If The Q taught us anything, it’s that necessity truly is the mother of invention, am I right!? 😉💕
Never did I ever think I’d see the day where I did my ownnnnn nails! *GASP* Suddenly, all of us beauty queens were left to our own devices, and with our beloved Sephora’s doors slammed shut, I decided to get a bit creative & opt for a retailer with much speedier ship times, Amazon. I needed a pink facial steamer, and I needed it NOW! ((Or at least left on my doorstep within 24 hours 😜)) I knew times were getting really tough when I ran into some of y’all at Trader Joe’s & I could see your Freida-esque unibrows peeking over your masks, all the way from the quinoa aisle ((don’t worry, there’s an Amazon product for that!)) Alas, as I mentioned before, Besos was my boyfriend all quarantine long, having sweet gifts delivered damn near daily, for next to nothing, so that I could do beauty DIY projects on myself– quite possibly the only thing that kept me sane all summer. Without further adieu, here are my top 20 tried & true Amazon Beauty must-haves! 💖
♡ Gua Sha & Roller ♡
Gua sha changed my LIFE!!!! If you were to tell me 2 years ago that I would essentially begin massaging my face for 15 minutes a day with a rock I would’ve told ya you were crazy, but here we are! ;D It all started when I saw supermodels like Romee sharing their gua sha routine on YouTube for de-puffing & face sculpting. Curious, I ordered some rose quartz tools of my own. They sat around unused for awhile, but then things really started heating up was when I started following @noyskincare. I watched an IG live of her & Melissa Wood, followed along, and was MIND BLOWN! Doing gua sha ((regularly & properly)) results in a snatched jawline, sculpted cheekbones, lifted brows, erases fine lines, and totally awakens the skin! It’s seriously a workout for your face. I am addicted, and crave doing my routine every single day. This is the double-chin cure you’ve been praying for!
♡ Creaseless Hair Clips ♡
OMG, I cannot do my makeup without these glamorous lil creaseless hair clips holding my setting curls back away from my face! They truly are creaseless. A must-have in every celebrity makeup artist’s kit. Not only do they hold your hair back, they are meant to “set” your hair. What I do is part my hair down the middle & curl my hair away from my face in layers, then I hose it down with a light layer of hairspray and then use 4 of these hair clips to “set” with a middle part. When I’m done with my makeup, I remove the clips, brush out my curls, and flip my hair over to the side for that mega 90’s babe volume! This simple trick makes a HUGE difference.
♡ Kitsch Satin Sleep Set ♡
Read all about why you need to be sleeping on silkies, here! In short, it’s so good for your hair and skin because it’s so gentle and doesn’t pull or dry them out. This lil set is one of my favorite 2020 purchases, I now use the silky scrunchies exclusively & I swear it’s a big reason why my hair has grown so much longer and thicker this year!
♡ Pink Facial Steamer ♡
All about DIY facial at home: here! Promise me you’ll get nice n steamy before you get hot n heavy going to town on your blackheads!!! Not only is steaming great to open your pores for extractions, it’s amazing to do before applying a mask or products because it helps it penetrate deeper. This one is so cute & user friendly. Just add water to the fill line, plug it in, and it will start steaming and then automatically turn off after 10 minutes.
♡ Blackhead Scrubber ♡
How to get rid of a dirty lil nose full of baby blackheads for good? THIS THING! Post steam ((or a steamy shower, tbh)) bust out this spatula thing and slowlllllly press it firmly on your nose and kinda scrape in an upwards motion and watch as all the yucky gunk begins to jump onto the metal, lol. It’s… gross, but highly effective! Here’s the thing though… only do 1-2 passes on each area, and only do this once or MAYBE twice a week. I’ve found out the hard way that if you do it too much, it wrecks your skin by drying it out soooooo much or rubs it so raw that it will peel for a week! Don’t go too crazy, or you’ll pay for it!
♡ Silk Touchups ♡
I have 4 words for you, do with it what you please: Girl, shave your face. Throw your Tinkle razors in the trash, and use these instead– so much better for an at-home dermaplane moment.
♡ Aztec Clay Mask ♡
The only mask you’ll ever need to naturally cure troublesome skin! I do this mask religiously the week // few days before my period, and my once common hormonal breakouts that I used to count on occurring each month are now non-existent. Amazing miracle worker on breakouts, there’s nothing better on the market! Mix 1 tablespoon of powder with 1ish tablespoon apple cider vinegar ((KEY)) into a smooth paste & then apply a decently thick layer all over your face 🙂 Within minutes, you’ll feel it begin to pulsate as it dries… I feel like it’s quite literally sucking all the bad stuff out of my skin! Rinse with warm water, top with a nourishing rich cream or oil like marula, and enjoy baby soft skin. I recommend only doing this at night before bed, as you get pretty red and definitely don’t want to sweat or put makeup on after doing it!
♡ Ice Roller ♡
If you haven’t used an ice roller, you haven’t lived! Like a mini cryotherapy session for your face. I’ve been in a serious, committed relationship with mine for 3+ years now. I just aimlessly run it over my freshly washed face every morning while my coffee brews, until it’s no longer cold! A must-have for every gal’s hangover routine: hiiiiii instant depuff.
♡ Paula’s Choice Toner ♡
After hearing about this cult-favorite skin perfecting toner, I bought a bottle and will never look back! It’s so great for smoothing, plumping, and eliminating texture. I apply a few drops to a cotton pad and onto fresh clean dry skin ((I cannot stress this enough: double cleanse, girl!)) a few nights a week before bed, alternating with Good Genes. One thing I’ve researched this year ((that I was basically doing all wrong before, lol)) is what ingredients work well together, and which ones don’t. Sometimes you’re layering your skincare and the actives are canceling each other out, or it’s a bad mix that creates irritation or adverse reactions! One bad concoction: vitamin C + aha // bha. So stick to this for PM & vitamin C in the AM, always!
