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A Lip Oil That Doesn't Cost a Fortune
I have very, very dry lips, and the only thing that keeps them from being in a constant state of flakiness is applying a lip oil at night. So, naturally, I was worried about finding a bargain lip oil that would keep my lips from chapping and peeling.
Before starting this experiment, my lip oil of choice cost more than I care to disclose. I won't say I'm completely giving it up after trying this under-$5 tube, but it's nice to know I have options. It smells amazing, thanks to the organic coconut oil base, and leaves my lips soft, hydrated and, most importantly, ready for lipstick.
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A Drugstore Essence That Blew My Mind
I have a bit of an essence obsession. Essences have a high concentration of active ingredients, and are applied after (double) cleansing and before serum. And I'll admit, I was a little skeptical that a drugstore essence could deliver the same results as the expensive ones I was used to using. But this essence proved me wrong. The bottle is sturdy and pretty, and seems designed to keep light out (thus maintaining the benefits of the ingredients).
The water-light formula glides onto skin and is quickly absorbed. I'm a sucker for anything brightening, so I appreciate that this essence contains vitamin C. In fact, I liked this so much that I used it every night.
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The Eye Cream That's Essential to My Morning Routine
I log approximately six hours of sleep a night -- and while my brain can fully function on that amount of sleep (with the help of caffeine, obviously), unfortunately my skin tends to suffer. There's a perpetual smudge of Edward Cullen-level darkness underneath my eyes, which is not cute.
But this eye cream is like two cups of coffee for my under eyes. It has three cooling rollerballs that massage the caffeine-, white tea- and cucumber-infused formula into my skin, which feels especially nice if you keep the tube in the fridge. It helps soothe puffiness and dark circles, and preps my under eyes for a smooth, crease-free concealer application.
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A Palette With Gorgeous, Blendable Eye Shadows
I've tried approximately half a million eye shadows in my 25 years on this earth. And there's nothing sadder to me than shadows that look gorgeous in a palette, but apply chalky and don't blend. That's why I've become a loyalist to certain brands -- and none of them were drugstore, until now. I swear, I opened this palette with a certain amount of trepidation. The colors looked so pretty, and I was going to turn into a literal sad crying face emoji if they didn't apply well.
But then ... the shadows were buttery soft, and blended so easily -- even the mattes. My favorite shade is Mink (shocker, right), a shimmery taupe-brown that looks amazing over my entire lid, or just in the crease to make my eyes pop. You could literally wear all eight shades at once, and they'd go together.
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The Lipstick You'll Find Stashed In My Purse at All Times
This lipstick is the bomb.com. The colors are insanely pigmented, and it goes on so smoothly that you'd have to work hard to mess up the application. It feels like you're wearing practically nothing on your lips and it's both moisturizing and long lasting -- an impressive feat. Basically, I'm getting this in every color.
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