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Beauty Products I Actually Recommend After 14 Years as an Esthetician
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items After 14 years in the beauty industry, these are the products I genuinely love, use and recommend. From complexion essentials to skincare and everyday favorites, each product has earned its place on this list.
Sections
8
Complexion & Base
Brushes & Makeup Tools
Blush, Bronzer & Highlighter
Eyes & Brows
Lips
Skincare Essentials
Complexion & Base
A very small amount is enough to properly cover dark circles. I apply it directly under the eyes, let it sit for a few seconds, then gently blend it with a concealer brush using only a small amount of product at a time. The texture feels lightweight ...
Radiant Creamy Concealer - NARS
I love how lightweight it feels while beautifully evening out my complexion. It never looks or feels cakey, and a small amount is enough for the entire face. I apply it with a brush for a smooth, natural-looking finish, but it can also be blended wit...
CC+ Cream Full-Coverage Foundation with SPF 50+
A great affordable alternative to the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for anyone who wants a lightweight, natural-looking everyday finish. Its breathable, oil-free formula provides buildable medium coverage without masking the skin or feeling heavy. It...
Fit Me Concealer for Natural Beauty
Brushes & Makeup Tools
This is my go-to brush for blending concealer under the eyes. Its small domed shape gives me precise control and allows me to blend a tiny amount of product without removing the coverage. I use gentle tapping motions for a smooth, natural-looking fin...
Concealer Brushes | Morphe US
This is my go-to brush for blending every type of blush—jelly, cream or tint. Although it’s marketed as a foundation brush, I personally love using it for blush because its dense, precise shape gives me excellent control and blends the product beauti...
Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for Foundation
Blush, Bronzer & Highlighter
Shade 50.5 Rosy Peach is especially beautiful on tan and olive skin all year round. The lightweight formula melts easily into the skin and is very easy to blend. It is completely buildable, so you can apply as little or as much as you want depending ...
Luminous Silk Cheek Tint Liquid Blush - Armani Beauty
I love the shade Left on Red for its beautiful color and impressive staying power. The watery formula dries fairly quickly, so I recommend applying only a small amount and blending it immediately. Too much product can become difficult to blend once i...
Sheer For It Blush Tint - Tinted Lip and Cheek Stain
What can I say about this bronzer? It’s such a versatile, go-anywhere classic. Its compact size makes it easy to carry in my bag, along with a retractable brush, whenever I need a quick touch-up. It’s perfect for refreshing my complexion before an im...
Benefit Cosmetics Hoola Matte Powder Bronzer
For anyone who enjoys a more complete makeup look, this is a great contour palette—and I also found it very beginner-friendly. I chose the pressed powder version because I have combination skin and prefer the way powder wears on my complexion. The si...
Shade + Light Face Contour Palette
Eyes & Brows
I have been using this mascara for more than 15 years, and no matter how many mascaras I try—from drugstore to high-end brands—I always come back to it. I love the impressive length it gives my lashes while keeping them beautifully separated and comp...
L'Oreal Paris Original Telescopic Mascara
This is a great affordable option for beginners, younger makeup lovers or anyone who prefers a simple, natural look. Although it is designed with one clear gel for the brows and one for the lashes, I personally use both ends only on my eyebrows, whic...
Clear Brow & Lash Mascara
This is one of my favorite affordable eyeliners. Its thin felt tip gives me great precision and makes it easy to create a clean line. Although it is described as water-resistant, I find that it still removes easily at the end of the day, which I pers...
Eyeliner Pen
This eyeliner is a must-have for me. I love its ultra-thin felt tip because it isn’t bulky or thick, making it easy to create a precise, clean line. If you don’t want to spend too much but are also hesitant to choose the least expensive option, this ...
L'Oreal Eyeliner
All three of my favorite eyeliners—from e.l.f., L’Oréal and KVD Beauty—stay in place beautifully throughout the day. The main differences come down to price, applicator preference and how much resistance you need. I especially love thin felt tips bec...
KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner Vegan Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
Lips
I’ve always loved brown and brown-toned lip liners. I used to have a favorite from Smashbox, but sadly, it has been discontinued. After trying so many others, e.l.f.’s Espresso Martini has become one of my new favorites. It glides on beautifully and ...
