Today is all about BEAUTY! These are the fun products that you can find in my makeup drawer. Maybe you use some, too? Let’s share!
Beauty Show and Tell
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Time for a fun-fun-fun chat!
Today is all about BEAUTY! It’s our beauty show-and-tell day, which is putting the Fun in February Fun Series.
A few weeks ago, I went to a cabin for a long weekend with some friends. One of my favorite things we did on one of our lazy mornings together was getting out our makeup bags and doing a show-and-tell of our favorite makeup and beauty products over second and third cups of coffee. It was so fun. We tried each other’s products and talked about what we liked and influenced each other to buy some new things.
Sometimes I think all it takes to put a little pep in your step during the LONG COLD DAYS of February is just… fun things. And a new $10 tube of mascara or a fun new way to try doing your brows is honestly sometimes all it takes to inject a little joy into the mundane. So that’s my goal with this post – less of a “here’s what I use because everyone is asking” (no one is asking! lol) and more of a “here are some fun products I love that bring me joy every time I use them” kind of list.
Alright, yes, that’s my little makeup drawer pictured above, and it’s not particularly polished and there are little eyeshadow and bronzer crumbles all over my palettes and I’m wearing my Nordic socks yet again and we’re just going with it because this is a day to just be who we are.
My disclaimer for this post is that I’m not a makeup or beauty expert which, weirdly, makes me even more excited to share the things I love. This is beauty for regulars! Personally, the only things that qualify me to write this post are a) I’m a little picky about products, and b) I occasionally watch YouTube and Instagram videos to learn about these things.
We have not been paid by any of these companies to say these things. I personally bought all these products with my own money, many of them from Instagram ads because THOSE THINGS WORK.
The links marked with a star (*) are affiliate links, meaning we may make a small commission if you click and buy something. If you’d rather us not get a commission for some reason you can just go search the product on your own rather than using these links.
So here we go – just a person on the internet sharing her favorite beauty products! ♡
Skincare
WHAT I USE IN THE MORNING: PourMoi ClimateSmart Skincare
Elizabeth Ries (fellow Minnesotan and host of Twin Cities Live) recommended this in one of her Instagram stories a while back and I bought it immediately. I’ve only had it for about two months, but I use it every morning and I love that it’s like a 3-step skincare routine that I didn’t have to really know or understand, I just bought the set and there. Done. The concept of the ClimateSmart skincare is that there’s a balancer, serum, and day cream that are all targeted uniquely to your climate – which ours is, of course, the POLAR climate. Eye roll. But I like that this is protective against our frigid weather, and as someone who has very oily skin, I also really love that it doesn’t leave my skin greasy.
WHAT I USE FOR EXTRA MOISTURIZING: Honest Company Hydrogel Cream*
I absolutely love this face cream. It feels exactly like the description says – “quenches the skin like a tall glass of water.” It has two types of hyaluronic acid in it, which means it’s mega-moisture-holding which is amazing for winter skin. I use it right when I get out of the shower to kind of preserve my steamy shower skin, and I absolutely love this stuff. And I buy it at Target. 10/10 from me!
WHAT I USE TO WASH: Honest Company Gentle Gel Cleanser*
This is my standard cleanser! I use it with the Foreo (see next section) and it doesn’t dry out my skin or irritate my eyes, so yes, it’s very gentle. Also buy this at Target.
WHAT I USE AT NIGHT: Beautycounter Tetrapeptide Cream
Am I annoyed at myself for spending $80 on a jar of night cream? Yes. But this is my Treat Yourself night cream and it is very, very luxurious. I view this as a little splurge for my skin and I buy a jar maybe once, max twice per year (I just use it periodically). I love how it feels and smells, and it’s supposed to be good for wrinkles and aging-related skin things, and if you figure the cost for how many times you use it, it’s probably even less than one of my high maintenance drink orders from Starbucks but with feel-better results.
