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Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,195
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Have you found your "go to" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I soooo much want to simplify! I'd love to open my bathroom closet and find one nice tidy shelf with all my "go to" things that I am perfectly happy with! Instead of a whole closet full of this, that and the other thing. And still, constantly buying new stuff -- in search of a better and more satisfying product!!!!

Has anyone attained this goal?

I don't know if anyone feels like I do, but I feel as I am an older lady, that I want products that work and do the job and I'd like to eliminate all this extra stuff and constantly buying all these products looking for things that will do a better job!

I am talking about personal care -- from A to Z! Bath, moisturizing, hair, nails, make-up - the works!

Or is it just our nature to want and search for something better??? {#emotions_dlg.confused1}

Another problem I constantly encounter is, I will find something I really love and then suddenly it's discontinued! Then, I have to start all over again! This has happened to me from everything to hair coloring to nail products.

Please share your thoughts on this terribly important problem! {#emotions_dlg.biggrin}

"A day without sunshine is like, you know, night." - Steve Martin
Super Contributor
Posts: 585
Registered: ‎04-21-2010

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I too have a bathroom closet full of products ! Especially hair care. I would certainly love to be able to downsize everything and make it simple. Im over 70 and keeping it simple is my new Mantra !

Unfortunately we ALL keep looking for that perfect hair spray, mousse, shampoo, etc...and keep buying new things that come out in hopes of finally finding THE ONE ! Its in our beauty genes, lol...

Good luck to you on finding just the right products ! The beauty products companies of course hope we NEVER do!!!

Regular Contributor
Posts: 203
Registered: ‎03-06-2011

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I have found my "go to" set of products and I have no desire to change them. I'm not the type of person that is always looking for something better in beauty products or life for that matter. I like to keep things simple, I find that works and I stick with it. For many years I used only Philosophy products for skincare, Bare Escentuals products for makeup and WEN products for hair. Within these lines I used as few products as possible.

A little more than a year ago I developed rosacea and found that the philosophy products I had been using for years was causing flareups so I went on a quest for new products. I tried several brands of skin care products even changed up the makeup and hair care in case they were also contributors.

Thanks to these boards I found out about Paula's Choice products. I switched to Paula's Choice skin recovery kit and my skin hasn't looked this great in years. Not only is my rosacea gone, but my skin looks great, fewer fine lines, smaller pores, love it. Even if I didn't have rosacea, I would want to use Paulas products because they are no-nonsense, very effective and they are not outgrageously priced. I can't say enough good things about Paulas Choice. The only other skincare product I use is a soap from a company called Rejuva Minerals. They sell a bar soap inteneded for use as a facial cleanser, and it does work great for that but I actually use it in place of Philosophy shower gel. My skin is so soft and clean from such a simple inexpensive product. This is also all I use in my home for hand soap since I like it so much.

As for makeup I am back using Bare Escentuals, I did switch to the "ready" products as they aren't messy like the loose I had been using and I actually think they work better. For hair care, I could have stayed with WEN but after experimenting I found others I like just as much. I now alternate between Shea Moisture shampoo/conditioner and Acure shampoo/conditioner.

I love it that in my bathroom closet I have just a small amount of skincare and makeup products and my shower has just a few items. My morning and evening routine is quick and easy.

Good luck in your search Smile

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,143
Registered: ‎04-18-2012

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

Yes, I use Wen for my hair and body, Josie Maran for my body products and Urban Decay for makeup. Oh and the Emjoi micro pedi for my feet and Emjoi Erase for hair removal. Nails is OPI and Ciaté.

Don't Change Your Authenticity for Approval
Honored Contributor
Posts: 24,685
Registered: ‎07-21-2011

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I like to change my lipstick shade with what I am wearing and I like to try new products so I don't know if I will ever have one set of products. I use a BB cream or tinted moisturizer, setting powder, blush, lipstick, mascara and sometimes a light color eye shadow. I am a 10 minute face and probably less.

kindness is strength
Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,837
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I don't switch products often at all. I've been using Laura Mercier foundation and loose powder for years and really love it. I recently started using Paula's Choice skin care products. I have mild rosacea and was looking for something that would keep my redness down and work on my fine lines. I'm really liking her products so far. I use Alterna shampoo and conditioner. I have tried cheaper brands but really don't like them as well as Alterna. I've probably been using Alterna for over eight years.


