Unabashedly Me: My beauty staples

Since I wrote yesterday about my love of sports (which, for some reason, is not considered very girly), I decided I'd balance it out today by talking about something that is very girly -- beauty products.

I am very into beauty products. I have tried lots of different brands -- especially on my naturally curly hair and my skin -- and once I find something I love, I stick with it. Unless it gets discontinued or the price changes dramatically. So far, that hasn't really happened to me, so I'm pretty fortunate. Below, I'll tell you about some of the staples in my beauty routine.

SKIN

Let me be upfront -- I am 100% a Mary Kay girl. I have been using the products for almost four years. After two years as a customer, I became a consultant. I get a discount, and I get to share my favorite products with other people.

Here are the Mary Kay products I can't live without:

Timewise Miracle Set - $90

I tried tons of different brands off the shelf, but nothing seemed to work right with my skin. After a month of using this, I could not believe the difference. My skin was clearer, softer and brighter (if that makes sense). I didn't know what great skin I had until I began using this. I use this daily.

Even Complexion Mask - $20

I use this at least once a week. Sometimes more often. It really does wonders for evening out the tone of my skin.

Microdermabrasion Set - $55

Again, I use this once a week. One set lasts me as long as six months, and the results are fantastic.

Foundation Primer - $16

This definitely helps my foundation last longer and gives my skin an even softer feel.

Mineral Powder - $18

Most days, I wear my Timewise Matte Foundation, but when I'm a hurry, this powder does a fine job of evening out my complexion for the day.

Ultimate Mascara - $15

I used to try EVERY mascara advertised, but none of them have worked as well as this.

(All of the above images are from the Mary Kay web site)

HAIR

Confession: I used to hate my natural curls. I fought them throughout my teen years because I wanted to have straight hair like the "cool girls." I finally tried out my curls in college and eventually learned to love them. I have a nearly wash-and-go style now, which is handy because I am not a fan of getting up early to spend lots of time on my appearance.

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Tresemme Moisture Rich Conditioner - $3.37

One of the things I learned about curly hair is that washing it too often is bad for it. I shower daily, but I only shampoo my hair about once a week. The rest of the time, I use this conditioner as a sort of shampoo. I work it into the roots and the ends and then let it sit on my hair while I do the rest of my shower business. Then I rinse it out.

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Tresemme Flawless Curls Mousse - $3.98

Clearly, I'm pretty loyal to the Tresemme brand. I love the cost and quality of the product. Sometimes this particular mousse can be hard to find, so when I do spot it, I usually stock up.

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Macadamia Nut Oil Healing Oil Spray - $29.50 (4.2 oz.) I usually wait for it to be on sale.

It smells amazing and makes my hair feel so soft. It also seems to help my hair dry faster, which is pretty amazing. My hair is otherwise VERY porous and stays wet for a long time.