Skincare Tools
FACE MASSAGE IN THE MORNING: GuaSha Heart Stone*
I use this Gua Sha heart stone to do facial massage / de-puffing / shaping / lymphatic drainage (lol, me talking about this) and whatever else it’s supposed to do. I basically do whatever I see @beautyshamans doing on Instagram – Shelly does tons of tutorials for how to use this and other similar stones to firm, shape, lift, smooth, and every other good thing for your skin. I do it in the morning because I feel like it wakes my skin up a little bit, and also because I’m too tired and lazy at night. 🤪
FACE MASSAGE EVERY FEW NIGHTS: Foreo Luna 3 Smart Facial Cleansing and Massage Tool*
Charlotte from Clean Foodie Cravings turned me onto this thing a couple years ago. It’s like a little electric vibrating facial massager that supposedly does a lot of good things for your face, but the thing I really love about it is that I feel like it gives my skin a REALLY deep cleansing, like really getting all the makeup and dead / dry skin off. I swear my skin absorbs twice as much lotion or night cream or whatever after I’ve used it. It just feels so clean. The little massager runs for about a minute and I focus it mostly on my forehead (busting through those stressy elevens!) and chin (mega exfoliation necessary).
DERMAPLANING ONCE EVERY FEW WEEKS: Sima Spa Science Dermaplaning Tool*
I use this thing to just gently remove that top layer of dead skin cells and peach fuzz so that lotion and makeup can go smoothly on my skin. It’s like a little non-sharp, painless razor to just kind of unearth a fresh layer of skin. Bought this one at Target! I’ve had a couple brands of these things and this one is my favorite.
Makeup
FOR FUN / FANCY BROWS: Brow Trio
I have very sad overplucked-in-middle-school brows, and Instagram knows that. I bought this off an Instagram ad and it’s very, very fun. It’s basically stencils for your brows with a little sponge and brush to fill them in – giving the look of microblading or professionally done eyebrows without actually doing the professional eyebrow thing. It stays on super well, but (somehow) also wipes off easily if you make a mistake and need to redo, which I often do. I don’t wear these everyday because they take 3-4 minutes instead of 1 minute (lol) but they are definitely my most fun trick for brows right now. I have the soft brown color, but I feel like I could have also gone a shade lighter.
FOR MOISTURE-RICH SKIN COVERAGE: Beautycounter Skin Twin Foundation
I use this daily! It’s a must-have for me because my skin isn’t naturally super even or bright, so I just feel so much more confident with some skin coverage on. It almost wears like a lotion and it just makes my skin look nice and smooth.
FOR A FUN SHADOW: Thrive Causemetics Brilliant Eye Brightener
I bought this off of an Instagram ad and I have to admit, it’s pretty fun. It’s just like a big shimmery easy-to-use eyeshadow crayon and I really like the color (I have Muna).
FOR ANOTHER FUN SHADOW: Glossier Skywash*
This is a fun little wand of matte / super-stay eyeshadow – it’s not in the picture because I used all of mine up, but I buy multiple tubes of this at a time. I love the Pebble color for a really light, natural, bright-looking eye!
FOR A LIFE CHANGING MASCARA: Honest Company Mascara*
I’ve spoken about this one before, but truly this is one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used. It comes with a primer (white) and a mascara (black), so it really pumps up your eyelashes and makes them look nice and long and natural. Love it.
FOR A LASH LIFT: Maybelline Falsies Mascara*
I have dry eye which gets a little aggressive in the winter (fun!), and one thing that I’ve found to be a trigger is mascara in my eyes. For whatever reason, my eyes do better when I switch up mascara periodically, so this is my go-to when I’m not using the Honest company stuff.
Hair
WHAT I USE EVERY DAY I DON’T WASH MY HAIR: Dry Bar Dry Shampoo*
This is my favorite dry shampoo. It smells good and it works so well for my hair. The end.
WHAT I USE TO STRAIGHTEN AND CURL MY HAIR: Tyme Iron*
Alright, listen. I was well into my 30s by the time I learned how to curl my hair, or maybe I should say, when I learned that my hair doesn’t want to be curled with a curling iron, it wants to be “curled” with a flatiron-style curler. Like this guy. If I use this to curl my hair, it still takes a bit of time (which, for me, means 15-20 minutes), but it will stay in all day and even a bit into the next day which is otherwise UNHEARD OF for my thick but fine hair. With a curling iron, my hair falls flat almost immediately. But my hair will obey this thing and stay curled for such a long time and I know the reviews can be mixed but for me, it’s really a godsend for the 3x per year that I want to actually curl my hair. I also use this to straighten my hair which isn’t really its intended use but it works well for me – two uses, one product, less things in the drawer. Win.