The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau





Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,570
Registered: ‎06-13-2012

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I have found my go-to for skincare (very basic, simple routine that really works) and my hair so I don't have a bunch of different products of those items.

As far as most everything else, I usually only buy something new to try once a product I've been using is about used up so that I don't have a million products open, except for body butters/lotions and lipglosses because I use different scents and colors depending on my mood. Mascaras I only have one regular mascara (i.e. non-tubular), which is Mally's and then one or two Tubular mascara (usually Blinc and then one new one to try). I think the thing I have the most of that I keep buying because I like to try new ones and like different coverages and finishes depending on my mood are foundations/tm/bb/cc creams. I always keep Missha perfect cover on hand because I always come back to it but everything else comes and goes.

When I was younger, I use to buy tons of stuff and had a bunch of everything always laying around but once I realized how much money I was wasting, I started to get more particular about what I was buying and not just buying anything that I was interested in or anything new.

Now it is even easier for me since I only buy cruelty-free products- there aren't alot of choices out there now and I am not tempted by many of the new things coming out or the things mentioned on these and other beauty forums I am on because they are usually from non cruelty free brands. So I guess that is one thing I can be thankful for the the ever-so-shrinking pool of brands I can choose from that are cruelty free- I spend less money!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

When I started simplifying, I got out my notebook & made a list of EVERYTHING existing in my bathroom w/ description. All personal care products....the specific brand, color..everything. I even made swatches of sample colors (nail polish) on my list...and I stopped wearing nail polish yrs ago, but I was hanging onto several bottles!! Everything listed...stuff I liked & stuff I was iffy on. Everything.

Then the work began.

I threw out anything I was iffy on.
Just Toss It!
'But it was expensive'...toss it.
'But it worked for me 10 yrs ago...but not now'...toss it.
'Oh, I forgot I had that'....toss it!

If you have your list in hand, it'll make tossing much, much easier. I was afraid I would forget how much I like something I used in the past...like I would forget that "Revlon lip color #35 Red that looked so good on me", you know? Two years from now, if you remember how much you liked 'that hair conditioner that smells like roses'...you can go down on your last, get the brand name & search for it again. Chances are...it really didn't smell that good....it was the memory of using it that kept it in your closet.

And this practice can be used for any part of your house. Making a list of items you liked at one time keeps the memory intact...and every time you open your bathroom cabinet, there won't be any guilt rays!! Only the good stuff will remain...the true workhorses of your beauty routine will be there!

Try it & see if this practice works. It's liberating!!

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,951
Registered: ‎02-05-2014

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

I have switched all my skin products over to ASDM products and I am very happy. I switched my foundation over to two Missha Signature Filler and Lioele Gel Foundation. My concealer is Rivecowe BB Cream or Maybelline Age Rewind if I even need a concealer. My powder is HolikaHolika SPF powder for setting powder or ASDM MM for a lighter makeup. My mascara is whatever freebie I have but always use Anastasia Genius Lash over it. I rarely buy eye shadow just use what I have. I use gel liner. My lipsticks have been switched over to Missha and It lip glosses. I always use Fat Hair Hair Spray, Not My Mothers Dry Shampoo and Fat Hair Styling products. My shampoo I am very fickle and use Wen, Organix, Pantene and Tressame. Body cleanser Philosophy or Yardley. Believe it or not that is a lot less than what I used in the past.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,951
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Have you found your ""go to"" set of personal care products & beauty supplies?

This is one of the goals of the ComPact. It does make life much simpler if you find your workhorse products and stick with them.

~My philosophy: Dogs are God's most perfect creatures. Angels, here on Earth, who teach us to be better human beings.~