When it comes to beauty products, I’ve always been pretty clueless.  I didn’t start wearing makeup on a daily basis until I was 22 and even then, I was just wearing tinted moisturizer and putting some vaseline on my lips.  I decided a few years ago that I really wanted to learn more about this stuff, but I am still, in no way, a “beauty connoisseur.”

I LOVE receiving recommendations from my friends on this subject and wanted to share their collective wisdom.  Here are the current products I use – all suggested to me by people who understand my desire for gentle products and a natural look, but are also aware of my limitations when it comes to “patience” and “skill” in the beauty department:

Face:

• Aveda Toning Mist
• Aveda Hydrating Lotion
• Fresh Lotus Eye Gel

Daily Makeup:

• Mascara (Dior Show or Maybelline Great Lash)
• Clinique Moisture Surge CC cream SPF 30 (*I use this brush to apply it)
• Clinique Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder 
• Blush (Both Nars and Josie Maran are amazing!)
• Laura Mercier Eyebrow Pencil 
• Fresh Sugar Lips with SPF (*Favorite product of all time. I have it in 4 colors!)

*TIP: Using a label maker, put the date of purchase on the side of your mascara – that way you know how long you’ve had it and when to replace it. I also use a Cosmetic Organizer from Target ($15).

Body:

• I use GoodSoap (natural bar soap available at Whole Foods)
• I exfoliate 1x/week with Bobbi Brown Beach Scrub (great in the summer – this is California in a jar!) or Josie Maran Argan Sugar Balm Body Scrub (moisturizing for the winter)
• Razor from Dollar Shave Club (*this subscription service is AWESOME!)
• Cetaphil Moisturizing Body Lotion (*I have very sensitive skin and this doesn’t cause irritation or clog my pores, even after shaving my legs.)

Hair:

• Aveda Shampure Shampoo
• Aveda Blue Malva Conditioner (to keep blonde highlights from getting brassy)
  • If air drying: Bumble and Bumble Texturing Un-Dressing Creme
  • If blow drying: It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In, Aveda Pure Abundance Style-Prep, and Aveda Volumizing Tonic
• Aveda Brush and this Wet Brush (this is seriously amazing if you have hair that gets super tangly after showing!)
• Elchim Hair Dryer (*Greg gave me this for Christmas last year and it is incredible!)

Bedtime Routine:

• Wash face with warm facecloth and Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
• Exfoliate face 2x/week (I alternate between Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser and the Olay Pro-X Microdermabrasion Cleansing System)
• Aveda moisturizer (as listed above) or face serum (Rosehip Oil or Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate)

Other:

• Kate Summerville Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion (spot treatment)
• Clinique Airbrush Concealer (to cover up breakouts)
• Tarte CC Under-Eye Corrector (for those dark circle days!)
• Bio-Oil (Miracle product! I use it all over my body if I have dry skin, and it also reduces the appearance of scars)
• Aveda Damage Remedy Hair Treatment (conditioning mask for hair, 1x/week)
• Sugar Lip Polish (lip exfoliant)
• Aveda-Fix Soaking Salts (for baths – relaxation you can buy!)
• Aveda Hand Relief (I feel the need to have this with me at all times)

I received the following product recommendations from readers:

Facial Cleaners/Moisturizers/Masks:

• Philosophy Purity Cleanser
• Spectro Sensitive Skin Cleanser
• Nivea Facial Lotion
• CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion
• Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
• Origins Charcoal Mask (*I bought this and LOVE it!)

Eye Makeup:

• Urban Decay Eyeliner
• Cover Girl Ink It Eyeliner
• Urban Decay Naked 2 and 3 Eye Shadow Palettes
• Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Foundations/BB Creams/Under-Eye Concealers:

• Benefit Bo-ing Concealer
• Benefit Erase Paste Brightening Concealer
• Clinique Foundation
• Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
• Too Faced BB Cream
• Lancome Teint Miracle

Powders/Bronzers/Blushes/Highlighters/Illuminators:

• Smashbox Matte Bronzer
• Laura Mercier Powder
• Smashbox Blush
• Clinique Soft Pressed Powder Blusher
• Nars Blush
• Mac Mineralize Blush

Lip:

• Clarins Rouge Eclat Lipstick
• Stila All Day Liquid Lipstick
• Nars Lipstick
• Mac Lipstick
• Tarte Matte Lip Tint Pencils
• EOS Organic lip balm
• Kiehl’s lip balm

Hair Products:

• Macadamia Weightless Moisture Shampoo, Conditioner & Leave In
• Organix Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner
• Organix Moroccan Argan Oil
• Alterna Bamboo Shampoo and Conditioner
• DevaCurl No-Poo Shampoo and Conditioner
• Joico K-Pak Protect & Shine Serum
• Moroccanoil Hair Treatment
• SUDZZ Zenyth Frizz Eliminator

I hope this list is helpful, and maybe even gives you ideas for your holiday wish list!

❤ Kailea