I asked my 19-year-old daughter, who isn’t into makeup, to suggest what she would like to read in this column and she said, “Why don’t you do a monthly favorites thing, from makeup to skin care to hair care? I would read that.” I actually used to do monthly favorites last year, but because there were so many topics to consider for a weekly column, I sort of neglected it.
So here are my favorite beauty products
for April:
- Living Proof Shampoo. My friends have been talking about how life changing this shampoo is. Unfortunately, this isn’t available in the Philippines yet and is very expensive for a shampoo. But Jennifer Aniston can’t be wrong about hair products because her hair is always amazing. Thankfully, my friend Grace gave me a bottle when she went to Singapore and I agree with Jennifer and my friends:
Living Proof is life changing. It gives my limp hair volume and makes it so shiny (something one bottle of shampoo can’t do at the same time) that I don’t need to blow dry or iron it. I believe about hair being one’s crowning glory. If you have good hair, you look (sort of) good.
- Almond Glow Massage Oil. It’s been so hot lately that the thought of applying lotion makes me cringe. An online friend, who has the most beautiful hands, told me her secret: sweet almond oil.
So I went to Healthy Options and found this. I use this oil after I shower and it leaves my skin, hands and feet moisturized the whole day without the sticky feeling. And yes, it works better than any hand cream.
- MAC Strobe Cream. I’ve written about this moisturizer a lot of times. But I will never get tired of saying that it’s one of the best. It’s light and perfect for summer and leaves your skin with a light sheen. I read a review about Strobe Cream online, which said, “It has all the qualities of a good moisturizer.” It’s true. My daughter and I use it. Strobe Cream doesn’t give us breakouts. I’ve been using this for so long that the fragrance is quite comforting.
- MAC Face and Body Foundation. This is my favorite foundation of all time. I know you’re not supposed to wear foundation in the summer, but this is a sheer liquid that never looks heavy or cakey. For some reason, I consider this a skin-care makeup hybrid because it’s so watery and feels like a tinted moisturizer. Plus, I love how it photographs well.
- Maybelline FIT Me! Pressed Powder. I’d been on the lookout for a good but inexpensive pressed powder for warmer weather because I didn’t want to use my more expensive MAC powders. I found good reviews for FIT Me! online and found a seller who could get it for me. I love it because the color I got (Sun Beige) is perfect for me and the texture is velvety. I find the need to retouch more than two or three times a day but it’s okay. For the price, I am very impressed with the product.
- Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Waterlight Lotion with SPF 50 PA+++. Everybody needs a good sunscreen and this one is pretty decent, performance- and price-wise. It’s relatively inexpensive and you need only to use a bit. The texture is watery, like a real lotion. It’s easy to apply and goes on smoothly. I love sunscreens with a matte finish and this is one of those.
- MAC Eye Brow in Lingering and Spiked. When the going gets tough, the tough turn to products that work even when you’re sweaty. For my brows, I’ve been using Lingering to line and Spiked (the fat pencil version) to fill in my brows. Spiked is darker than Lingering so they work well together.
- Benefit Porefessional Balm. I used to have a love-hate relationship with one of Benefit Cosmetics’ best-selling products, but one day, I woke up and the hate was gone. I love it so much that I have about seven tubes of this product lying around. I can wear it alone, or under/over makeup and it helps blur the appearance of pores. I love the packaging and the smell of the product.