Are you tired of browsing countless options and still not finding the perfect skincare, makeup, books, or blogging resources? Well, I’ve got you covered with my handpicked recommendations. These are my tried and true top picks that will not disappoint. Let’s dive in and explore the best of the best!
Caveat… this post may contain affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you! Please read the full disclosure for more information. But really, affiliate or not, these are the products I’ve been buying and using consistently for months and years now. And I hope these recommendations are in some way, of help to you.
My Skincare Holy Grail
1. Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum: Retinal + Ginseng
This has got to be at the top of my list! I get so excited whenever I talk about this product because it’s cheap and extremely effective. You’ll see what I mean when you read this blog post. It has so much good stuff and is safe to use even around the eye areas. This is a K-beauty brand and there have been many reviews about this, including by legit dermatologists.
Seriously, I recommend this to everyone asking about wrinkle-reducing creams. I bought this twice for myself already and four times for my mom!
2. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Sun Cream
I’ve used tons of sunscreens and there are so many good products out there, especially the K-beauty ones. But this one in particular stands out to me. Round Lab 1025 Dokdo Sun Cream is a broad spectrum, non-pilling, non-shine, non-irritating, and moisturizing sunscreen. It’s just SO good!
3. Unpa Lacto Cica Barrier Cream
I was honestly shocked by how good this cream is. It’s non-drying, non-sticky, seeps into your skin like butter, and it actually healed my sunburned skin! Another great thing about this cream is that it doesn’t interfere with my makeup.
If I could only use one cream my entire life, I would use this cream!
4. Eveline Cosmetics Hyaluronic Micellar Water
Eveline Cosmetics Hyaluronic Micellar Water is so good and cheap too! It’s more effective in removing my makeup without stripping all the moisture from my skin than other brands out there. When I was younger, I would buy cleansers from big expensive brands and I remember not being satisfied. Luckily, I found this one!
5. COSRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser
Okay, I know it says Good Morning Cleanser but I honestly use this at night. 🙂 This cleanser doesn’t make my skin tight and dry. I’ve tried so many cleansers and others might give you a clean feeling but they strip away your skin’s elasticity at the same time. This one does the job of cleaning your face while being gentle, even after 2 washes!
My Favorite Everyday Makeup Products
1. Benefit POWmade Brow Pomade
I can honestly go on with my day without any foundation but I just CANNOT go outside my door without drawing my brows! I would look like an alien.
I bought Benefit POWmade Brow Pomade a year ago and still haven’t finished this little tub. What I also like about this product is that it doesn’t dry up. It’s still as smushy as the first time I opened it. It’s easy to apply and stays on my brows all day!
2. Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Skin Tint
I’ve had a love-hate relationship with this one but then as I tried other skin tints, I finally felt like Fenty Beauty won my heart over.
As I mentioned in my review of Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop Skin Tint, it is a lightweight, non-drying, and transfer-proof medium-coverage skin tint perfect for everyday use. You can also build this up if you want more coverage. I’m just finishing up my remaining skin tints (from other brands), then I’ll buy this again. Just typing this part gets me so excited!
3. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Powder Foundation
Whenever I’m in a hurry and still want to look put together, I always grab L’Oréal Paris Infallible Powder Foundation. I’ve been using this since college and have no complaints about this one. This is a chef’s kiss! This foundation lasts all day, preventing my forehead from shining bright like a diamond!
My Trusted Blogging Resources
1. Namecheap
I got my domain from Namecheap and as the name suggests, this is the cheapest domain name seller out there! They also have excellent support and a user-friendly interface.
I knew about this platform because of the content writing course I took from Edoxi and decided to get my domain name from Namecheap because I didn’t know that there’ll be a 1-year free domain when you purchase your hosting with Bluehost.
But honestly, I’m thankful now that I did because the domain’s renewal cost with Namecheap is way cheaper than any other domain provider. I’m also planning to test out their hosting services once my Bluehost subscription expires. 🙂
2. Bluehost
But honestly, now that I’m slowly getting the technical side of blogging, I don’t think this is the best for beginner bloggers nor the cheapest (*coughs* Namecheap) hosting provider in the market. My website shuts down and automatically gets into maintenance mode whenever I update some plugins. Not to mention their hit-or-miss chat support.
