While browsing for beauty products the options are literally endless. Anyone who has ever entered a Sephora or even a drug store with a beauty & skincare section like our trusty old Health & Glow here will vouch for that. While I, like everyone else using that excuse, love to experiment with new products, I do however have a list of things that I always try to keep at hand. These are my ‘holy grail’ products that I’ve tried and tested and always go back to. Sort of like your high school best friend, but in the form of a beauty product. Some of these I’ve used for years, some I’ve recently discovered but all of them I will continue to use and repurchase again and again till I no longer have any money left. Or they are discontinued.
Tresemme Heat Protectant – I’ve talked about my hair care routine here before. I style my hair pretty much every time I wash it, which is usually once in 4 days or so and I always use a heat protectant. This is my favourite one. I buy them from Amazon and get two bottles at a time so I’m never out.
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer – I don’t use a primer everyday because I don’t really wear a full face of makeup everyday. On the days I do, I use this religiously. Need very little of it and gives a clear smooth finish and makes my skin look flawless. Still on my first tube, will definitely repurchase when I run out.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum in Oil – I think I’ve gone through at least 3 bottles of this stuff. I use it a couple of times a week at night. On these days I usually skip my night cream and just apply a few drops of the oil on my palms and dab it on my face.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil – I use this to spot treat any blemishes or break outs on my skin. Works very well for me.I wash my face and then take a few drops on the tips of my fingers and apply it directly on the spots and blemishes. Let it dry and then continue to apply my night cream.
Moroccan Argan Oil – I use this as a leave in serum for my hair after I wash it. I apply directly to my towel dried hair while its still slightly wet and then wrap my hair in the towel again to let in absorb for about 10 minutes or so. Smells great and leaves my hair feeling smooth and soft. Then I proceed to blow dry it or whatever else kind of torture I have planned for my hair that day.
MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation – I use this on my face every day. I put my moisturizer and sunscreen on, and then put this powder on my face and immediately look at least seventeen times better. Its probably more expensive than your average face powder, but hey its probably also seventeen times better than your average face powder. So who are we really to complain. I use a Real Technique Kabuki brush to apply it.
MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation – This the only foundation that I think looks perfect on my skin in all sorts of weather conditions. It looks exactly like how I want a foundation to look on my face. Kinda like there is no foundation on my face and my skin is naturally all smooth and matte and the same color everywhere without any spots or blemishes (That was a very long sentence, I’m sorry). I like this foundation so much that every time someone mentions another product is a ‘dupe’ of this (which basically means its a duplicate at a lesser price, for all of you out there not familiar with advanced beauty blogger lingo like I am) I always fall for it and buy said product. And invariably regret it, as its never actually a dupe. So learn from my mistakes and save your money. Just try this at a local MAC counter and get it if it suits your skin.
The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter – This is honestly the most amazingly scented body butter I have ever used. Its fresh and citrusy and stays on my skin all day without being a crazy overpowering perfume. I hoard tubs of it in the fear that they will discontinue the range. They also have the body mist, soap, body wash and the body lotion in this range. Yes before you ask, I have used all of it, and no not all at the same time.
L’Oreal Paris Brow Artist Genius Kit – This is quite aptly named because it is genius! Its exactly what you need to make your eyebrows look groomed without having to use absolutely anything else. Mine are really sparse and thin. Which never really bothered me, I didn’t even realise till I started taking all these pictures of myself for the blog and they all looked like I had no eyebrows. So ya I had to do something about it. This product is a tiny square with a wax and a powder, and an applicator with an angled brush on one end and a spoolie on the other end. Its very convenient and easy to use even for someone inexperienced like me. Takes me about 2 minutes to do everyday.
Davidoff Cool Water – This is probably my favourite everyday scent. No matter how many other perfumes I get, I somehow always reach for this on the daily. Have gone through numerous bottles and will continue to repurchase.
The Urban Decay Naked Palette – This is the one time where I have splurged on a very hyped and talked about beauty product and it has worked out. Literally every other time I have crashed and burned. I’m not sure I’ll ever really use up all the shadows in the palette but if I do I would definitely get another one. Its the perfect palette in my opinion and has all the shadows I would ever use. Like me if a smokey eye is the height of your shadow skills then think no more and just get this one palette and you’ll be set.
MAC Prep & Prime Fix + – This is a an amazing product.It has so many uses! I use it as a setting spray, I spray it on my beauty blender and my blending brush that I’m using for my foundation. I also use it to wet my brushes before using any metallic looking eyeshadows, also when I’m using black or dark eyeshadows. There is less fall out that way and the metallic shadows look shinier and pop more. I also just spray it on my face randomly during the day if I’m wearing makeup, it freaks my husband out and thats always very entertaining.
Nivea Cocoa Butter Body Lotion – This stuff is great for dry skin, during winters and actually all year around. Also helps reduce the appearance of stretch marks and smells great too. I’ve used this forever and have gone through a zillion bottles of it.
MAC Ruby Woo, MAC Mehr – The perfect red and nudish pink lipstick respectively for my skin tone. But that of course doesn’t stop me from getting other ones. Pretty much my whole lipstick collection with swatches here if you’re curious.
MAC Velvet Teddy + MAC Boldly Bare – This combination results in my favourite shade of nude. This is after endless permutations and combinations and buying tons of other very similar but not exactly the same shade of nude lipsticks. I did it so you don’t have to. You’re welcome. I will wear it endlessly forever. Can’t stop won’t stop. Forever and always. I have officially run out things to say. Sorry not sorry. Okay I’ll stop now.
We have now reached the end of this post. Hope you found some stuff you would like to give a try and do leave your most used holy grail products in the comments below so we can give them a try too!
As always, do follow us on on Instagram, we are getting very into the stories, they are so much fun! Please make sure you have signed up for our emails – this a super easy way to keep track of our posts, just put your email ids below. Come say hi on our Twitter – its great for chatting! Till next time!
–Sat
I have also used the Moroccan Argan Oil and really liked it. I also love The Body Shop’s Vitamin E and Tea Tree products, my favourites are the Tea Tree face exfoliator and Vitamin E serum.