Mary’s Beauty Must Haves

I already shared my work-from-home winter wardrobe and that I’ve recently started wearing makeup again to fight back against my COVID self-esteem slump. So I thought I’d share my favorite make-up, skincare, and haircare too.

For skincare I’ve been using Origins Checks and Balances since college and it is still a favorite, then this serum and a new Tatcha dewy moisturizer which is helping me survive how dry Colorado is in the winter. For my arms and legs, I like this Bump Eraser body scrub as I battle KP like many people with the British Isles complexion.

For everyday eye make-up, I go pretty basic, eye shadow, eye-liner, mascara, and filling in my eyebrows. Eye crayons stay put much better on my eyelids than anything powder and are super fast and easy. I really like this one from Laura Mercier in the moonlight color. Nothing better than a great black liquid liner and this one from Marc Jacobs is my all-time fave after trying dozens of them. For my brows I’m loving a product I found via Instagram called Tat Brow. I use their blonde shade and it’s giving me my best brow. If it’s a fancy day (which lately means only for photographs, I will add a false lash and curl and fuse them with this cool little gadget)

On my face I use It Cosmetics Illumination CC Cream, it’s my favorite foundation replacement with SPF 50 and Neo-Bronzer (my shade is actually not carried anymore but this is pretty similar). I love that it is highlighter, blush, bronzer in one. I use a beauty blender and blush brush to apply and these Make-Up eraser microfiber cloths to take it off at the end of the day.

For my hair, I color at home using Madison Reed because I am prematurely like a good 30-40% grey. I’d previously used drugstore box-dye but it was causing too much damage to my hair… enter No. 3 Olaplex (new to me and fantastic for helping restore shine and health to my damaged hair) and Moroccan Oil Restorative Mask for extra-moisture, I also am devoted to the Wet brush for the few times a week I actually comb through my wavy hair.

Makeup for me takes 3 minutes and hair even less, but it’s amazing how much better I feel about myself when I put just a tiny bit of effort in