Two Products a Makeup-Hater Loves

Most of the time, I look like a hag. Though I wish this was untrue, it’s hard to deny when I check myself out in the mirror. The reason? I hate makeup.

When I was eight years old, I distinctively remember sitting at the kitchen table and watching my mother put on her makeup, just like she did every other morning. It was an elaborate ritual, lasting for five or ten minutes and transforming her from my mom into some painted-up, clown-type figure with a mask.

“You know,” I told her then. “When I grow up, I’m not ever going to wear any makeup. And I’m going to save so much money because of it. Just think about how much money you spend every year on makeup.”

I don’t remember how my mom reacted, but she probably rolled her eyes at me.

Anyway, it turns out that I wasn’t too far off the mark. Now that I have grown up (relatively, anyway), I don’t wear much makeup. I spend $10-$15 maximum per year on new makeup, and it bothers me when people talk about mascara as if it’s something to rival a gourmet chocolate bar.

However, I recently found a couple of products that have made me change my tune a little bit. Maybelline Dream Mousse blush and Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer actually make me think that makeup might be fun to wear—sometimes.

First, the blush. I had previously only used powder blush, which was never a problem with my cheeks. The only problem was that I travel a lot, and the blush would continually disintegrate into smaller and smaller crumbled specks until my entire makeup bag would be covered with the stuff. In a fit of frustration, I bought the Maybelline Dream Mousse blush. Because it cost over six dollars, I carried around the unopened blush and receipt in my purse for about two weeks, thinking I would eventually return it because I didn’t really need it (I’m a cheapskate).

Eventually, though, I tore it open and used it one day. And I am so glad I did. The stuff is great! You can hardly even feel it going on, you don’t need more than a tiny dab for both cheeks, and it looks amazing. Fantastic.

A friend sent me the Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer as part of a holiday package. Thinking it was just like any other lip gloss, I applied it one day and then went to look in the mirror. WHOA! My lips looked amazing, like straight out of the pages of Cosmo! It’s like a cross between a lipstick and a gloss, and the amount of color is just right. Plus, it tastes incredible. I have the raisin color/flavor, and it’s all I can do to keep from licking my lips all day.

So, that’s my makeup success story. Now that I’ve warmed up to two products, I feel like I might be able to warm up to a few more. Any CC girls out there have great recommendations?