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Confessions of a Product Junkie: The Obsession Chronicles

Let me start this off by admitting to each and every one of you that I am, without a doubt, one of the BIGGEST suckers when it comes to beauty products. Throughout the years, I've spent thousdands of dollars testing the latest "miracle product" to eradicate dry skin, smooth texture, impart a dewy, youthful glow...

What I have found in my course of experimentation is this: Most of the products out there make excellent filler for those extra large garbage bags that you accidentally bought on sale and later realized you did not have a can enourmous enough to line with. However, I have stumbled upon a few amazing products that I can't imagine living without. I will share those with you, now.

1. The first and most coveted beauty secret is...shh...great skin! This may seem like a simple enough tip, but finding the perfect pathway to divine complexion is, for many of us, a much more harrowing adventure than climbing Everest. My holy grail of skin care is Juice Beauty's Nutrient Moisturizer. This stuff is a godsend for my sensitive and fickle skin. I find that with this product, I can use nearly any face wash and still get the same great results. Plump, firm, and soft skin. No separate eye cream needed!

2. A healthy glow! I am absolutely gaga over Bare Escentuals ID Bare Minerals All Over Color in soft focus warmth. Although these powder pigments can be a bit dark and harsh, with a light hand, and an even lighter brush, these colors can leave even the palest of pale (read: redhead, twelve shades of white) with a lovely color that is healthy, and not overdone. Once I learned to properly apply this stuff, I never looked back...

3. The perfect finish - Bare Escentuals also makes what they call "Mineral Veil". This finishing powder is so light and cool, I can't even describe it. It leaves the perfect airbrushed look without looking too done up, and you can't EVER use too much! This is a bonus when you're a bit of a klutz, as I tend to be. It's perfect for touch-ups throughout the day, and it never completely covers any other makeup you may be wearing, such as blush or eyeshadow. It only enhances the finish. Perfection!

4. Kiss...Lips are a focal point on your face, and to dress them up, I like something long-lasting, but not drying. My holy grail of lipsticks is Sephora Maniac Long-Wearing Lipcolor. I use the shade "no. 07" in my casual, everyday life, but there are several lovely colors to choose from. Most have just a touch of shimmer for prettiness without looking like you dipped your lips in shattered glass. It isn't quite as long wearing as some other types of lipcolor (Revlon ColorStay, for one), but it also does not dry like paint or flake off of my lips throughout the day, so having to reapply once or twice after meals is not such a bad trade-off. At only $12 from sephora.com or in sephora stores, it's nearly a steal!

5. Lastly, my eyes...As a fair-haired girl, I have been burdened with the curse of blonde eyelashes. No, scratch that, INVISIBLE eyelashes. Thus, one of the most coveted items in my makeup bag is mascara. As you can imagine, I've tried dozens of brands and formulas in my day, and to date, the best I have found is Cover Girl's Volume Exact. This is a godsend for anyone with fine lashes. It thickens them up glamourously without clumping. I used to spend nearly twenty minutes a day applying one, two, three, sometimes even four coats of mascara, all the while trying to comb and brush my lashes into perfection. Now, I simply apply two no-fuss coats of this divine formula and go. It has changed my life!

I hope that someone out there finds a little bit of merit to my recommendations.

Learn more about this author, Bella Grant.
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