Q&A: What’s Your Latest and Greatest Beauty Buy?

Is there anything more satisfying than coming home with a fresh batch of newly purchased beauty products to add to your usual lineup? For most of us here at Bleu, you can give us a new serum or foundation over a new pair of jeans any day. The whole process of carefully choosing from a sea of beauty brands to the initial breakage of the plastic seal gets us every time. Not to mention that first pump, first spritz, or first dip into that perfectly swirled, creamy, product perfection. Yes, we are obsessed with beauty products over here and we don’t care who knows it!

We were talking last week about some of the recent products we’ve been using and loving, which sparked this week’s open thread. Here’s a list of Team Bleu’s latest and greatest:

30-something, James Kicinski-McCoy: “I received the new silver, travel-size, Queen of Hungary Mist from Omorovicza. The bottle is stunning and the mist is the most delicate and refreshing facial spray I have ever used. I keep it next to my bed (my happy place) and spray it all over myself several times a day. The smell is a lovely blend of neroli and rose, and the even flow of the spritz is very satisfying. I brought it with me on this trip to Texas and it’s been a godsend in this hot, hot heat.”

20-something, Meghann Stephenson: “A few months back, I picked up a bottle of Kosas Tinted Face Oil. It was still winter and I was clinging to my RMS “Un” Cover-Up in attempts to protect my skin from the icy weather. During a recent heatwave, I decided to give the Kosas oil a real try and completely fell in love. Two drops is all it takes for a perfect undetectable level of coverage. It’s light and dewy, possibly a touch mattifying, but not too oily despite the name. It glides on seamlessly with a brush or beauty blender, evening out my skin tone, but leaving my freckles peering through. I also love melting in a bit of cream blush or bronzer on the apples of my cheeks for the perfect natural summer look. ”

40-something, Sarah James: “I am currently full-on obsessed with the Pure Marula Oil by African Botanics. Extremely rich in vitamins C + E, omegas, and antioxidants, this facial oil reduces inflammation as well as improves my overall skin tone. And don’t even get me started on the scent — lush, creamy, and delicious, I’m tempted to lick it off my skin. Such a gorgeous oil that will be in my rotation indefinitely.”

30-someting, Kelly McIntosh: “I’ve never had much of a beauty regime, I just used whatever products were fragrance-free and seemed the most natural. In the end, it was turning thirty that made me want to take care of my skin better. After an absurd amount of time researching and a few misses, I found a Vitamin C serum that has been amazing to me. It’s been great at evening out and brightening my skin tone, not to mention I bought a 2-oz. bottle six months ago and there’s over half left. Win-win.”

40-something, Salomé Jouan: “After years of hearing the unanimous praise of Joelle Ciocco’s beauty center in Paris (and her legendary facials) I finally treated myself to one of her pricey treatments. It was pure bliss… I prolong the experience at home with her cleansing milk that she creates herself in her in-house laboratory. It cleanses the skin gently (Joelle is adamant about cleansing the skin not once, but twice) and simply has the most divine smell of all my beauty products. Removing make-up and getting ready for bed has never been so pleasant!”

20-something, Tiana Lewis: “I came into work one morning to find — to my delight — the Susanne Kaufmann Eye Cream Line T sitting on my desk. James had always raved about it and I had been super eager to try it. From the very first time I applied it to my undereyes, it has wow’d me. The consistency is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. It’s incredibly rich, and absorbs slowly, so it really feels like your skin is getting a drink of hydration, and a little goes a long way! ”

30-something, Brooke Baxter: “Weleda Skin Food Light is for those of us who want to reap all the benefits of the nutrient rich Weleda Skin Food without the heaviness. This product says ‘Light’ but for my combination / slightly oily skin this is my go-to for an extra moisture boost. Also great for an in-flight moisture mask. I put a thick layer on during my last overseas flight and I never felt that day-after dehydration. Smells great! Texture is great! And for the quality of this product you cannot beat the price.”

20-something, Megan Podwysocki: “Admittedly, this one is a bit of a cheat. Biologique Recherche Masque Vivant isn’t actually new to me, but I did repurchase it very recently and fell right back in love with this French classic. You may know it as the ‘smelly mask’ many have been raving about on social media. Full disclosure: it does have an odd smell, and not the pleasant kind. It is, however, one of the only products that I find makes an actual difference on dull, congested, and broken-out skin. With the current heat, humidity, stress, and lack of sleep, keeping my skin in check has been a bit more of a challenge than usual, and this is helping massively. It is formulated with yeast and botanical extracts as well as witch hazel and (my personal favorite) lactic acid. I find that using it sparingly once a week is a great addition to my routine, twice if my skin is really misbehaving. It dries out pretty quickly without getting uncomfortably flaky and thankfully, the scent doesn’t linger for long after your rinse it off. Those with more reactive and sensitized skin types should really only apply it on their areas of concern as this one does not mess around and you definitely do not want to overdo it. ”

Now it’s your turn. What’s your latest and greatest beauty buy? Let us know in our open thread below.