Katie's Best Beauty Product Picks

By: Katie Gray

“You have to nourish your creativity for it to flourish.” – Kat Von D

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. We all know that beauty comes from within. We also know that beauty products, makeup, cosmetics and skincare are all part of the fun. It’s important to use quality makeup, cosmetics and skincare products – so that your skin stays healthy and hydrated. It’s well known that your skin pores can get clogged and you can get acne breakouts, if you don’t take care of your skin properly. This is why a facial cleanser, makeup remover wipes, lotions and body scrubs, are essential for the ultimate skincare. Our hair is also a vital component of our beauty regimen, and we must keep it hydrated and full of volume. We can achieve this with the use of good shampoos and conditioners, finishing creams, and hairsprays. For makeup and beauty products, the main elements are the face and lips. A good foundation powder, highlighting pen, and lipstick or lipgloss – gives you the perfect look! It’s not even time consuming when you’re just going with a natural look. All that is required is the use of the basic essentials! You can put it on when you are getting ready, and take the essential staples with you on-the-go in your purse. (Allowing for touch-ups wherever you go!)

The ‘Meow Meow Tweet’ face cleanser is being talked about in many magazines and beauty blogs right now. It’s organic, vegan, handcrafted and packed with essential oils. It started as an indie company in Brooklyn and now they make everything upstate New York. The Body Blendz that Nicole Williams created in ‘Mandarin Mist’ is an amazing body scrub made with coffee! It’s organic, all natural, cruelty free – and smells like a tropical paradise. You can find out more about Nicole and her body scrub in my celebrity interview with her. Olay’s shimmer lotions have been a pick in magazines for the last few years. Kat Von D famously has cruelty-free products and her foundation powders and lip mattes are to die for, without the cruelty! Her foundation powder has a smooth, glowing look. All you need with the powder is a concealer, you don’t need liquid foundation or anything else with it. It makes you look and feel, natural! Her lip products are amazing, the colors are bold, beautiful and they last for a long time when you wear it! Estee Lauder has been crafting luxury beauty products for decades, the signature shimmer they offer is amazing! It can be applied to eyes, cheeks and the face. It’s the perfect essential to tackle all areas of the face, without having to buy numerous products.

High quality makeup brushes are an essential! Lancôme offers the best of the best. They are pricey, but well worth it. They last and make the makeup application effortless and elegant. Another part of good skincare, is using appropriate makeup brushes – and cleaning them periodically as well!

Another component that can’t be forgotten, is the care of our feet – which is what eucalyptus spearmint comes in handy for. Nails are important, which is why routine manicures and pedicures are very beneficial. There are amazing products you can find for a great price that won’t hurt your skin, and there are also luxurious products that you can indulge in – it’s worth the splurge. It’s always good to have a variety of products that work for you, in your collection! Then you can switch it up and have fun with it from time to time. Beauty on both the inside and the outside, shines bright.

I have compiled 16 of the Best Beauty Product Picks:

1. Meow Meow Tweet Face Cleanser
   
2. Nicole Williams Body Blendz ‘Mandarin Mist’ Body Scrub
   
3. Hair Rules Hydrating Finishing Cream
   
4. Estée Lauder Signature 5-Tone Shimmer For Eyes, Cheeks & Face



5. Mary Kay Primer, Mineral Foundation Powder, Facial Highlighting Pen
   
6. Olay Quench Shimmer Lotion
   
7. Lancôme Makeup Brushes
   
8. Lancôme ‘Red Stiletto’ Lipstick & Lancôme ‘Dot Apricot’ Juicy Tubes Gloss
   
   
9. Tarte Cosmetics ‘Paaarty’ 12 Hour Blush & ‘Birthday Suit’ Lip Paint
   
10. Dr. Teal’s Eucalyptus Spearmint (Epsom Salt & Foaming Bath)
    
11. Kat Von D Foundation & Everlasting Liquid Lipstick
    
    
12. Avon Naturals Shampoo & Conditioner
    
13. Avon Lotion, Shower Gel, Bubble Bath
    
14. Beauty Without Cruelty Facial Cleanser
    
15. Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Comfort
    
16. Aussie Hairspray

          

Katie Gray is a Marymount Manhattan College alum with degrees in Communication & Media Arts and Business with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. She is a New York City based freelance writer, journalist and reporter. She has had jobs and internships with: Marie Claire, Fox News, 5W Public Relations, NY1 News, Bloomingdale’s flagship, Cumulus Media with radio stations NASH FM & PLJ, Tribeca Film Festival and New York Fashion Week with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Her work has been featured in print and online publications: Brooklyn Reporter, Cupid’s Pulse, The Daily Meal, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Center for Communication, Bensonhurst Bean, and more. You can find more articles from Katie on her website: www.xoxokatiegray.com.