Obsessions: Holy Grails - Beauty Edition!

Hey ho friends! So I haven't done a monthly obsessions since July and I know I've been slacking and I also didn't post on Monday so this post is extra long to make up for my terrible-ness.

Today I have a new obsessions for you, but this time I'm sharing my Holy Grail products!  For those of you who don't know what a "holy grail" is, it's when a product is so amazing, it's your numero uno and nothing can replace it unless it's even better.  Okay, now that we're all educated, LET'S DO THIS.

I've gathered a lot of beauty products in my few years of doing makeup, and I've found lots I've loved, and lots I've hated, but these here are the ones that exceeded my expectations!

The first of my beauty holy grails is truly amazing.  All my life I've struggled with finding an mascara that 1) held a curl, 2) was waterproof to the point that I could drown and it would not budge, and 3) it lengthened my stick straight, ugly lashes.  Finding something this amazing was really difficult, but after going through what felt like 1000000 different mascaras, I found two that did my wonders for my lashes.

Urban Decay Cannonball mascara is the first.  It's on the pricey-er side, but it's so worth it.  I've swam with this mascara on and it didn't go anywhere.  It held my curl and it even has little fibers that add length and volume to your lashes.  I absolutely love it and recommend it to anyone with stick straight Asian lashes.  This mascara is queen.

Available on UrbanDecay.com for $20

The next is the more affordable of the two.  It is L'Oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly waterproof mascara.  Although it is the waterproof formula, it isn't as waterproof as Cannonball, but it's up there. I really like the unique shaped brush because it focuses the mascara on the outer corner to give the "flared out" effect.  It holds a really nice curl and adds a length and volume to my lashes.

Available at Ulta.com for $8.49

It's all about lashes for me when it comes to makeup, and like I've mentioned before, I have stick straight, downfacing, Asian lashes.  They hate me and I hate them and finding ways to keep them curled is torture, but I finally found a lash curler that my lashes actually like and respond nicely too. It is my KOJI No. 73 lash curler.  It's specifically made for flatter, wider Asian eyelids so it sits more comfortably on my eye and gets closer to my lashline.  It's often compared to the Shiseido or Shu Uemura lash curlers and it's definitely more affordable then them.  Unfortunately, I used my lash curler until it literally broke, and haven't had the time to go buy myself a new one.  If your lashes fight you like mine do, definitely try out this lash curler.

Available at Imomoko.com for $7.49

My weird hooded mono eyelids make it really difficult to use eyeliner because unless the formula is basically permanent, there's no chance in my eyeliner staying on.  Like my struggles with mascara, it was a long journey of finding an eyeliner that fits my strange requirements but like my successes with mascara, I found two eyeliners that I now call two of my best friends.

The first is my absolute favorite liquid liner ever.  It is L'Oreal Paris The Super Slim eyeliner.  It has a *flexible* felt tip and it's the best opaque black.  I love that the applicator is flexible because my HG liner used to be the Eyeko liquid liner, but I didn't like the fact that the tip was so stiff so it's really nice that the L'Oreal liner is super flexible.  It has amazing staying powering and once it's set, it's set; you can rub your eye and it ain't going no where.

Available at Ulta.com for $8.99

The second liner I don't love as much as the L'Oreal, but it's almost just as good.  The Benefit Push Up Liner is AMAZING.  I love that it's gel liner in pen form because I LOVE gel liner, but I hate having to clean my eyeliner brush every day.  The only problem I have with this liner is that I feel like it dried out really quickly and it's really difficult to twist up when it gets too dried.  I only got a good ten uses out of it before it dried out completely.  That disappointed me a lot because it is quite pricey.  However, I love it because it does not budge and it creates gorgeous wings, two things I look for in a good eyeliner.

Available at BenefitCosmetics.com for $24

I used to swear by my NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil, but since being coaxed into trying the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade by a friend, I am changed.  I love how versatile DipBrow is.  I can go lighter or darker depending on my look for the day.  I use DipBrow in Dark Brown and it matches my hair really well.  It is kind of an investment to buy DipBrow, but it lasts FOREVER.  I've had mine for almost a year and I barely even used less than a fourth of it.  One warning though: the pomade is SUPER pigmented so be careful when you're using it.  It takes time to get used to and even though I've been using it for almost a year, I sometimes can go overboard when I'm not careful.

Available at AnastasiaBeverlyHills.com for $18

I'm really particular when it comes to my foundation because I hate cake face.  I've come across a few foundations that I thought I loved, but there's one that I truly love - Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation.  It's formula is really nice to work with because it's build-able and blendable.  You can go light for the days you want to just even out your skin, or you can go FLAWLESS.  It's super versatile and the range of colors is HUGE.  It is a high end brand product, but if you can, I say to definitely give it a try.  I've gone through at least three bottles of it.

Available at UrbanDecay.com for $40

I was never really into contouring, but after I got the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer, contouring is what I look forward to when I do my makeup.  It came in a little travel set with a Better Than Sex mascara and I originally bought the set for the mascara but ended up falling in love with the bronzer instead.  I always smell it before I dig my brush in and apply it because IT SMELLS SO GOOD.  It's the most pigmented bronzer I own so like I mentioned with DipBrow, use with caution and a light hand.

Available at TooFacedCosmetics.com for $30

Similarly, I wasn't into blush until Jen FrmHeadToToe introduced me to Benefit's Coralista. I've severely hit pan on mine and I'm having so much trouble letting it go.  For a while, it was the only blush I ever wore despite owning so many.  It gives you such a beautiful coral glow and it looks good on any skintone.  You don't have to worry about being too heavy-handed with this one because you can't overdo it.   It also smells really nice which I found strange at first, but it's actually kind of nice lol.

Available at BenefitCosmetics.com for $28

Hi my name is Cat and I am addicted to lipstick and lip colors.  I have too many to count, but these two get more love than any others.  I used to wear lipsticks without lipliner underneath because I didn't know any better, but since getting NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Natural, I don't leave the house without it.  It's a nude lipliner so you can virtually wear it under any color, but I usually wear it to make my lipcolors a little vampy-er.  It can be a little drying, so I usually take a little tiny bit of lipbalm and apply it before I apply my lip color.

Available at NYXCosmetics.com for $3.50

NYX Cosmetics and I have a good relationship when it comes to lip products.  Their Soft Matte Lip Creams are my absolute favorite, but specifically Cannes.  It is a gorgeous nude pink and it goes with EVERYTHING.  It has great staying power and it looks good on basically everyone.  I've collected almost the entire Soft Matte Lip Cream collection because they are life changing.

Available at NYXCosmetics.com for $6

The last Holy Grail beauty product I'm going to rave about is not makeup because I do like other things that aren't makeup lol.  It is my FAAAAAAVORITE fragrance mist.  Victoria's Secret's Love Spell Bloom has changed my life forever.  I wore it every single day of my senior year of high school.  Unfortunately, it is limited edition and I'm crying because I have to pay like $50 on Amazon or eBay if I want to buy it off-market.  I love it so much and I get compliments every time I wear it because everyone else loves it too.

Available at Amazon.com for $41 (plus $4.99 shipping)

So yeahhhh.... There's my Holy Grail beauty products!  I might share more of my Holy Grail products later in Obsessions posts if you guys like this!  I'll probably add more to this lists too because I'm always trying new beauty products because I have a problem and my bank account it letting me know it.  But debt aside, I truly and honestly recommend all of these products and would love it if you tried them as well and let me know what you think!

As always, thank so much for reading!  I hope you enjoyed!

Love, Cat <3