the counter meds to combat my acne. I have this face wash to thank. I am amazed at how well this stuff works because it is very gentle but still gets the job done PLUS it removes my makeup. 

• Philosophy On A Clear Day. This is an oil-free all over acne treatment. Like all other Philosophy products I have used, this is very gentle on my skin. It has 0.5% salicylic acid but it doesn't burn when I put it on and doesn't dry out my skin very much. I use it twice a day, under my makeup and before bed time, and it keeps my skin clear.

• Proactiv Refining Mask or Philosophy On A Clear Day Acne Spot Treatment. When I do feel a zit coming on, I dab either of these on it before I go to sleep and when I wake up in the morning its not quite the catastrophe that it could have been! Both of these use sulfur as the active ingredient and I find when its combined with the salicylic acid it really helps prevent a huge breakout. Both are gentle on my skin and cause no burning!

• Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector. Because I deal with cystic acne, I have alot of scarring to deal with. Lovely purple and red spots on my face. This stuff is a miracle worker! It is rather pricey but it is so worth it! Within 2 weeks I can see the scars fading. I used to never leave my house without makeup because the scarring was so bad it looked like I still had blemishes all over my face. After using this product religiously, I can walk out without makeup and I even get compliments on my skin!

• Clinique All About Eyes Serum. Under my eyes I tend to deal with alot of puffiness and dryness. I get this in the eye massage tube and it really brightens and de-puffs my under eye area. 

• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. Best. Face. Lotion. Ever. Nothing even compares to this stuff! It is so lightweight, absorbs quickly, and works! With all the acne product I use I tend to get dry areas and this lotion fixes it without leaving behind that oily feeling. Its oil-free and won't cause breakouts either. You can even get it now with SPF. 

• BareMinerals. Since I have super oily skin, wearing liquid foundation in the heat and humidity in summer is a huge mess. I was amazed at how well powders could cover my face just like a liquid but still be lightweight and not melt off. This is a must for people that deal with makeup sliding off their face! The foundation even has SPF 15.

• Clinique Even Better Makeup SPF 15. When I do wear a liquid foundation in the cooler months, this one does double duty. Along with being a light-medium coverage base, it also has the dark spot corrector product mixed in! So in the winter months that is one less product I have to use because they have combined it with the liquid foundation. 

• Urban Decay Shadow Primer Potion in Sin. I have used many different eye shadow primers to help my eyeshadow not get all creasy by the end of the day. This one actually works AND it adds a touch of color. Its a nice shiney nude color. You can get it in different colors or no color at all.  

• Smashbox Cream Eye Liner in Midnight Brown. I apply this stuff with a smudger brush and its perfect every time! I don't have the most steady hand, but applying with the brush is effortless. A trick I use: I blow warm air on the liner before I dip the brush in it so it applies easier. 

• Sephora Lash Plumper Mascara in Brown. I have tried all the ridiculously expensive mascaras out there, if my husband knew how much money I wasted on find the perfect volumizing mascara he would not be a happy camper! This stuff is $12 at Sephora and it works BETTER than the pricey brands. It not only makes my eyes look like I have lots of lashes, but it also lengthens.

• Smashbox Makeup Brushes. Since I use the powder makeup, a soft brush is a must! These are not cheap but OMGoodness do they feel amazing when applying makeup. I have the face/body brush for my powders and the smudger brush for my eye liner.

• Nivea Body Lotions. I wash my hands a million times a day and even though I have an oily face, my arms & legs get ashy. I use this stuff on my body after a shower and I have some by my sink when I wash my hands. Its lightweight, absorbs quickly, and doesn't feel greasy. Plus it works better than the heavier lotions that make my hands feel all gross. 
• Colgate Total Toothpaste. I have used this stuff for years and I can brush in the morning and by lunchtime my breath still smells minty. 
• Suave Clinical Protection Deodorant. You can buy the Secret brand, but this one works the same and costs much less. I can put this stuff on and it'll keep me sweat/stink free for 2 days!           
• Nicole/OPI Nail Polish. Both are made by the same company, Nicole is just slightly cheaper. This polish endures the many hand washes I put my nails through and manages to last longer than the rest.
• Chi Flatiron. Love it, it works well and has taken a beating yet still works faithfully! While my hair is naturally board straight, I use this to tame the ends of my layers. It is a pricey investment but I've had mine for 5 years now with zero problems. 

I hope this list is helpful to some of you, I know it took me almost 10 years to figure out! I know the makeup and skin products can be quite pricey. Luckily the only product I run out of quickly is the acne gel. Also, the NEX sells Philosophy, Clinique, Smashbox, and BareMinerals for much cheaper than the other stores. Though the advantage of shopping at Sephora or Ulta is their rewards points program if you like that sort of thing.

What I would like to add to this list: A good volumizing shampoo and conditioner that won't dry out my hair. I highlight my very fine hair and the problem I come across is either A) the product doesn't volumize, or B) it does volumize but it dries out my hair.
Also I would LOVE to find the perfect lipstick/gloss. I love the staying power of lipstick and how a gloss feels soft on my lips I just haven't found a product yet that combines those two well.