Two Beauty Products We Swear By

Katie and I obviously look very different (she’s fair, I’m swarthy), and we also have different approaches to products and makeup.  Katie tends to be dry, and barely ever washes her face, whereas my pores produce more barrels of oil per day than Prudhoe Bay.  On a recent visit Katie packed no beauty products other than her hairbrush, knowing that she could use my stuff if the rare urge to wear makeup struck her (and also knowing that I don’t use a hair brush).  Me?  I don’t go to the grocery store without makeup on my face and tweezers in my purse (you never know when you’ll find an errant eyebrow or worse).

Despite our differences, there are two products we both use all the time, and that work equally well for both of us.  Here they are:

  1.  Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Rose

Subtle but buildable color in a non-stinky, non-sticky formula.  As Katie says, “your lips, only better.”

Red House West || Three Products We Swear By

2.  Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm

This magical potion only comes in two colors, but seems to work for lots of complexions–Katie and I both use the lighter of the two colors.  It gives decent, natural looking coverage, is never cakey, and blends without effort.  Plus it has SPF 45.  It’s not exactly a bargain, but one tube lasts forever (especially if you’re Katie, who I think has had literally one tube for the past 2 years).

Red House West || Three Products We Swear By

What are your beauty staples?

8 responses on “Two Beauty Products We Swear By

  1. isabel

    For the best consumer advise on cosmetics I go to Paula’s Choice beautipedia and read reviews of the products. (http://www.paulaschoice.com/?ftlt=branded&gclid=CjwKEAjw5vu8BRC8rIGNrqbPuSESJADG8RV0G6atefiRtLweUXRB-9BCo50WHF2zzAqcCpi6SQhA1hoCkx7w_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds)
    I also use several, but not all, of the products that this site sells. The cosmetics reviews of other brands are excellent, and the staff recommends a lot of products that you will find sold by major cosmetics makers, plus lesser known cosmetics fims. The review will tell you what is in the product and how it reacts with your skin. Sorry this is so long a response, but I have learned a lot about what goes into the making of cosmetics just by reading the Paula’s Choice site.

    1. Mera Post author

      Thanks for the recommendation, Isabel! I’m always looking for credible product reviews, definitely bookmarking Paula’s Choice!

  2. Carol Bryner

    I like the idea of that lip balm. The one “beauty product” I used since I was in college was discontinued a few years ago! The horror!! It was a moisturizer from Elizabeth Arden, (Velva Moisture Film), and I’ve really not found anything to quite replace it, but I do like the inexpensive “Simple” moisturizers that have no fragrance and sunscreen.

    1. Mera Post author

      That’s the worst! I actually intended to write about three products Katie & I both use, the third being Kiehl’s Argan Conditioner, only to discover that the company has done away with it. Now commences a long period of conditioner mourning and frizzy hair until we stumble across an acceptable substitute. 🙁

    1. Mera Post author

      My love of tinted lip balm dates back to the 80s when I fell in love with a purple tinted zinc oxide stick. Remember that stuff? Only my lips got the benefit of the sunscreen–the rest of my face was slathered with tanning accelerator and my hair was stiff with sun-in. Jewel Lake sunbathing was never classier! 😉

  3. Nina D

    Clinique’s Black Honey Almost Lipsick. Is it a gloss? A balm? I’ve been using it for four decades and I’m not sure. It looks black in the tube but glides on the lips a very sheer raisin-y tint. It’s supposedly a universally appealing color. Not sure about that but It feels fantastic. I have always owned a tube since the 70s and while I don’t wear it exclusively, whenever I do I’m like: oh, yeah, I love this stuff!

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