Sam's Teen Beauty Must-Haves

By Sam, Teen Beauty Expert

Sam is 14-years old, lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her mom and two (of three!) older brothers. She was born and raised in Georgia, but her family originally hailed from Illinois. You will find her busy meeting new people and enjoying teen soap operas/dramas (like Vampire Diaries)–and of course, she’s madly in love with all things beauty. When she’s not playing around with makeup, you’ll find her with headphones on listening to everything; from classical to rap, pop to heavy metal, and almost everything in between (though she favors rock!).

Sam’s Teen Beauty Must-Haves

Here is a list of my must-have beauty products. I have tried many out there but these are the ones I always reach for in the end. Feel free to comment if you have tried any of these and what you’re experience was like, or if you have any recommendations! Also if you have any questions, I would gladly help as much as I can. 🙂 Now tell me, what’s on your “must-haves” list?

Makeup

Too Faced Shadow Insurance is my go-to eyeshadow primer. You only need to use a tiny bit for it to perform flawlessly! I’m forewarning you though, this stuff adheres eyeshadow to my lid like a second skin. It lasts on my slightly oily eyelids all day and night with little to no creasing. Even after taking a shower, my eye makeup will still be in almost-perfect condition.

Urban Decay’s Naked Palette is my all-in-one eyeshadow palette. It doesn’t seem to matter what kind of eye makeup look I’m going for, I always use at least one of the shadows. Hustle is my favorite for making my brown eyes pop, and Buck is the perfect color for filling in my brows.

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk is my favorite cream shadow in my collection. It works great as a base to make colors pop even more. And, thanks to Xsparkage, I’m obsessed with using it as a tear duct highlight. My makeup just isn’t complete without using this as a highlighter!

Crown Brush has a 15 Piece Brush Set that comes in a really neat faux crocodile skin case, and include pretty much every brush I will ever need. All the brushes are very soft (I can’t open the case without my cousin rubbing the blush brush all over her face!), and they do their job well. I like to use the foundation brush for applying face masks! I have a few other brushes (mostly Bare Essentials) that I keep in the case and use often. But for the most part, this set can’t be beat!

Make Up Forever’s Aqua Liner in #14 is my favorite liquid eyeliner for my top lash line. The black/brown base doesn’t appear too harsh on my eyes, and the gold and purple micro glitter make my eyes stand out! And I’m in love with the sponge applicator–it’s practically fool-proof!

Jack Black’s Intense Therapy Lip Balm is my favorite lip treatment. I have never tried any lip product that works as well as this. I’m a lip balm junkie and tear through tubes exceptionally fast. I can literally apply this at night with damaged lips, and when I wake up they’re practically healed! The original/mint flavor is great for everyday use, but the lavender/vanilla is my favorite for applying right before bed. Lavender essential oil has some pretty amazing healing power, while inhaling it helps me sleep better. (Is anyone else insomniac?)

Check out hair care, skin care, and fragrance must-haves!

Hair Care

Fortune Cookie Soap Shampoo Bar is amazing! It’s compact and great to travel with, and it lasts forever. If somebody told me I could get two months of use out of this cube, I honestly wouldn’t have believed them. I wash my hair with shampoo every other day and got about thirty washes out of this, give or take a few. All I have to do is get my hair sopping wet, rub the bar directly on my scalp a few times, work it into my hair with my hands, and I have a head full of bubbles! Best part? It’s made with only all-natural ingredients.

WEN Cleansing Conditioner is actually meant to be a shampoo replacement, but I’m a rebel and use shampoo anyway. There isn’t one thing I dislike about this conditioner. I currently use the cucumber/aloe formula, and it makes my hair extremely soft while retaining the natural oils and nutrients that are essential for healthy locks! Tip: the longer you leave this in, the better! Double tip: rinse this out with the water as cold as you can stand–it makes you’re hair so much shinier and gives it an extra boost of softness.

Skincare

Benefit Foamingly Clean is my favorite facial cleanser. I tried a mini sample of it from the introduction kit I purchased at Ulta. The lather is really creamy and rather milky. It made my face feel really fresh and clean, but not stripped. I’m fresh out of it, so it’s something I plan to buy at Sephora’s F&F this year.

Josie Maran Argan Oil has changed my skincare routine completely. I was always guided to use “oil-free” moisturizers, but this works ten times better for my skin! My skin is combination and acne prone. I have dry cheeks, but my T-Zone gets rather oily during the day. I only use three drops for my entire face, and then use the excess for my jawline and neck. I saw in improvement in my acne the next day, and it keeps getting better with use! I’m just terrible with keeping routines. Also, you can use this to moisturize other parts of your body. I use it on my legs immediately after a shower/shaving for that naturally soft feeling.

Homemade Sugar Scrubs are a favorite way to exfoliate my skin. I still haven’t found a store-bought one that delivers any better than one I can make at home. I normally use just plain ol’ sugar mixed with olive oil and honey. Sometimes I’ll add an essential oil for a more pleasant fragrance (I’m not a huge honey fan). I use it in the shower and rub in circular motion until the sugar dissolves, then rinse. Or in the summer, I use ground up coffee beans to give my super light skin a natural tint.

The Bath Chemist Whipped Body Mousse is hands down the best body lotion I have ever used! My skin is sensitive to harsh preservatives. With continued use, parabens seem to inflame a skin condition I have called Tinea Versicolor. But luckily all of The Bath Chemist’s products are made of natural ingredients. The lotion sinks into you’re skin right away and leaves it feeling baby smooth. Sadly, they can’t ship anywhere out of Canada (but they are working very hard on fixing that!). So, for my Canadian friends! If you want to try a new bath and body care company, please give them a go! And I definitely recommend the Island Sorbet fragrance, if you’re a sucker for beachy scents like me.

Fragrance

Avril Lavigne’s Black Star is my must-have perfume! It’s perfect as a daytime fragrance. It’s feminine and a bit hazy without being heavy. I immediately get notes of floral, but then my body chemistry warms up the softer vanilla base. That could be the dark chocolate notes, though. The bottle shape matches perfectly with my room! But the bright pink color eventually faded to a buttery beige with just a hint of the pink remaining.