That’s it, friends!
Do you have any of these products? Do you have any must-try products you’d recommend to ME? I mean, this is a show-and-tell, so let me know what else I am missing.
More and more I’m feeling that beauty is less about looking good and more about feeling good, and these are the products that are getting me there lately. Wishing you lots of Feel Goods today! ♡
February 18, 2022
Nice to meet you!
I’m Lindsay and I ♡ FOOD. I used to be a teacher, and now making food and writing about it online is my full-time job. I love talking with people about food, and I'm so glad you're here.
Did you make a recipe? Tag @pinchofyum on Instagram so we can find you!
I gotta say, I miss the “realness” of the old POY. the recipes are still SO GOOD, and I can certainly understand the desire to maybe be a little more private – but I really do miss the friend vibes that used to be here. I always knew for sure if Lindsay was writing, and I miss the regular coffee dates and Sage updates! Things feel a little more commercial and colder and like there are more voices now. Change is not a bad thing, but did want to put that out there! It’s like we’ve gone from local mom and pop shoppe in a small cozy Stars Hollow kind of town to a restaurant chain buy-out.
And omg I so hope that didn’t sound harsh!! Was just feeling nostalgic. I know businesses change and people pivot based on life!! Nothing unkind meant. I still love POV 🙂
Fun to read what your using! I feel a whole lotta realness from your blog—especially your coffee dates! You word things so well. I’m often shaking my head “yesss!” Keep bring you.
Not really real and down to earth the way it used to be before they got staff (which makes sense!). That’s just the nature of the beast when you expand and you lose one singular voice. Happens to lots of blogs. 🙂
Love some of the recs on this post (gua sha has been such a happy addition to my self-care routein!), but an FYI for folks reading: Beautycounter is an MLM, if that’s something you care about avoiding.
It is, but you can also purchase from their website without having to choose a consultant to make that purchase through. By doing it that way, for all intents and purposes from a customer standpoint, the MLM aspect is basically non-existent. It’s no different than buying from any other online retailer.
I loved reading this! Thanks for sharing! My current “ride or die” beauty products are
1) Fresh brand night cream. The only thing I’ve found that’s hydrating enough for my dry winter skin yet doesn’t make me break out.
2) Glossier Cloud Paint in “Storm.” Such a lovely natural flushed color and it actually.stays.on. (an issue I have with lots of creamy blushes).
3) Ilia mascara. THE BEST I’ve tried (lengthening, volumizing but still natural looking, buildable, doesn’t flake or irritate). My sister swears the mini version of this mascara is even better than the full sized!
I always love hearing about new products. I use Hourglass mascara- it’s long lasting and vegan-cruelty free. Thanks!
What a fun post! I usually use mainly face stuff from The Ordinary because it’s really affordable and works well, but I just got a sample of the Biossance vitamin c dark spot fader and dang it is good. It’s done a great job of fading the pink marks on my face from past acne on my fair skin. Definitely splurging on that when I run out of the sample. Otherwise, a few faves:
Koses lipstck- I got rosewater, but it’s great coverage and feels good on the lips
Glossier blush- I’ve tried cheaper dupes, but this one last so long on my dry skin and is so easy to use
First Aid Beauty ultra repair cream- I have dry, sensitive skin and this feels soooo good one. I put it on after my evening shower and my skin feels great by morning.
This was fun to read. I will make my way to Target to find some of your recommendations. I wanted to share a mascara that I really like. You mentioned Thrive eyeshadow. I use Thrive mascara. I have rather non-descript lashes and I feel as though their mascara gives me some length. I do not use an eyelash curler but I use an eyelash primer first, then mascara. I don’t get the lashes they advertise, but I can still see my upturned lashes at the end of the day! Thank you for sharing, Lindsay!
I’m also now a Thrive mascara convert (after seeing the IG ads, of course!). I was using the Honest one, but I like Thrive even better, especially for how well it stays on and how easy it comes off with water (no rubbing!)
I’ll have to check out those brow stencils because I have similarly sad, over plucked middle school brows (what was I thinking?!). My fave beauty product is the Biossance squalane + vitamin C rose oil. I swear by it for MN winters.
