I’m a total beauty product junkie – probably something else Solmaz and I have in common. I’m always buying new products from Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart looking for the next “must-have” that will make my skin glow or just make me look plain ‘gorgeous’…lol.

Having said that there are a few things that I have been using for years and years – products which are essential to my daily routine. I love both department store brands and drugstore brands – so I have a good mix of both that I use everyday.

(Clockwise from top left)

Benefit Get Even Powder: I have pretty oily skin so I need a powder that is controls oil and gives good coverage. This compact powder does the job without clumping or making me look too “done-up”. It comes in three shades of Light, Medium and Dark. I usually use Light in the winter and Medium in the summer.

Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder: As you can see I’m quite a big fan of Benefit cosmetics, since not only are the products super effective, but they also come in cute packaging. This bronzing powder is supposed to be good for all skin tones – I don’t know if it would be good on medium-olive tones since I’m quite fair and it’s a good shade for me. I use this all year-round to get a bit of colour on my face and it never looks too fake or over-done.

L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Mascara Waterproof in Carbon Black: I absolutely cannot live without this mascara. I’ve tried quite a few over the years – plenty of the expensive department store brands as well as other drugstore brands – but none have worked as well as this one. I like the waterproof version because I find that the formula is a bit thicker and does not smudge easily. This mascara gives to plenty of volume as well as length. Another reason I love Voluminous is because it really helps maintain the curl of my lashes after I use an eyelash curler.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler: This one is precise and gets all your lashes curled without any pinching or breaking of the lashes.

Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect: I couldn’t find a picture of the exact shades that I use but I usually got for a bright pink or a beige tone to suit my skin tone. This gloss gives great colour and shine without the goopy-ness that most glosses have. Besides I love the glam packaging of Dior products.

Rimmel London Soft Kohl Kajal Eye Pencil: I really like to define my eyes with a dark pencil and this one does a great job. It has a great smooth texture and doesn’t rub off easily. It’s a good bargain as well – around $6-7 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Origins A Perfect World Body Cream: This body cream from Origins is formulated with natural ingredients and does not have any harmful additives or parabens. My skin gets really dry in the winter but this does a great job of moisturizing my skin. Everyone should need to try this cream, it has the most amazing scent ever – a mix of light florals, fruits and white tea.

Of course, there are tons of other things I use as well, but these are the ones that I think everyone should have or at least try.

What are your beauty essentials? Let me know – I’m always open to trying new products!

E

images from Sephora.com, Origins.com, Lorealparis.ca, Stylefinder.com