Top Beauty Picks For 2012

I get a ton of compliments on my make up- particularly my eyes. Everyone is always asking me what products I use, what I like, what I don't like...I'm always on the prowl for new make up, but unfortunately (as those of you who know me personally already know) I am EXTREMELY pale. I'm not talking fair, I'm talking porcelain-doll- almost-albino. My skin is also very sensitive, and though it is dry and not oily at all- it is very prone to  break outs. This has caused me a lot of issues in the foundation world, because foundations that I like, that match (or at least enhance) my natural skin tones, that don't make my face freak out- are very hard to find.I figure that there are other people out there like me, who have a hard time finding "The Right Make UP" and spend a fortune trying different stuff out. Also, for anyone who knows me, I'm very frugal. I don't buy name brands, because I honestly can't afford that. In case you are worried about price, I only buy my make up at places like Wal-mart or Smith's Market Place.Since a lot of these are cheap, and I kinda seem to just be reading off what I use, some people might think that I just bought something and picked it without trying anything else this is NOT the case. I've bought a lot of miserable flops too.. That being said, there are a few things I DO splurge for; but that is only because I can't find anything just as good for less. ...So...without further Ado, I present.....

TheSiren's Top Beauty Picks For 2012

 

 

 

Face

 

Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub- For the most part, I can't use any of those products with the scrubber "beads" in them, because they clog my pores and irritate my sensitive skin. This face wash though was really nice, and helped give me a boost and get my skin clean. It's very refreshing with a gentle tingle, not a burn.
-Price I paid- $6.97, purchased at Walmart

 

Witch Hazel- Doesn't matter what brand, but I highly recommend using this as a toner. It helps minimize pores, clean up left over makeup/gunk/makeup and leaves your friend feeling refreshed.  Tip- don't buy it in the makeup department! you will easily pay triple (or more) than what you should. Buy Witch Hazel in the pharmacy area where they keep band aids and you will get it way cheap.
-Price I paid- $1.88, purchased at Walmart

Noxema Triple Clean Anti Blemish Pad- A great acne pad, these things are soaked in a Salcylic Acid treatment, and have either a soft side or a scrubber side. I use these both for acne and for prevention. I use the pads twice a day.
-Price I paid- $3.97, purchased at Walmart
 

Zapzyt- I have tried a million different acne creams- and none of them ever do diddly squat. This one made a significant difference in my skin quality in just one use. I like to put on two or three layers before bed.This product has the maximum amount of Benzoyl Peroxide, which seems to have better results on my skin than Salcylic Acid
- Price I paid- $4.47, purchased at Walmart

 

Garnier Moisture Rescue (Dry Skin)- This face lotion is fantastic! First off, it's a very light gel that is refreshing and provided my dry skin with much needed moisture. I also liked that I could put on several layers of this, and it didn't cause me to breakout. YAY! On the downside- this is not a good moisturizer to wear under make up. By itself it is fine, and makes skin look radiant, but when you put make up on over top, it "pills" up and makes gross little make-up balls on your face. Ick. I bought the formula for dry skin, because my skin was really bad, but it also comes in a normal/combo skin formula.
-Price I paid- $6.97, purchased at Walmart

ELF Mineral Infused Primer (Clear)- For me the ELF brand is kind of hit-and-miss. Some things really work for me, other things make me break out. Their primer, however, is a really good call. This is a smooth, gel blend that works really well, doesn't pill, smear, cake or rub off. It has a decent wear life and is much better than the cream ones you can buy from most brands. Also- sign up for ELF newsletters. You will save a TON of money. They are CONSTANTLY having sales.
-Price I paid- $6, purchased at Target