On a lighter note, Bluehost’s interface is so clean and crisp. It’s easy to access and non-tech-savvy friendly. I would still be including this Bluehost in my Trusted Blogging Resources because I know that no matter which hosting provider I go to, there’ll always be some problems. But up to now, they always try to mitigate my website issues and recover automatically deleted content.
3. WordPress
I highly recommend starting your blog with wordpress.org.
3 years ago, I started with wordpress.com and Blogger and I’ve gotten nowhere. Save your time and effort because these free platforms can limit your potential.
4. 17th Avenue Designs
I didn’t expect that playing around with WordPress Themes would be my favorite part of the technical side of blogging! But seriously, 17th Avenue Designs is the real deal! I used some free themes in WordPress, but those platforms can only do so much. So I went hunting for the perfect feminine theme provider, and 17th Ave totally nailed it!
Their WordPress themes are so pretty, and I’ve checked out other providers, but none of them caught my heart like 17th Ave did!
After obsessively looking through their themes, I finally decided on Clover, a versatile theme with super customizable layouts! And the price is totally worth it for such a fresh and feminine website. I’m obsessed with it and can’t wait to grow into blogging using my theme to its full potential!
Plus, they’ve got amazing documentation that’s super easy to follow, and their email support is responsive!
P.S.
They update their themes after some years to keep up with all the user and SEO demands. Had I not previously purchased Clover (which I still love – let’s be clear on that), I would’ve purchased this theme called Vivienne which was upgraded almost a couple of months after I bought Clover! I AM SO OBSESSED WITH VIVIENNE!
I mean, what do you think? Which one’s which? Clover or Vivienne? </3
Definitely buying Vivienne for my future website!
5. TONIC Canva Templates
I am not a designer and rather than struggling to make my own templates, I’d rather buy these amazing designs from TONIC! Use my code BEAUTEA15 upon checkout for a 15% discount. They have customizable Canva social media templates, email graphics, and presentation slides. It’s honestly so good and gives your posts, pins, and emails a more classy oomph! that makes you stand out.
6. Haute Stock
You can tell I’m not a photographer when you check my blogs, especially the product reviews. Haha! I use my iPhone XS Max in every product photo and take lots of time capturing and editing the images WAY more than writing the whole blog post.
Let’s be honest, nobody likes to engage in any content when the featured images or videos are a sore to the eyes! This is when I knew I needed professional-looking photos. And not just ANY photo. I needed feminine and non-generic pretty-looking images and videos. Insert Haute Stock – a stock photo membership site curated specifically for female content creators.
Now, when you browse my website, you can clearly identify which images are taken from my phone and which ones are from my friends at Haute Stock. 🙂 Wanna take a peek inside Haute Stock? Download these FREE photos! Or when you’re ready, use my code BEAUTEA15 for 15% off on all your future purchases with them.
What’s more, is that they’re not just pretty. Haute Stock also provides rich content marketing materials and ideas when you join their membership!
7. Legal Templates
Purchasing the Starter Legal Bundle was a no-brainer. And I say this because before purchasing from Amira, I of course researched and tried to DIY these legal statements I put in my footer. But hey, I live in Dubai and I couldn’t risk getting deported over legal stuff I don’t fully understand. So, for my peace of mind, I purchased the basic bundles that any legit website should have.
You bet I slept soundly that night after making the purchase!
The Best Blogging Courses
I’ve taken tons of blogging courses and these courses helped me the most and created a structure and repeatable routines in my blogging and marketing strategies. They’re SO good and you have to check them out!
1. By Sophia Lee’s Perfecting Blogging Course
I always say I wish I found Sophia when I started blogging two years ago! But it’s never too late to start now. She walks her talk and comprehensively packaged this course to be easily digestible for beginners.
You seriously have to check her out even just on YouTube and you’ll see how inspiring she is and how many useful tips you get when you follow her! Or you can read my By Sophia Lee Perfecting Blogging Course Review here.