This post isn’t about lipstick colors or what my favorite eye shadow is.  This is about the OMG, I can’t live without these beauty aids – – the prep I do before applying makeup.  Oddly enough, five of the eight are for the eyes!

8 Must-Have Beauty Aids

It’s rare I walk into a store to purchase a new beauty aid without having had a recommendation from a gal pal or having read about it on a blog or magazine.  I want to know something works before purchasing it!  I have gathered up eight of my favorite beauty aids, many of which came from recommendations.   Others I have been using so long, I don’t know where I learned about them.

You can find these products on Amazon, local department stores and some at your local drug store.

Without further ado, here are my 8 must-have behind the scenes beauty aids.

1.  Clarisonic

 

Before I purchased my Clarisonic, I had seen them in advertisements and thought they were pricey and not necessary.  Then one day my friend Karen and I went to a salon together.  The gal that waited on us was an esthetician.  She had the most beautiful complexion.  She looked French to me.  She had short hair and very simple make up – – who needs a lot with such a gorgeous complexion, right?  We asked her what her secret was, thinking she would say facials or one of the creams that they sold.  She said she attributed it to her Clarisonic.  Need I say more as to why I purchased it?

I have been using my Clarisonic for about 18 months and love it.  I feel it exfoliates and brightens my skin tone.  Once turning on the device, it runs for approximately 15 seconds and then pauses for a second, repeating the same time frame three more times.  I divide my face in four sections and just move the device to the next area when prompted.   I use it in the shower every morning with my favorite cleanser.

For more technical information, this is from the Clarisonic website:

Unlike spinning devices, our patented sonic technology works with skin’s natural elasticity, oscillating at a sonic frequency that produces over 300 movements per second. The resulting flexing action works to loosen dirt and oil, removing deep-seated impurities from pores and priming skin to better absorb topical treatments.

2.  Facial Hair Bleach

No gal likes facial hair and especially a female moustache.  I have been using Sally Hansen or Jolen Cream Bleach since I was a teenager. Both work well and I purchase whichever product is available.  I much prefer bleaching over waxing.  It’s simple and easy to do and only requires about 10 minutes overall to apply and lighten the dark hair.   The key here is to not over bleach the hair which would make it more noticeable.  Follow the package directions and you can check the progress after the recommended time.  This is part of my monthly beauty routine.

3.  Anti-Puff Eye Roller

There are so many reasons that cause me to wake up with bags under my eyes.  They will be puffy if I had too much salt, slept wrong, watched a tear jerker movie, you name it.  Not a pretty sight the next morning!

My aunt introduced me to a wonderful product by Garnier.  It’s called the Anti Puff Eye Roller.  It’s cool to the touch and you roll the serum under your eyes and along the eye brow.  It really does help to reduce the puffiness.

As much as I like this roller though, I am always open to trying other products.  Do you have a favorite way to de-puff your morning eyes?

4. Eyeshadow Primer

This is one of my favorite beauty aids.  I carry very little makeup in my purse.  I basically only touch up lipstick throughout the day and sometimes blush.  I use a fabulous eye primer by Urban Decay called Eyeshadow Primer Potion.  It allows me to apply my eye makeup in the morning and it lasts all day.  I don’t have to do anything until I take it off at night.   At the end of the day you will be amazed how your eye shadow application lasted a full day.

 5.  Eyebrow Brush

My eyebrows can be unruly.  This eyebrow brush is one I have had for many years.  My tip is to lightly spray hairspray on it and brush my brows up.  It’s an easy way to tame the brows.

6.  Eyebrow Pencil

I had a makeover at Estee Lauder a while back and the makeup artist was visiting from NYC.  He used a soft blond automatic brow pencil  for my eyebrows to help fill in the brow.  My natural color is brown.  The blond pencil was the perfect color because it really just filled in the background and didn’t look fake at all.

 7.  Eye Make Up Remover

I make a mess of my eyes when I put on my mascara.  It’s the first thing I do when applying my make up so I can clean up the mess and proceed with the rest of my makeup application.

This 100% oil free makeup remover from Loréal is my favorite.  Clinique also makes what I think is the exact same kind but I have only used their samples that come at Gift time.  The Loréal one is much less expensive.  What I love about this remover is that it is not oily at all.  I just dip a fresh q-tip in the bottle and clean up any black marks left behind from applying my mascara.

8.  Makeup Primer

The best way to find products is by recommendations and this one is no exception.  After complimenting my friend Peggy on her makeup one day, she told me about a primer she was using by Shiseido.  Her face was glowing so I thought I would give it a try.  The first week I bought it my friend Karen asked if I was using something different on my face.  She noticed right away and she too is now using it.

Those are my 8 behind the scenes beauty aids that are tried and true.  Do you have any favorites to share?  If so, please comment below.

Thanks for stopping by.