ELF Flawless Foundation (Porcelain)- This is one of my ultimate favorite products from ELF! As explained above, I have a really hard time finding foundations. This one matches my skin tone REALLY well, and enhances the color so I look more awake, fresher and less drab. This also goes on really well. It didn't sink into my pores or cake, and blends flawlessly. This is not necessarily a "inexpensive" foundation per se (You don't get a whole lot in a bottle), but it is a liquid mineral foundation, which is nice and works well- so worth the price! Unfortunately, I am still trying to decide if this foundation caused me to break out or if it was something else. Also, as a side note, I only really wear liquid foundation during the winter, when my skin is too dry for powder.
-Price I paid-$6, purchased at Target

Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Foundation (Creamy Natural or Translucent Light)- I was looking for a foundation that would play nice with my struggling-with-acne skin, so I posted an S.O.S on Facebook. My cousin left me a recommendation to check out this foundation. I bought it in the Flawless Complexion kit like she suggested (the first time), Which comes with the foundation, mineral blush, and a finishing veil. The foundation went on smoothly and blended really well. I never thought I would like powder foundations- but this one was long lasting  and had excellent coverage. Note- I only wear powder in the summer when my skin is moist.
-Price I paid- $19.24 for the kit, $10.02 on it's own, purchased at Walmart

Physician's Formula  Mineral Wear Matte Finishing Veil- This product is also found in the Flawless Complexion kit, and is great for dusting over makeup to give skin a bit of a matte finish, and to help make up stay in place. This product lasts forever! I use it daily and have still not had to rebuy.
-Price I Paid- $19.24 for the kit, $9.28 on its own, purchased at Walmart

Physician's Formula Mineral Wear Loose Powder- I used this back before I started using the Physician's Formula foundation, and stopped after I started using their foundation, because I found it gave me too much pigment and made me look strange. I loved this product because before I started using it, I was using the cheap(er) Maybelline loose powder, and I would fly through it. I have not yet had to rebuy the Physician's Formula loose powder. It lasts forever because it has such amazing coverage and a little really goes a long way.
-Price I paid- $8.58, purchased at Walmart

ELF Mineral Blemish Powder- In the summer I was using powder foundation, and so I would put my concealer on first so that my foundation wouldn't cake. Unfortunately, sometimes my brush would rub off a bit of my concealer- so as an extra cover up measure, I used this fantastic powder from ELF.  This powder is made with willow bark, so it helps to fight acne/blemishes while it's on your face, and it blends really well. It has a very matte finish so sometimes i would dust it over my face to fight shine.
-Price I paid-$8.00, purchased at Target

Maybelline Fit Me Bronzer (Medium Pink)- This is my favorite blush that I've tried. The color is a nice, natural-flush pink, it goes on well, and is not over concentrated. I don't have to worry about tapping excess off my brush before applying it, and it never looks fake or whore-ish.
-Price I paid- $4.48, purchased at Walmart

 

 ELF Studio Bronzers (Warm Bronzer)- This pallet is one of the better bronzers I've used because it offers a bunch of different colors so you can highlight, contour, and add shimmer, all in one.  This also doesn't make me look too tan or awkward colored. It instead offers a natural, healthy glow- which is hard when you're as pale as me!
-Price I paid- $3.00, purchased at Target




ELF Mist and Set- This is a light, refreshing mist that you spray on your face after applying makeup to keep it in place- kind of like hairspray, but for your face instead of your hair. This has been a really good one, because unlike a lot of the other setting sprays that I've used, it doesn't  smear, water down or mess up my makeup; and it still helps to keep my makeup in place for longer.
-Price I paid-$3.00, purchased at Target

 

Eyes

Loreal Paris Liquid Eye Pencil (Carbon Black)- You're probably thinking, "$8 for an eyeliner a pencil?! a little short one like that?! Really??" Yes. This is one of my splurges. I won't use anything else. Nothing else is this amazing. If you want to try to cheapen it up- then buy a pencil called "Liquid eye pencil" (though I've tried most of them and they all fall short). It gives you all the drama and smooth easy, tug-free application of a liquid, with the control and easy grip of a pencil.  Caution- always always ALWAYS put the cap back on or it will dry out and be crappy. This product can easily go on too strong, so you might want to get used to it first. Another downside is that it has to be sharpened often, and runs down quickly. Worth it. Trust me, you will never go back. If you like liquid but wish it was easier, here you go.
-Price I paid- $7.49, purchased at Walmart

