I. Am. Makeup (and hair). Obsessed. I'm your very typical, 20-something who thrives on watching makeup videos and stalking beauty gurus on Instagram BUT I never follow through on attempting the cut-crease or contoured look. I lack the skill level and patience that most beauty experts have. So I will give you a list of my five favorite beauty products that are staples in my collection but also easy-to-use for those of you who, like me, suck at doing makeup.

• Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation 
I have been using this lightweight, liquid foundation for almost six years. I have tried countless of other products and none of them compare to this foundation! Other products are heavy, cakey and do not blend anywhere near as flawlessly into my face as Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation does. It is lightweight, silky and has amazing coverage. It has a very natural look and feel to it but also allows you to build up for more coverage for a late night look (or you can go with Urban Decay's All Nighter skin foundation). What really drew me into this foundation is that it has ingredients that reduce wrinkles, brighten, evens skin tone and has hydrating components. It's oil and paraben-free which is a huge factor for me! I have it in two colors for my natural skin tone and a darker shade for when I'm wearing a spray tan.

• Tarte Tarteist Contour Pallete
I love just about everything from Tarte: palettes, blushes, mascara, liner, lip colors, you name it. But my one true love (a very new love, shout out to my bff Ellery for my Xmas gift) is the Tartest Contour Pallette (vIII). This pallete comes with a rose-gold highlighter and blush, matte counter corrector,  two different shades of bronzer - a lighter brown and a darker, ashier brown - and a champaign glow highlighter. Not only does this pallete smell amazing but the colors are soft so it doesn't create harsh lines and don't cause build-up flakiness. It is perfectly blendable and build able too if you want to create a more dramatic look for a night out or an event. I also love that I don't have to haul around a huge kit; it's a bit smaller an rounded so it fits perfectly in my makeup bag.

• St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse
This foaming mousse is the secret to my sun-kissed skin during harsh Texas winters. Totally kidding, I wore shorts in 75 degree weather two days ago. The mousse itself is super easy to apply (with an application mitt) and has a guide color that actually helps you match your coverage while you're working the product into your skin. I use the Dark Bronzing Mousse since I have a very olive undertones and a slightly darker completion; it leaves a perfect glow to my skin. It's incredibly lightweight and doesn't have a horrible self-tan smell to it either. It's also the longest lasting tan I've found that is easy to touch up with the mousse after a week or two. This product is also sulfate and paraben-free, go St. Tropez!

• Tarte Tarteist Clay Paint Liner 
I love, love, love this eyeliner. I always used felt tip liquid liners and charcoal stick liners, this was the first cream eyeliner I have tried. Second shout out to my bff Ellery for my other Xmas gift. It comes with a really cool angled bamboo brush that makes the application seamless and help guide your winged liner looks. It is a really dark, pigmented color that does not smear or melt into your crease/under eye. Along with all of the other beauty products I can't live without, Tarte's liner has no parabens or phthalates either. I love that it is waterproof so if I decide to watch Marley and Me with a cute guy, I don't end up looking like a raccoon after the movie! (I've never watched this movie because I know how sad the ending is.)

• Bumble and Bumble Repair Blow Dry Cream
I use this product after every shower when I blow dry my hair. It is my go to heat protecting hair product, not only does it protect my hair from the blow dryer, flatting iron and curler but also UV damage and breakage. It smells amazing, feels silky in your hair and hands, and truly does not weigh down or coat your hair like waxy products do. It doesn't leave hair feeling greasy either which is a huge bonus. Bumble and Bumble also made this product paraben and sulfate-free, yay! After your blowout, it leaves hair feeling shiny, soft and touchable all while protecting it from heat damage. Since I am the bleach blonde that I am (obviously not natural) it does a great job keeping the moisture in my hair while maintaining frizz due to humidity and dryness. Sidetone: I also love any of their products from the Invisible Oil line as well!!

I hope you enjoyed my mini review of my favorite beauty products and that they give you an idea of my day-to-day uses. These products are great for those of you who don't spend an hour getting ready simply because you have no idea what you're doing. Please don't forget to sign up for my blog by entering your email into the Stay Updated form at the top or bottom of the page!
xo, kristina