Who needs a full eyeshadow palette, complete with those two or three pans you NEVER touch when you can have Neen‘s Pretty Shady Pressed Pigment Trios? You know Neen, right? It’s the new’ish brand from Stila founder Jeanine Lobell, so it was launched by a legend.
Her eyeshadow trios are EXPERTLY and FLAWLESSLY coordinated. Duh. It’s J. Lobe. You can expect the very best. You can use every color, every time and still come up with custom and unique, no-repeat looks, thanks to the intensity of the pigments, the richness of the shimmer, and the no-skip velvet nature of the mattes. You can use ANY of the shades as your base, your crease, your transition, your highlight, or your under eye hue. I have hit pan on all three shades and re-ordered twice. These trios are my makeup bag “musts.”
Wayne Goss‘ White Gold Brush Collection is an investment but it also adheres to the “simple but effective” philosophy that I find essential with makeup tools. “I wanted to create a gorgeous collection of high-quality, beautiful, synthetic brushes, that are affordable, but still have the soft delicate fibers you have come to expect from my brushes. My White Gold Collection is designed with you in mind — brushes that look and feel amazing, for every face shape, and every product, that you will use every day,” Goss said in the press materials. I am here to attest that he is NOT lying. The brush hairs are silky soft and pick up product, be it cream or powder, perfectly. They glide across the skin so smoothly. The glossy handles and gold hardware will glam up your vanity while being easy to maneuver and hold. Once the white brush hairs are stained with product and colors, they will look like custom works of art, because, why not? Splurge on this set, and if you take proper care of them, they will last FOREVS!
Rare is the lip balm or gloss that stays all day. The wet nature of the product and your lips means it tends to wear off quicker. If re-application annoys you, allow me to introduce you to Topicals Slick Salve Mint Lip Balm, a glossy lip balm that legit hugs your lips. It stays put and keeps lips mega moist. It has a refreshing sweet mint taste that is light and never overbearing. You will have to re-apply to freshen up your pout, but you do not have to worry about it disappearing 20 minutes after you swipe it. The formula truly lasts and lasts.
Hustle Butter Revitalizing Stick is a dream for healed tattoos you’ve had for years. It breathes new life into your skin, adding a little bit of sheen, further highlighting your beautiful artwork and making the colors pop as though it were brand new ink. I have a half-sleeve on my left arm and I run this glorious stick all over it and it moisturizes, without clogging pores. And makes my ink look like I got it a week ago! But DO NOT USE IT ON A FRESH TATTOO! Wait til it’s healed. The Revitalizing Stick also excellent for your dogs, as a nose and paw balm to soften any crusty areas. And that’s what I like to call a REAL multi-tasking product. If it’s good for my bulldog, it’s good for me. So what if you don’t have any tattoos? That’s OK! You can rub the Revitalizing Stick on your decolletage for some sheen and glow. Plus, it smells so fresh and summery — like a beachy, delish garden in a tube.
Tony Moly products are so cute they are practically precious, thanks to their bright packaging, kitschy names, and playful vibe. The brand collab’ed with the equally cute Squishmallows, effectively doubling the adorable-ness. The brand’s new Keina The Shrimp Wasabi Lip Plumper brings all the heat and spice. Forget lip plumpers with cinnamon or menthol. The wasabi x peppermint combo adds some flush to the plumping action. It was like INSTANT lip injections with maxed out shine. Since Wasabi increases antioxidant levels in the skin, you will benefit from a deeper absorption of moisturizing ingredients. Peppermint adds a cooling energy. But be careful. I got some on my tongue and it felt like… I just ate some wasabi. Bonus: The lippie tube comes with a chain attached to the cap so you can hang from your keys or use it as a handbag charm.
Kulfi Beauty Lassi Lips Staining Lip Oil does ALL the things. ALL of them, with “ALL” being the qualities you want in a lip product. The disruptive and innovative formula is pigmented, glides on like a gloss, and dries down like a supple stain. On paper, it’s contradictory, but it works. So you get moisture and a pretty pigment that lasts. While many lip oils offer potent hydration and shine, they disappear quickly and require lots of re-application. Kulfi’s Lassi Lips doesn’t wear away quickly. A plus is the wand, which allows you to precisely trace and fill in lips. I like to blot it slightly once it dries down for a blurred, soft focus finish. It’s like a creamy lip crayon, but melted down.
While I am on the topic of Kulfi Beauty, the brand’s Main Match Concealer, which comes in 21 shades, is pretty ace. I only use concealer for spots, pigmentation, or blemish coverups and a dot and dab of this medium buildable formula erases any issues. It’s soft, it sets, it adds a dewy finish, and it doesn’t crease.
Hard Candy‘s Party Lines 2-in-1 Eyeliner Duos are a space-saving dream. One side is matte, the other is metallic, and both shades coordinate beautifully. You can line, define, brighten, smudge, smoke, or layer them on your upper lashline or inner, lower waterline. For a drugstore brand, the color saturation is on par with prestige peers and for a killer price point. You can tuck one in every bag or pocket without dipping into your rent money or piggy bank or under-mattress cash stash.