♡ Mad Hippie Vitamin C ♡
I really love this vitamin C serum! I’ve experimented with all of the top rated serums Amazon & always find myself going back to this one 🙂 I love that it contains ferulic acid, which is a powerhouse ingredient that helps boost the effects of other antioxidants. Vitamin C is quite unstable ((just like some of our bffs 😉 )) and ferulic is the perfect friend to lean on to stay strong & not just be a waste of goo that we’re applying to our face!
♡ Vital Proteins Collagen ♡
Can’t talk about this enough: DRINK YOUR COLLAGEN!!! ♡ 1 scoop in my coffee every morning ((I should probably graduate to 2 by now, tbh)) for gorgeous glowy skin, long shiny hair, unbelievable lashes, and your strongest nails ever!
♡ Beauty Blenders ♡
I’ve compared the OG Beauty Blender to this wayyyy less expensive alternative & I see no difference in quality! Love this because I can just toss them for a fresh new sponge after a month or so.
♡ Dry Brush ♡
I’m new to the dry brush game, but as a gal who’s spent the past 6 months living in a bikini, I wanted to get a grip on that pesky cellulite on my legs ((newsflash: everyone has a little, it’s okay!!!)) I need to start doing this more religiously, I keep forgetting about it, but everyone I know who has their hands on one swears by it.
♡ iPhone Ring Light ♡
Ring light: https://amzn.to/33eQscq
Ring lights really do amp up the quality + beauty of your iPhone photos & FaceTime sessions, tenfold! Somethin you just gotta see to believe 😉 Get one.
♡ Buxom Lip Plumper ♡
K, I’m not kidding, when I look at photos of myself from even one year ago my lips have gotten quite a bit bigger… and I’ve never had filler or anything like that, I promise! I think I have my addiction to lip plumper to thank for that. When I say addiction, I mean that my lips literally need to be doused in minty fresh tingly plumping gloss at all times! This is one of my faves. I love White Russian & Blushing Margarita.
♡ Bondi Sands Self-Tan + Mitt ♡
I started using this self-tanner about 6 months ago and… It’s 10//10, sista!!! I’ve tried everything on the market, and I’m just obsessed with the wear & color ((and price!!!)) of Bondi Sands! The tones of the Ultra-Dark shade work best with my skin tone and delivers such a pretty golden olive color payoff, whereas I felt like Dark was more on the orange side on me. Check out: Tanning Post for all of my tips on how to get the perfect tan!
♡ Essie Gel Couture Polish & Top Coat ♡
Top coat: https://amzn.to/2HCnb2O
I thought that I was the world’s worst self-manicurist until I got my hands on a bottle of this stuff! Like everyone else, I had to kiss my bi-weekly trips to the nail salon goodbye when The Q began… Bare nails just don’t sit right with me, so I embarked on a DIY mission ((that began with press-ons and ended in a tragic, shredded, weak nail nightmare after I ripped them off– still shudder at the thought!)) Anyways, once I nursed my nails back to health, I decided I’d better stick to something more simple… after that mess, I was not about to purchase my own actual gel kit + light! So I went for the Essie “Gel” Couture polish and I’ll never go back to regular polish again. It’s so much better! First of all, the brush is SO GOOD. It’s big and thick and makes it a trillion times easier to do your own nails. The real magic is in the top coat that seriously brings the color to life & shines to the gods! The polish lasts so much longer than regular polish, barely ever chips, and is easily removed with just nail polish remover. My favorite colors are: Haute to Trot ((Barbie pink vibes)) and Matter of Fiction ((looks just like OPI Mod About You, one of my signature pastel baby pink colors))
♡ Hydroboost Cleanser & Moisturizer ♡
My favorite basic, everyday cleanser & moisturizer! Inexpensive and gets the job done. Super hydrating, as it’s jam packed with my fav ingredient: hyaluronic acid. The consistency, formulation, and texture for both of these is just so ideal for me: gel, quenching, and soaks in so nicely. This moisturizer doesn’t pill on my skin and pairs perfectly with my makeup ((If your makeup is patchy or balls up on your face, it’s probably because your moisturizer + primer or foundation don’t play well together! Gotta find that nice chemistry)) Sometimes I feel like it’s good to go back to basics & simplify: a cleanser that gets your skin really clean ((double cleanse, or bust!)) and a moisturizer that really hydrates and nourishes. A simple and inexpensive foundation and starting point that can easily cure a lot of skin woes– sometimes we’re just doin’ too much!
♡ Moroccanoil ♡
Oil is my #1 hair product I could not live without! A dime sized amount through damp hair ((mid-shaft to ends)) before blowdrying?! PERFECTION. It’s pretty magical stuff, it smooths, hydrates, nourishes, adds mega shine, and drastically cuts down dry time. Not to mention, Moroccanoil smells like heaven. Don’t be afraid to use oil on your hair or face, I promise you it’s the biggest game changer out there. Start with the mini bottle, fall in love, and then you’ll feel confident in the big daddy bottle splurge 😉 Don’t worry, it will last you like 6 months.
PRO TIP: For extra gorgeous locks, do a pre-wash mask by saturating your hair in oil & put it in a ballerina bun for a few hours or the night before you wash + sleep in it!
♡ Native Deo ♡
I’ve tried every natural deodorant, and this is the only one I like & it truly works! My favorite scent is Coconut Vanilla, it smells like syrup lol. Aztec mask pits detox to help aid the inevitable stank you get when you switch to au naturale
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