At the risk of having to hand in my beauty editor card, I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I'm pretty terrible at eyeliner. Whether I'm attempting a cat-eye or a smoky look, my lack of dexterity often results in me agonizing in front of the mirror while time rapidly ticks by -- inevitably making me more and more late. Thanks to these shortcomings, I hardly ever feel inspired to shell out on eyeliner, opting for a swipe of shadow and a few coats of mascara instead.

That's why I've come to appreciate the oh-so affordable NYX Faux Blacks Eyeliner, $8. Though this eyeliner pencil performs as well as prestige products, at less than $10, it's something I can justify purchasing, even if I'm rarely using it. It glides on smoothly (even given my history of eyeliner struggles) and holds up throughout the day.

Not to mention, I totally dig "faux blacks" concept. Black eyeliner can sometimes overwhelm my face, but NYX's eyeliner, which comes in a range of dark colors that aren't black (think: navy, dark purple, burgundy and deep teal), defines my eyes without swallowing them up. Plus, the colors are incredibly flattering (I love the way the dark purple makes my blue-green irises pop).

While my eyeliner skills remain mediocre at best, having a tool that looks great and is easy to use has made me a little more willing to take the extra time to apply eyeliner. Who knows, maybe a cat-eye will be in my future someday. --Mary Squillace

See all of Mary's favorites on Instagram @msquillace

I have no fewer than four lip balms in my purse at any given moment (and don't even ask me to count my lipsticks). But no matter how many lip products crowd my leather satchel, there's only one that I reach for multiple times every day: Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain, $25, in Forever Peach. I'm so attached to it, I own two -- just in case one gets misplaced.

Despite its balmy appearance, the slim stick packs a wallop of pigment that brightens up lips while keeping them hydrated. The stain, which you can also use on your cheeks, sticks around for hours for an easy, no-fuss, weekend look.

Nourishing botanical ingredients like avocado oil, pumpkin seed oil and olive fruit oil keep lips feeling lush, making it the perfect chapped-lip-season accompaniment. --Jill Provost

I am such a stickler when it comes to mascara -- my list of criteria is pretty steep. My motto would be, "go big or go home." For me, a mascara needs to give dramatic length and volume, without being clumpy. I like the consistency to be not too thick and not too thin. It needs to stay put all day but not be impossible to wash off. So many mascaras that I've tried possess some, but not all of these traits and tbh, it's pretty frustrating.

Recently a friend of mine recommended Mary Kay Lash Love Mascara, $15, and I've been wearing it since.

From the moment I first started applying the mascara, I knew it was special. The formula is superdark (just the way I like) and the perfect consistency to coat my lashes without forming any clumps. After applying two to three coats, my lashes explode in volume and length while managing to stay separate and clean. (Can I get an amen?) The shape of the brush even lends itself to catching those hard-to-reach, tiny lashes to coat them with product too.

Also, the formula doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. But best of all, I can go all day without flaking or needing a touchup and when I'm ready to wash it off, my face wash and warm water do the job.

I figure, if I'm going to wear mascara, it better be special -- and Mary Kay Lash Love creates the big, notice-me lashes that all of us crave.

To see more of my beauty favorites, follow me on Instagram @hannah_savin

I'm pretty ride-or-die when it comes to products that work for me. Case in point: I've been using Boscia Tsubaki Beauty Oil, $46 for almost two years now. Sure, I've strayed a few times -- but I always find my way back.

Just about everything about it is perfect, from its cheery bright pink bottle, to its ultra-moisturizing formula. It absorbs into my combination skin quite quickly, which means it works well for day and night. Antioxidant-rich rice bran helps protect against UV- and free-radical damage, so I feel good about layering it with my daily SPF. (Read more about why you need an antioxidant here.) And best of all, it imparts a subtle glow unlike any product I've ever encountered -- it's the kind of product that will have you itching to ditch your foundation, so you can show off your complexion.

Now, at $46, it may seem like an indulgent luxury -- but even using it twice a day, every day, one bottle lasts me well over a year. It's a multi-tasking workhorse, and one of the pillars of my skin care routine. --Rosie Narasaki

To see more of my beauty faves, follow me on Instagram @rosienarasaki

Plug "effortless hair" into a search engine and you'll find many images of gorgeous hair that very clearly requires a crap ton of effort. I don't know about you, but I've stopped waiting for the day that I'll wake up in the morning to find my hair in gently rumpled, voluminous waves and float out the door to work. Instead, I use Sachajuan Dry Powder Shampoo.

This is not my everyday, utilitarian dry shampoo -- the one that costs $6 a can in bulk on Amazon. No, at $35, this is one of my special-occasion products, one that lives under my sink so I remember not to use it on something as dull as a workday or lazy Sunday. It does more to hair than just soak up oil and add body -- it makes my hair practically double in size. And it gives that fluffy, texturized, pseudo-effortless look that always seemed to belong exclusively to Mélanie Laurent and Forever 21 models. --Katie McCarthy