I Found You, Ms. New Beauty.

Pls tell me you remember the Bubba Sparxxx song “Ms. New Booty,” whose title I am riffing on?

The aughts were a weird time for music.

Now that that’s settled, I thought I’d share some of my latest beauty discoveries:

Beauty Pick No. 1: The Shock Mascara

HOLY.  This mascara is all that and a bag of chips and I am VERY (V-E-R-Y) particular about mascara.  I have been a devotee of Dior’s DiorShow for the better part of the last decade and a half, and I still love it because it doesn’t leave your lashes brittle, it somehow never flakes, and it’s thick and inky in the most dramatic of ways.  But YSL’s The Shock is the only mascara I’ve found that approximates the effect of eyelash extensions.  (I listed my go-to eyelash guy in Chicago here.)  I take regular breaks from eyelash extensions because, despite what technicians will tell you, they are hell on your lashes.  And I’m in one of those breaks and THE SHOCK is making it a lot easier to bear.

Beauty Pick No. 2: M-61 Power Glow Peel

I have always been terrified of peels and facials — the most aggressive treatment I’ve had is a light at-home scrub! — but I received a few samples of M-61’s Power Glow peel at Blue Mercury, and the aesthetician there raved about the product, saying, “So many women come in here and obsess over it.”  Always a sucker for good word-of-mouth marketing, I resolved to give it a try.  I am HOOKED.  My skin was literally GLOWING for days, and had never felt cleaner or smoother.  I felt like I took a layer of dead skin off my face and revealed a whole new me.  I was a little scared when I felt a slight burn after applying it, but it quickly went away, leaving the freshest face I’ve had since…1992?  I immediately bought a box and resolved to use it more regularly.  One other thing I love about it?  It’s packaged in a handy one-time-use towelette.  No mess; single serve.  Love.

Beauty Pick No. 3: L’Occitane Peony Perfecting Cream

While I am a hard-core devotee of certain basics in my cosmetics bag, I’m on a constant search for the best facial cream.  I still think La Mer Soft Cream is la creme de la creme (pun intended), but I like to switch it up.  Over the summer, I used Kopari’s Coconut Face Cream ($38) — more on that and a few of my other favorite summer purchases here — because it was super-light and cooling to the touch, hydrating without being greasy.  And before that, in the doldrums of winter, I swore by Drunk Elephant’s Lala Retro facial cream, which is much heavier and uber-hydrating.  I just switched it up with L’Occitane’s Peony Perfecting Cream ($44) and it is heaven.  I love the consistency: light and more easily absorbed than Kopari.  And it smells incredible, too!

Beauty Pick No. 4: Fresh Sugar Petal Lip Tint

I’ve already raved about this stuff ($24) a lot, but I had to include it yet again because it’s become my go-to daily lip color.  I love it because I don’t need a mirror to apply it, handy with a baby on my hip, and it goes on like chapstick but leaves a great rosy lip stain behind.  Five stars.

Beauty Pick No. 5: Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder

OK, this is not a new discovery, but I realized I’ve never written about my long and abiding love for this bronzer.  I used to use Nars’ bronzers but I found that I would go through a palette like once every few months — there’s not much powder in each one, and it’s very brittle!  I was always finding big pieces breaking off or flaking into my makeup bag.  I switched to Guerlain’s, which is twice as expensive but lasts about 5x as long as one of Nars’.  I find that Guerlain’s is also far more pigmented than Nars’ formula — one swipe leaves a nice bronze hue that I often then need to blend in a bit more.  In other words: more bang for your buck.  This stuff is incredible.  (Also, I’m probably not supposed to, but I’ve long applied bronzer with this Laura Mercier finishing brush and I CAN NEVER NOT USE IT.  It applies just the right amount of powder in a nice wide arc.  I’m obsessed.)

Beauty Pick No. 6: Oribe Gold Lust Nourishing Hair Oil

I don’t like a lot of product in my hair because it’s so fine — even the smallest amount of mousse or spray can make my hair look limp and greasy.  Oribe’s Gold Lust Hair Oil ($38) is a rare exception.  I rub a tiny bit into my hair after getting out of the shower and it leaves my hair so soft, tangle-free, and manageable.  I alternate between this and Davines’ Oi Hair Oil ($23), which smells like heaven on earth.  Both achieve very similar effects.

What other makeup products are you in love with these days??  Share below!

P.S.  I keep my cosmetics organized with these and these.  When I’m traveling, I can’t live without this and this.

P.P.S. 10 products I can’t live without.