 Hard Candy 1,000 Lashes (Midnight Black)- I use five (yes five) mascaras on a daily basis. This one is usually my first one because is a fiberized lash weave- meaning that it applies little fibers to your lashes to make them seem bigger, thicker and longer. I never have an issue with this product clumping, and I use several coats. This is a great stand alone mascara because it looks completely natural. It may darken and extend your lashes- but it looks like it is all you!
-Price I paid- $6.00, purchased at Walmart

Rimmel Lash Accelerator (Black)- This product is designed to make your eyelashes grow longer. I haven't really noticed it doing that, but it definitely makes your lashes instantly appear longer. The only problem is that this product clumps very easily. You can only really apply one coat or else your eyelashes become a mess. I mostly only apply it to the very tip.
-Price I paid- $7.97, purchased at Walmart

Maybelline Lash Discovery (Waterproof, Very Black)- If you only want one or two mascaras, the ones I would recommend the most are this one and the 1,000 lashes. This mascara has a mini brush, which makes  lashes look looooong and brings to light lashes you didn't even know you had. This brush is really good for separating and defining every lash, and you can use multiple coats.
-Price I paid- $6.29, purchased at Walmart

Maybelline Illegal Length (Black, Waterproof)- This is another fiber mascara- but this one is specifically designed to be a fiber extension. It's a bit messier/clumpier than the 1,000 lashes, so you need to be careful not to apply too many coats. It does add length though, so a coat or two is a good idea.
-Price I paid- $6.94, purchased at Walmart

Maybelline Voluminous False Fiber Lashes (Black, Waterproof)- And yet another fiber mascara...are you starting to see a pattern yet? I love fiber mascara. They really help boost your eyelashes without needing falsies. This is probably my least favorite of the three, but I still use it. Just one coat to kind of separate and even out my eyelashes.
-Price I paid- $7.00, purchased at Walmart
 

Lips

Hard Candy World Balmination (Bridal Blush)- Love this tinted lip balm, specifically this shade.It is creamy and smooth, not sticky. I've tried some of the other colors of this balm, but didn't like them as much. For some reason they aren't as smooth and nice as this one, and don't have the same effect. When ever I put on bridal blush, my lips instantly look fuller and more pouty. Love that.

-Price I paid- $3.00, purchased at Walmart

 

Love and Beauty Hint of Color Coconut Flavored Lip Gloss- Coconut flavored? no. Coconut scented yes. Anyone who knows me knows I have a bit of a coconut problem...however, that is not what I love about this gloss. It makes my lips look so full and pouty and sensual. The color is very slight, and really enhances my lips.

-Price I paid- $1.50, purchased at Forever 21

 

 

 

 

 

Hair

 

 

Generic Value Heat Activated Texture Spray- Confession: I like my hair wild. I like it volumized and full of edgy texture. Some of that can definitely come from my hair cut, but it also has a lot to do with how I style it. While my hair is wet, and after I have used argon oil, a heat protection spray, and volumizing mouse, I spritz this liberally through my hair. After letting it sit, I blow dry my hair, upside down, separating the pieces with my fingers. once my hair is dry, I brush out the tangles, still upside down, and lightly spritz with hairspray. This helps to maintain my volume.

-Price I paid- $3.59, purchased at Sally Beauty Supply

 

 

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo- If for some reason I'm not able to wash my hair (which happens more than I would like to admit), and then I end up needing to go somewhere, this is a great fix-it- BUT I use this product every time I do my hair, not just when I haven't washed it, because all the little particles adhere to the cuticle of your hair, which makes it appear thicker, and gives it extra volume. This one also smells really nice, and hardly ever leaves white residue...unlike a lot of the ones I tried.

-Price I paid-$2.89, purchased at Walmart