I Gave Away 500 Beauty Products When I Moved, But I Couldn't Part With These 37

I'm convinced that moving is one of life's most exhausting and stress-inducing activities, especially when it's a cross-country move. It requires weeks of preparation, endless organization, and a lot of money spent on moving companies, boxes, and bubble wrap. Now that I'm on the other side of that experience, I'm sure of two things. First, you should always donate those old pairs of jeans you don't wear because they'll only collect dust in your new closet. Second, the only way to know which beauty products are truly your favorite is if you're forced to cut your collection in half.
I'm a beauty editor, so my beauty product collection was big (read: massive). After two years of testing skincare, makeup, and hair products, I had over 500 products in drawers, cabinets, and boxes before I moved. Obviously, there was no way I'd use up all 500 before I moved. But I didn't want them to go to waste, so I embarked on an ambitious mission to donate every single beauty product I felt I could go without. And I did. When I was done, I was left with 37 core items. Ahead, see and shop them all.
Skincare Products
Is this expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? To me, yes. I use it like a toner between my cleanser and moisturizer. It's formulated with nutrient-rich whole plants, probiotics, microalgae, plant stem cells, and vitamins C and B. In other words, it's seriously beneficial for the skin. After using it for a few weeks, my complexion is brighter, smoother, and generally better. Just be warned: it smells like kombucha because it contains a fermented skin complex.
When it comes to serums, this one is a long-time favorite. Because I have dehydrated and redness-prone skin, I'm always looking for something that will provide real benefits without causing irritation. This is it. The formula's peach extract, niacinamide, peptides, and hyaluronic acid make my skin calm, plump, and hydrated.
Here's another skincare product I've talked about a lot, but it's truly a game-changing product. It's basically a moisturizer, serum, and treatment mask in one, thanks to multiple peptides, seven brightening ingredients, and nine antioxidants. It promises to promote collagen production and prevent signs of aging from appearing. I know my skin is all the better because of it.
This mask is only meant to be left on the skin for a few minutes, which makes the results even crazier. After using this, I can tell my skin is visibly brighter and smoother. It's all thanks to a combination of lactic, glycolic, and salicylic acids, as well as pineapple and papaya enzymes. The only thing I love more than the formula is the price tag.
Another Renée Rouleau product. This one is meant to be a companion to the brand's iconic Triple Berry Smoothing Peel ($89). I use and love both products, but I mention this one because I happened to have it on hand during the move, and I made sure to pack it safely in my suitcase. The gentle face scrub makes my skin feel smooth and minimizes the appearance of discoloration, so it's become a staple product in my routine.
I've been getting really into facial massage lately. Every night before bed, I'll do a five to 10-minute massage to boost circulation and improve my facial contours. Instead of using an expensive face oil, I've been reaching for this one from Amazon. It moisturizes my skin and provides just the right slip for gentle movement.
This is the sunscreen I use every single day without fail. Its lightweight, milky texture never leaves a white cast and all but melts into my skin. Read my full review to get all the details.
Makeup Products
This is my favorite natural-looking foundation. It's not too dewy or matte, matches my skin tone perfectly, and is nearly undetectable. I wear it almost every day, and I'm not being dramatic when I say it's my favorite foundation ever.
In my opinion, this foundation is completely underrated. It has a smooth, streak-free finish and dries down matte—but not old-school matte, more like "cloud-skin" matte.
I would never—I repeat, NEVER—leave this product behind. In fact, I'm so worried it will be discontinued that I basically hoard it. You can read all about why I'm so obsessed with it here, but to keep it short and sweet, it's the prettiest eyeshadow topper I've ever seen.
My eyebrows are extremely important to me, which is why I only trust a select few products to shape and define them. This is one of those products. The budge-proof pencil has a fine tip that makes it easy to mimic individual brow hairs.
Speaking of lip products, I'm also very much obsessed with this balm-gloss hybrid from Hailey Bieber's namesake brand. Like the Tower28 gloss, it's moisturizing but not sticky. I love how shiny and plump it makes my lips look. To be transparent, I have four of these. I stash them all over, including my desk, my car, my purse, and my nightstand.
Hair Products
If I had to make one hair mask my go-to, I'd pick this. Whenever I use it, my normally parched strands are reinvigorated. Seriously, leaving this in my hair for five minutes makes it look hydrated, soft, smooth, and strong.
Before I even started organizing and separating my beauty products, I knew without a doubt I'd be taking this hair oil with me. It hydrates, adds shine, and protects from split ends and breakage. It smells amazing and never makes my hair look weighed down or greasy.
I've been using this flat iron since I was 13. It's a dependable, unfussy styling tool that I use to accentuate my natural waves.
Body Product
I don't care that this is only $14. I wasn't willing to part with it. It's my favorite body wash, and I keep two bottles of it in my bathroom cabinet at all times. I love that it contains vitamin C, AHAs, and niacinamide to keep my skin smooth, soft, and even.
This is my favorite body scrub. I like it more than others I've tried that are two or even three times more expensive. It contains AHAs, physical exfoliating granules, and enzymes for triple-action holistic exfoliation.
I recently wrote about this lymphatic drainage tool after seeing a visible difference in my body after using it (you have to see the before and after pictures). After using it, my limbs look and feel smoother and slimmer.
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Kaitlyn McLintock is a Beauty Editor atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . She has 10 years of experience in the editorial industry, having previously written for other industry-leading publications, like Byrdie, InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, and others. She covers all things beauty and wellness-related, but she has a special passion for creating skincare content (whether that's writing about an innovative in-office treatment, researching the benefits of a certain ingredient, or testing Wholesale Replica Bag and greatest at-home skin device). Having lived in Los Angeles, California, and Austin, Texas, she has since relocated back to her home state, Michigan. When she's not writing, researching, or testing beauty products, she's working through an ever-growing book collection or swimming in the Great Lakes.