Very fun post! I love that you had a beauty show & tell on your girl’s weekend getaway. I’m already thinking of ideas on how I can plan something similar with my girlfriends soon! I am in MN too and am feeling the EXTRA LONG winter…second Friday in a row that we have been in a blizzard warning where I live. Cute makeup drawer and love the socks!:) I am a beauty product junkie & love trying new things. Even better when I can buy them at Target or Amazon. The Brow Trio has intrigued me ever since I saw it on Instagram & the Thrive eye brightener looks like so much fun! I have the same problem with thick but fine hair (it’s so annoying). In my search to find the right products for my oily, almost 41-year-old face, I have discovered The Ordinary. While I don’t love all the products in the line, The Buffet is one that I like the most. I do a lot of my beauty product shopping at Ulta. I have really sensitive eyes and have not issues with their eye shadows, eye liners and mascaras. Thanks again for the recommendations!
I do love a good product rundown! Always so fun to hear what people are using. I just started using the AHA BHA peel from The Ordinary and I feel like it has changed my face! Redness, dullness, blotchy uneven roughness, gone! My skin hasn’t been so smooth and even and glowy since I was a baby child.
Great post! I’m always looking for new products and will try a couple you recommended. My top choices:
1) Lolavie glossing detangler and leave-in conditioner for hair
2) Better Not Younger shampoo/conditioner
3) Neutrogena HydroBoost line (cleanser, moisturizer with sunscreen, night pressed serum)
4) Olay Eyes shea butter + peptide rich eye cream
5) Coco & Eve Sunny Honey bronzing face drops (gives me a great tanned glow all winter!
6) New York Biology Dead Sea Mud Mask
Thanks for sharing! I love fun stuff like this. It’s just neat to hear favorites!
My only suggestion is to give your skin a gift and book a facial with a qualified skin care expert.
I work outdoors and began seeing with an esthetitian years ago. A personalized routine has been the best ‘medicine’ for a beautiful complexion and less costly than a drawer full of ‘mistakes’.
If I want to spend 15 extra minutes on my hair, I swear by my spinning brush blow dryer. But I’m wondering if I should combine it with the Tyme Iron you recommended. I also suffer from very fine hair (and a lot of it), so it does go limp very quickly each day.
Loved this! It was fun, I will look into some of these products. So good to see you post!
This was fun!! I enjoy reading and hearing what everyone loves and will buy over and over. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing – I love learning what other people are using in their routines! I recently started following an account on instagram called @brandefy_ and it’s a great one for finding affordable options that are dupes for many big name brands.
Love the recs! I appreciate getting them from regulars instead of beauty experts because I’m pretty low maintenance. Also an FYI- Honest beauty products are 20% through the Target cartwheel app now through 2/26
Loved this post! But more importantly, where did you get the cute little boxes in the drawer that hold everything? They fit perfectly!
Have you tried the Coconut Colada version of the Detox Dry Shampoo? It is my all-time favorite. The smell is divine and IMO it works better than the original. Anyway, this is my PSA that you need to try the Coconut Colada version of the Detox Dry Shampoo. It’s amazing. I bought it from Ulta if you’re curious.
Thanks for sharing fun posts! I really do love all of the different types of post on Pinch of Yum! You guys are the real MVP.
Why i am so obsessed with your collection… Like ugh
Just curious…You mentioned that you purchased the derma plane tool at Target. Why then, have a link for Amazon?
Me too! Bad form POY!
This was a fun post to read, like chatting with your best friend! I also use Honest Company mascara and love it! For my brows I continue to use It Cosmetics Brow Power Brow Pencil in Universal Taupe. It is the most natural looking brow pencil I’ve tried and comes in a few colors. I recently tried Roc Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle night cream (I’m 42) and after using it my face looks so refreshed in the morning! I am truly seeing results!
I recently tried the Cardi B’s lipstick, and it has quickly become my favorite! The color payoff is incredible, offering rich, vibrant hues that last all day without fading. The formula is smooth and moisturizing, preventing my lips from drying out, which is often a problem with long-wear lipsticks. Plus, the packaging is sleek and feels luxurious