Recent Beauty Buys

Living proof full root lifting hairpray - For many years I've been in search of the holy grail. The holy grail being the perfect root boosting product that gives lasting volume without greasiness, stickiness or stiffness. This is not exactly it, but it's scoring pretty high in my book. I wish it gave a little more volume, and I do notice my hair is sometimes slightly more greasy the next day than it might be had I not used this. But it smells great and does not make my hair stiff or sticky; it gives just enough oomph at the roots. Since I use a generous amount of root boosting product before I dry my hair, and I dry it often, this is a little pricey at $26. But it's a large bottle that seems like it will last for quite awhile. I've been using it in conjunction with Living proof style lab prime style extender and Fekkai Brillant Glossing Cream. I'm interested to try more of Living proof's "Full" line, which I'll be receiving (12!) free samples of from a recent Sephora order. It's one of their weekly specials going on now with a $25 purchase.

Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer in Plum and in Fig - I want this in every color! I've always loved Burt's Bees products, but this is the first time I've tried any of their makeup. I picked this up after seeing on Pinterest that the Plum shade is a dupe for Clinique's cult favorite Almost Lipstick in Black Honey. I haven't worn that in years, but from what I remember, it's a very similar shade. For this little tube that looks like just a lip balm, it's actually highly-pigmented. It leans more toward a lipstick than it does a sheer, hint-of-color balm. The Plum can be a little dark if you don't have on makeup, but the Fig is great to wear at anytime. It feels wonderful on your lips and has a tingly, peppermint scent. It's a skinny little thing, so you can easily throw a few in your purse. And since they're less than $5 each, I'm looking forward to trying a few more shades.

Bumble and bumble pret-a-powder - I MUCH prefer dry shampoo powders to sprays, so I've been wanting to try this one for awhile. When I saw a travel/trial size was available at Sephora, I picked it up. My go-to dry shampoo powder is Oscar Blandi because it absolutely, 100 percent does not make my hair greasy or sticky. The only drawback is it doesn't give me as much volume as some other dry shampoos. I think this pret-a-powder is a happy medium. Although it's a little stickier than Oscar Blandi, it gives me more volume. And you don't need a lot to get results! I've also had great luck using both powders together- OB all over and this where I really want more oomph.

Cover Girl Outlast Longwear Lipstick in Magnetic Mauve - This may sound strange, but lipstick and gloss can make it difficult to talk when I'm anchoring the newscast. When your lips are sticking together, it's hard to get the words out correctly! Although not all lipsticks are bothersome on air, I decided I need to try more of a lip stain, something drier but not too dry. So this is the Goldilocks product I settled on, and I think it's just right. There's plenty of pigment and just enough moisture, plus it lasts through a newscast without being stuck on my lips until bedtime. I'm not 100 percent sold on the color, so I may experiment with a few other shades.