Hellobee

I’ve always loved hair and makeup products (I loved going to beauty supply stores in Los Angeles back in the pre-Sephora days), and today I’m sharing every single beauty product I currently own. It’s a lot because I stocked up on my recent trips to Korea and Singapore, and friends from America have brought me things over the past month because I can’t buy any of these products here. I share my holy grail products, my favorite brands, Korean products, the tools I use, why I use certain products, what’s on my wishlist, and more! Get ready for a monster post!

Since I’ve worked from home for over a decade, I rarely washed my face in the morning! When I did wash my face, I only used water because I have drier skin. Living in the tropical sun and pushing 40, I’ve become more serious lately when it comes to skincare, and I’m still experimenting with different products to see what works best!

1) Clarisonic Face & Body – I got this particular one because you can also use it on your body. While I’ve never really had to deal with acne on my face, I have dealt with… bacne. I live in tank tops and spend so much time in the sun here however, my back has completely cleared up! I try to use this once a week on my face because I am a huge fan of exfoliation, but I would like to use it more often.

2) Peter Thomas Roth Complexion Pads – My cousin that dealt with bad acne would get regular glycolic peels at the dermatologist, and her skin would always look amazing afterward (though it was red for a couple of days!). These peach bellini scented pads smell nice and are quick and easy to use.

3) Retinol Cream – I’ve been reading beauty magazines and blogs since the beginning of time and every dermatologist says retinol is an essential part of a woman’s skincare routine in her 30’s+. I recently added this to my regimen and rotate between this, the glycolic acid pads, and the vitamin c serum I mention below.

4) Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – I’ve been using this for decades. This is gentle enough to use every day so I use it in the shower, but I’m constantly experimenting with new exfoliants.

5) Lancome Bifacils – My holy grail eye makeup remover. I’ve tried many others, and nothing will ever replace this.

6) Kleem Organics Vitamin C & E Serum – I definitely saw a difference in my skin once I started using a vitamin c serum last year. I had pregnancy melasma that never went away, and applying vitamin c really helped.

7) Biore Sunblock  – Mrs. High Heels introduced me to this sunblock and it’s great, watery, light, and half the cost of my favorite sunscreen below. The only downside for me living in a humid tropical environment is that it’s not waterproof.

8) EltaMD Sport 50 Sunscreen – This has been my holy grail facial sunscreen years because it doesn’t leave a white residue like most other sunblocks. There are several different formulations, but I use this waterproof one here because I sweat and need something heavier duty. I use the kids’ Thinkbaby sunscreen on my body when we’re out in the water because this is too pricey.

I’ve already talked about how much I love Neogen’s entire line of products (1-9) here. It’s still my favorite, and I’ve been around Korean skincare products my entire life! I love the scent, the consistency, the packaging, everything. If you can only buy one product from their line though, get the Bio Peel Gauze Peeling Wine Pads — they are truly incredible!

10) The Face Shop Cleansing Wipes – I buy wipes from Korean brands because they are a better value. I’m not picky about brand though. These are the ones I’m using now and previously I used Nature Republic’s Aloe Vera Cleansing Tissues (another brand I like but not as easy to find in the US).

11) MISSHA Cleansing Foam – I bought this in Singapore, but I’m not particularly picky when it comes to foaming cleansers. I used Shiseido’s Cleansing Foam for a long time but Korean cleansers tend to be much more affordable. The main thing that matters to me is that it foams well and doesn’t sting my eyes. I only use a foam cleanser when I have a full face of makeup on because it does a better job of getting everything off.

12-14) The Face Shop Chia Seed Toner, Moisturizer, Serum – This is a very light product great for oily skin and humid climates. My skin is usually on the drier side, but it needs far less moisturizing in my humid climate. I love the convenient pumps and this is a great line overall, but Neogen still remains my favorite.

I think higher end eyeshadows like Urban Decay to be more pigmented and less likely to crease than drugstore shadows, but the NYX line is really a good, affordable dupe for MAC.

1) Naked 2 Palette – I can’t decide whether I like the Naked 1 or 2 Palette better, but they’re both fabulous. I love to play with colors on my eyes, but this one palette is really all you need for every day neutral looks, a shimmery eye and a smokey eye.

