17 Life-Changing Beauty Products To Try Before You Die
Do not go a moment longer without getting your hands on these babies.
No woman should go through life without experiencing the sheer joy that comes with owning a cult beauty product – a cosmetic counter buy that’s attracted ultimate status thanks to its magical powers of beautification and mood enhancement.
Don’t go through life wondering ‘what if’, don’t let your gravestone read ‘Never tried Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream’, don’t lie awake at night wondering what it’d be like to possess it in your hands. Make the investment now, for the sake of all womankind.
1. Chanel No.5
Why you need it in your life: It’s the number one selling fragrance worldwide and Marilyn Monroe confessed to often getting about her house wearing nothing but it. ‘Nuff said.
2. La Mer Crème de La Mer
Why you need it in your life: One of the greatest cult products of all time, La Mer’s Crème de La Mer was touted by glowing skin goddess Blake Lively as being “the best” skincare product she’d used and is famous for its next-level restorative powers, which the brand attributes to it’s $2,000 price tag. But like a Chanel bag, it’s worth the investment.
3. Nars Blush in Orgasm
Why you need it in your life: Quite possibly the most universally flattering blush ever invented, this shade regularly flies off the shelves in department stores thanks to its ability to create a freshly flushed – some might say ‘orgasmic’ – glow. Buy this blush, and buy it in bulk. Your face will thank you.
4. Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat
Why you need it in your life: Known as ‘Photoshop in a makeup pen’, Yves Saint Laurent’s Touche Eclat is quite possibly the greatest quick pick-me-up you’ll ever discover, achieving a near-magical brightening and concealing effect in a single swipe, this is every hungover girl’s best friend.
5. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
Why you need it in your life: So popular is this product, if you were to pour out all the bottles sold in the last year, they’d circle the world twice. Really. Beloved by skincare junkies for its ability to seamlessly transform any skin type, it’s velvety to touch and ultra-nourishing without leaving your complexion oily. Every bathroom cabinet needs ten.
6. Beautyblender
Why you need it in your life: The brainchild of makeup artist Rea Ann Silva, the beautyblender is quite simply the greatest foundation blending gadget your makeup bag has ever seen. A budget buy, this little gem works best damp and is perfect for getting into tight spots like around the areas around your eyes and nose.
7. The Clarisonic
Why you need it in your life: Oprah once called it a “miracle massage for your face”, and let’s face it, anything Oprah-approved pretty much sells itself. This baby essentially takes your morning facial cleanse to the next level with its vibrating brush head that gets into parts of your pores you never knew existed. Prepare to be well freaked out by how much gunk comes out.
8. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream
Why you need it in your life: A multi-purpose, handbag-sized wonder product, this rich balm has more celeb fans than most of us have pairs of underwear. You can use it on everything from chapped lips to dry skin and even grazes – Arden discovered its powers firsthand using it on a graze that miraculously healed eight hours later, and so a legend was born.
9. Urban Decay Naked Palette
Why you need it in your life: If you only buy one eyeshadow palette in your life, buy this. So versatile and flattering are its highly pigmented, show-stopping shades that this palette regularly sells out before it even hits the shelves. Run, don’t walk to get your hands on it.
10. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation
Why you need it in your life: You’ll be hard-pressed to find a makeup artist who doesn’t have at least half a dozen bottles of this life-changing foundation in her toolkit. Silky smooth, lightweight and luminous, it blends effortlessly and can be built up to conceal as well as even out your complexion. In the beauty world, it’s known as ‘the holy grail of foundations’ for good reason.
11. Kiehl’s Creme De Corps
Why you need it in your life: The Godfather of moisturizers, this ultra-nourishing moisturizer is a saviour during air travel and is on the must-have lists of just about every celeb known to mankind. Slathering it on is like visiting the spa and soaking in the bath in one.
12. Tweezerman Slant Tweezer
Why you need it in your life: The original tweezer, Tweezerman’s Slant Tweezer is a joy to have and to hold, effortlessly grabbing hairs by the root for painless plucking, it comes with a lifetime sharpening guarentee.
13. L’Oreal Elnet Hairspray
Why you need it in your life: Known as “The original and best hairspray”, this never-fail firm-hold hairspray has a scent that reminds most of us of childhood hugs breathing in our mothers’ hair. Never flaky or cement-hard, it sets with a silky soft finish and stands up against any climate.
14. ghd Hair Straightener
Why you need it in your life: Quite simply, the ghd straightener is the hair straightener to end all straighteners. Anyone who’s ever used it attests to the fact there’s no comparison between this hair-smoothing work of mane-taming wizardry and any other hair tool on the market. This superstar product is in a league of its own.
15. The Lip Scrub By Sara Happ
Why you need it in your life: Ever applied 2,723 coats of lip balm only to frustratingly discover your dried out lips are still chapped? Sara Happ’s The Lip Scrub solves that dilemma, and then some. A potent treat for your lips, this gentle sugar-based scrub buffs away dead skin, nourishing as it goes to leave your pout exponentially soft.
16. Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
Why you need it in your life: An oldie but a goodie, this budget buy mascara sells off the shelves so quickly it’s almost never in stock, so if you spot a lone packet dangling from the aisle hooks, grab it and never let go. Made popular for its ability to create a striking look in a couple of swipes, it neatly separates and darkens lashes for a classic, flawless finish.
17. OPI Nail Lacquer in Big Apple Red
Why you need it in your life: Another product with a rep for flying off the shelves, OPI’s Big Apple Red is a top-seller due to its universally classic red hue and staying power.