Espresso Martini Cream Glide Lip Liner - e.l.f. Cosmetics | Ulta Beauty
Skincare Essentials
Skincare products I’ve personally tried, loved and genuinely recommend after 14 years in the beauty industry. From everyday essentials to professional and luxury treatments, these are the formulas that delivered noticeable results and earned a place ...
I have combination skin, and this cleanser leaves my face feeling thoroughly clean without drying it out. I use it every morning and evening. When I lived in a colder climate, I avoided it during the winter because my skin became drier, but since mov...
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel Cleanser
I use this toner immediately after cleansing and before applying my serum. On my combination skin, it helps refine the appearance of my pores and leaves my complexion feeling fresh and ready for the next step in my routine. I’ve been using it with th...
Effaclar Astringent Toner for Oily Skin & Pores
I discovered this as the modern alternative to OLEHENRIKSEN’s discontinued Walnut Complexion Scrub, which was one of my favorites years ago. It combines fine sugar exfoliants with 10% AHAs, providing both physical and chemical exfoliation for softer,...
OLEHENRIKSEN 10% AHA Lemonade Smoothing Scrub
This is one of my favorite masks to use before an important or special event—a wedding, birthday, baby shower or romantic evening out. The silky gel formula with real rose petals leaves my skin feeling incredibly soft, fresh, hydrated and visibly plu...
Fresh Rose Face Mask
If I had to choose between Clarins Double Serum and Lancôme Advanced Génifique, I would choose Clarins. I have combination skin, and after only seven days of using it, I noticed a remarkable difference: my breakouts were significantly reduced, my com...
Double Serum - Best Anti-Aging & Anti-Wrinkle Serum
I love this eye cream for the instant healthy, well-rested look it gives my eyes. Its subtle pearlescent tint catches the light beautifully, brightening the under-eye area and making my entire complexion look fresher. I could even gently tap a tiny a...
GinZing™ Brightening Eye Cream with Vitamin C & ...
The version I used had a beautiful lightweight gel-cream texture that applied smoothly and absorbed extremely well. Even on my combination skin, it never felt heavy or greasy—my skin simply felt comfortable, hydrated and ready for makeup. I especiall...
Multi-Active Day Face Cream - All Skin Types
I prefer a sunscreen spray for the body because it makes full-body application and reapplication so much faster and easier than a lotion. This clear SPF 50 spray applies evenly, absorbs quickly and smells incredible. I also had the opportunity to mee...
SPF 50 Spray Sunscreen - Guava Mango
I see this SPF 18 face mist as an everyday product rather than my main sunscreen for the beach. It feels refreshing and is especially convenient for touching up sun protection throughout the day, even over makeup. I love how easy it is to keep in my ...
COOLA Organic Refreshing Water Mist
When I used Lancôme Bi-Facil, I really liked how effectively it removed mascara and eyeliner without requiring excessive rubbing. Because it is a bi-phase formula, it does leave a noticeable oily film, but that doesn’t bother me since I always follow...
Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover
Professional Skincare & Esthetician Favorites
Professional skincare products and hidden gems I discovered throughout my 14 years as an esthetician. These salon and spa-quality formulas may be less familiar or harder to find, but they deserve recognition for their performance and quality.
In my experience, this professional eye and lip makeup remover performs very similarly to Lancôme Bi-Facil. It removes makeup effectively without requiring excessive rubbing and feels gentle and comfortable on my sensitive eyes. I especially apprecia...
Vagheggi Equilibrium Eye & Lip Makeup Remover
Body Care Essentials
After my pregnancy, the skin under my arms had become noticeably darker. About a year later, I started applying this glycolic acid toner with a cotton pad. My skin tolerated it well, and with consistent use, I personally noticed approximately a 70% i...
Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
What I love most about this iconic dry oil is its beautiful, unforgettable fragrance. Despite being an oil, it absorbs almost immediately and leaves my skin feeling soft, nourished and beautifully finished without a heavy or greasy residue. It feels ...
Huile sèche multi-fonctions - Huile Prodigieuse® 100ml
This is one of my favorite body oils for summer. I love applying it all over my body, especially on my legs, where the golden shimmer catches the light beautifully and enhances my sun-kissed skin. Its iconic fragrance, silky finish and delicate spark...
NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Purpose Dry Oil
The intoxicating almond scent turns an ordinary shower into a luxurious experience. When the oil comes into contact with water, it transforms into a soft, milky texture that gently cleanses while leaving a light protective veil on my skin.
Although ...
Huile de douche Amande | L'Occitane en Provence