2) 2 Faced Chocolate Bar Palette – This literally smells like chocolate! Another great neutral palette with a little more fun variety. I used to play around with greens, blues, purples, and grays, but now that I’m getting older, neutral and smokey are pretty much my go-tos.

3) Lancome Cils Booster – I am obsessed with lash primers because I have skimpy lashes and I love this one. In fact using a primer makes such a difference, that it almost doesn’t matter what mascara you use! I’ve been using Lancome mascaras since I started wearing makeup in high school because my mom didn’t wear mascara but always got those gift bags with purchase (Definicils was my first love!). Lancome’s mascaras are definitely a holy grail product for me. But because I don’t wear makeup that frequently I stopped splurging on mascaras for many years (my holy grail drugstore mascara is hands down L’Oreal’s Voluminous and I can’t wait to try their primer!).

4) Diorshow Lash Primer & 5) Iconic Overcurl Mascara – This is what introduced me to the wonderful world of lash primers. I’ve always loved Diorshow mascara, and I do think the higher end brands work better, but the drugstore brands work well enough.

6) Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz – My holy grail eyebrow pencil. Mac has a good one too, but I like that this one has a brow brush attached.

7) Kat von D Tattoo Liner – Eyeliner is very important to me not having a crease in my eye. It is the product that makes the single biggest impact and I’ve tried many over the years. I was devoted to gel liners for a long time, but you really can’t beat the convenience of a pen liner like this. This is waterproof, survives my humid, tropical life and is my holy grail eyeliner.

8) Caught My Eye Lash Primer & 9) 3D Fiber Lash Mascara – I’ve been trying out different lash primers to find my holy grail. This is the newest one from America along with the mascara. I bought both because of the great reviews but haven’t tried them yet!

Makeup brushes last a lifetime so I definitely think they are worth the investment. I don’t own all of these exact brushes as I’ve been collecting them over the years, but these are very similar.  These are the 10 styles that I have in my toolkit!

1) Contour Brush – I got aboard the whole contouring craze because I have a chubby round face. I wear much less makeup in El Nido so I no longer contour, but this is the brush I used for around my face and cheekbones.

2) Fan Brush – This is the brush I use to apply my Ambient Hourglass Highlighter.

3) Blush Brush – A definite must have in any makeup kit.

4) Eyeshadow Brush – I love the dual sided eyeshadow brush that comes with the Naked 2 Palette and usually use that. But you always need more than one eyeshadow brush!

5) Crease Brush – I use a bigger brush like this to apply base color all over my eyelid.

6) Smudge Brush – I use a brush like this to create a smokey eye.

7) Shader Brush – I like a smaller eye brush like this to contour my nose.

8) Gel Liner Brush – I use a small brush like this to apply cream highlighter to the inner corner of my eyes and the tip of my nose.

9) Anastasia Brow Brush – I don’t really need the brow brush as Anastasia’s eyebrow pencil comes with one, but I do use the other end to apply shadow under my eye when I’m doing a smokey eye (and you can also use that side for brows).

10) Lip Brush – I use a lip brush only when I’m applying a dark or bright color.

11) Eyebrow Trimmer – You can get these at any Korean or Japanese beauty store. Even though I don’t have full eyebrows, I still need to trim the stray hairs into shape!

12) Tweezerman Eyebrow Scissors – Another great tool to have to shape your eyebrows. Tweezerman tools are the best.

13) Shiseido Eyelash Curler –  The Asian brands like this one fit my eyes best.

14) Tweezerman Tweezers – The only tweezers you will need for a lifetime. I’ve had mine for over 2 decades and they’re still going strong. They offer free sharpening for life, but I have yet to take advantage of it!

15) Sharpener – I seriously bought this sharpener (which can sharpen both small and large pencils) in 10th grade and I’m still using it. Basic is sometimes best. It’s the best sharpener around.

I’ve been using bb/cc creams/cushion compacts on my face for years and haven’t really used foundation for a while, although they do provide the best coverage. My holy grail used to be Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk which still remains a cult favorite, but I’ve always wanted to try Koh Gen Do.

1) Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation – I’ve been a fan of this product forever because it provides so much coverage when I’m on the go. I use it once and it lasts all night.

2) IOPE loose powder – Loose powder is an essential part of my makeup routine because it really sets your makeup. I’ve tried many brands over the years and can’t tell much of a difference between them. One container has a shelf life of 2 years, and I don’t even use it all up within that time!

