As Requested - The Three Beauty Products I Won't Go Without

As requested by a good friend, I will now tell you all about the three beauty products I won't go without (she asked for the products I can't live without, but I'm trying to show my depth by saying that I can live without makeup and beauty products...yeah right). :)

Anyway, these are obviously my preferences based on my beauty needs. First, Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Black/Brown. I have tried a lot of eyeliner in my time (my eyes are deep set and kind of get lost without eyeliner, I think) and this is by far the best in that the pencil is soft and doesn't tug, but also stays put really well. I have had some bad experiences with liner that goes on well but then 20 minutes later it's all over my eyelid.

Next: undereye concealer. Now, this I need your help with. I think that concealer is CRUCIAL for opening up my eye area and making my whole face look awake. However, I'm still working on finding the perfect one. My usual problems? Either the concealor is too orangey and doesn't really brighten the area OR (and this is the big-y) it becomes a weird consistency and either settles into the really fine lines under my eyes (making me suddenly look older and tired) or get's kind of grainy and cakey and looks super weird. I'm still on the hunt for a concealer that's a nice light hue but the right smooth consistency. I've tried a lot and thought I found the right one but was sadly mistaken - Boing by Benefit - too orange, Revlon New Complexion Concealer (been trying to make this work but it makes me look all grainy), Lemon Aid by Benefit (it's for your eyelids but I tried it underneath and that was the worst regarding getting in my lines and looking creased). There are many other sad failures. So, do you have a favorite? Help me!

And my final product choice that I won't go without? My flat iron!! I have large hair. Most people no longer know that since I discovered this invention - and in particular, the pricier version. For many items, buying drugstore doesn't actually make that big of a difference in performance, in my opinion. (In fact, maybe that's been the problem with my concealer attempts - maybe I need to step up to more expensive, department store products. Hmmm). However, with flat irons, getting a good quality iron makes a BIG difference. First of all, you need a LOT of heat. My Solia flat iron (which cost me about $100 if I remember) heats up to 400 degrees in a minute. So, yes, I am baking my hair. It's also ceramic, which means you don't smell burning hair when you use it because it heats your hair from the inside out instead of frying it. Not to say that this is at all good for my hair, but at least it doesn't completely wreck it. I'll go into what I do to keep my hair as damage free as possible in another post. Anyway, flat irons are amazing and a must-have. Oh, and don't think you are limited to straight styles with it - I recently learned how to CURL MY HAIR WITH MY FLAT IRON. I seriously did not think this would work but if you clamp it about an inch from your head and then turn the iron (still clamping) a full 360 degrees and then pull it through, it gives you amazing waves. It works in the same way that using scissors to put curls in ribbon works. Weird but true. And SO CUTE, I wearing my hair that way today!