One of my favorite things to do when I read magazines is meticulously comb through the pages of recommendations for the best beauty products. (Confession: I am a self-admitted beauty product whore.) When I was younger, I had no less than 2 Caboodles fully stocked at all times with hundreds of creams, shadows, lip glosses and mascaras. Granted they were all mostly Wet’n'Wild brand or Bonne Bell, but nonetheless, they were plentiful. My Caboodles runneth over.

Since my early days of cheap beauty product hoarding, I’ve since raised the bar on quality, and more importantly, gotten (somewhat of) a grasp on quantity. I still fall victim to the occasional ZOMGYOUMUSTTRYTHIS recommendation along with the “It’s Gift Time!” promotions at the expensive makeup counters in the mall, but for the most part it’s under control. However, there have been a few new introductions into my regimen lately that I am really loving, so in an effort to take you all down with me, I thought I’d share. I know, I’m very generous.

Let’s begin.

1. The perfect eye shadow. I’ve become much more of a minimalist in the last year when it comes to makeup. For a few reasons. A. I’m lazy and I’d rather sleep in 10 minutes longer in the morning. B. My lunchtime gym routine has me looking a hot mess by 1pm, anyways. And C. I just find it an overall more attractive look. For me. (Just my opinion.) So in exchange for my bright purples and rich charcoal browns I used to slather across my sleepy eyelids every morning, I’ve opted for more muted tones as of late. This one below is great because it not only adds just the right amount of shimmer, but it’s also really versatile, and I think would look great on any skin tone.

CoverGirl Eye Enhancers in Tapestry Taupe (Source)
Price: < $4

2. Much-needed hairapy. If you are anything like me, your hair has been through the ringer. Highlights, heat (my God, the heat!), flattening irons and tightly wound rubber bands are all contributing factors. It’s a miracle I even have any hair. Thankfully I do, but what I’ve got is certainly damaged and desperately in need of some TLC. So after my 20th time hearing about Moroccan oil and it’s magical healing powers, I decided to test it out for myself. And although I’ve only used it a few times, I love it. I can already see that my hair looks shinier and healthier, and it cut the air-dry frizz I’m normally left with in half. And it was only sale at Giant for only $4.99. Holler.

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil (source)
Price: < $5 on sale

3. Stay Put Polish. I used to only paint my nails for special occasions. Like my wedding. Or my birthday. Or any other day that would involve celebrating me. (Which in my personal opinion should be every day. But whatever.) Why? Because much like Hollywood marriages, manicures never last. But when I saw some of the fun colors from Sally Hansen earlier this summer, I couldn’t resist, and I bought 4 of them. And to my complete shock… they lasted. For like a week, no less! And I mean, they lasted. Through kickboxing, dish-washing, nail biting (I’m working on it), all of it. Best of all, the colors are fun and bold, which if you’ve been reading your fashion mags, is right on trend. It’s like a party for your hands.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Blue Me Away! (Source)
Price: < $3

4. Tool time. I love when my hair is curly… but I hate curling it. It takes forever, my arms fall asleep, half of my hair looks like a poodle while random sections get missed, causing me to look like a cracked out Sorority sister. It’s never a good time. But a few years ago, I learned that by holding the hair around the barrel, you get a more natural curl. It takes less time, and you don’t end up looking like you got a bad spiral perm. So After a few months of wondering about this fabulous little contraption below, I saw it on Amy‘s blog and I decided it had to be mine. A short trip to Target later and it was official: I was in love*.

Conair Infiniti You Curl (Source) Price: around $29.99

ooohhh...curly....

*Let me know if you want a quick how-to on using this thing. It’s easy, I promise!

So there you have it. 4 wonderful SSH approved beauty products that are currently sitting atop my bathroom counter. And all pretty affordable, which is even better. See? Saving money can be fun. Now if only Sephora would stop sending me so many emails…

What are your current favorites? Oh Lord, I might have to break out the Caboodle again…