3) IOPE Cushion Compact – I loved my cushion compact so much, but now I’m so tanned I can no longer use mine. I tried to buy a new one in Korea, but no one carried a color dark enough to match my skin tone because everyone there is so pale!

4) NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer – Easy to apply for light coverage…

5) Cle de Peau Concealer – … but this has been my holy grail forever. Mostly it’s because it’s so easy to use in its lipstick-like form. I’ve tried similarly designed products and they just can’t compare. It’s pricey, but it lasts forever.

6) Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette – I looove highlighting and I love this palette. I use my fan brush to apply this on my forehead, nose, cheekbones and chin.

7) Benefit Hoola Bronzer – I don’t really use this anymore, but I did love to in New York. This is a universally flattering shade for contouring.

8) Jouer Highlighter – Love this cream highlighter for the inner corner of my eyes and the tip of my nose. It’s a must do in my makeup routine.

9) NARS Orgasm Blush – I haven’t experimented with blush as much and have been using this forever… though it is universally flattering! But I know that MAC also has some awesome shades that makeup artists have used on me in the past.

10) Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Captivating – NARS Orgasm is my pink blush and Tarte Captivating is my coral blush.

11) Stila Convertible Color in Lillium – Cream blush doesn’t last as long as powder, but when I need to put makeup on fast, this fits the bill for a natural glow.

When it comes to lipsticks, I haven’t had much success with drugstore lines because I’m usually not too crazy about the scent (Revlon, L’Oreal). Drugstore lipliners can definitely rival higher end lines though. Lip color is definitely where I would like to experiment most!

1) Prestige Natural Waterproof Lipliner – I discovered this waterproof lipliner at a drugstore in 10th grade. Since then I’ve gotten countless questions about it, and it remains my holy grail pinky neutral lipliner. Much better than MAC’s Spice!

2) Brandywine – I went through a phase where I took classes on everything that interested me, including makeup artistry, where I learned about Wet and Wild’s 666 Brandywine lip pencil. I even wore it on my wedding day! This neutral color looks great on everyone. They’ve changed the color a bit over the years, but it is still one of my all time favorite lip pencils (that I also wear as lipstick!).

3) Mac Kinda Sexy Lipstick – My pinky nude.

4) Makeup Forever 36 Lipstick and 5) Makeup Forever 16C lipliner – My hot pink. NARS Schiap is another popular and similar option.

6) Mac Cherry Lipliner – MAC’s Follow Your Heart is another great, similar red lipliner.

7) Sephora Cream Lip Stain 1C – My perfect red. MAC’s Ruby Woo is also a universally flattering shade.

8) Makeup Forever Lipliner 17C – My orange lipliner.

9) Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Warm Poppy – My other orange lipliner — this one is a deeper more reddish orange.

10) NARS Geraldine Lipstick – My bright orange lipstick.

11) Rimmel Infinitely Pretty Lip Gloss – I buy a cheap clear drugstore gloss to wear over nude lipsticks and this one is great.

12) The Face Shop Lip Tint – I’ve loved lip tints since using Benefit’s Benetint 20 years ago. I recently picked this one up in Korea and love it. Lip tints are great for a more casual, sun-kissed look.

13) Fresh Sugar Rose – When you have lips as big as mine, you love lip treatments of every kind. But living in humid weather, my lips no longer get chapped like they did my entire life living in the US!

14) Lucas’ Paw Paw ointment – My go to for everything from chapped lips to burns.

15) Too Cool for School Dinoplatz Lip Balm in Beet Jam – Picked this up in Korea and it’s my favorite gloss right now.

16) Softlips – I can’t live without this (probably addicted to it!). I’ve been using it my entire life and had my friend bring me more from the US. I apply it before lipstick!

17) Rosebud Salve – Another item in my makeup bag I’ve had for decades. A simple gloss with or without lipstick under.

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As far as what’s on my wishlist…

• Skincare – Tatcha, Drunk Elephant, Sunday Riley lines (have heard many great things about their serums!)
• Lipstick – Bite Beauty and Marc Jacobs (have samples from both lines and love them)
• Highlighter – Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection

Please share any beauty products that are your holy grail or that you’ve newly discovered and love!