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I used to think the term “Ride or Die” anything was a joke. I still do for the most part, but I also appreciate the Ride or Die makeup tag for what it is. With all the beauty reviews on the internet, both sponsored and non-sponsored, it’s tough to get a feel for someone’s legitimate must-have beauty products. That’s what I think of when I hear the term ride or die makeup or skincare– if I only had $50 to spend, what would I buy to make myself feel pretty in the most cost efficient manner? I’ve racked my brain for all the products I’ve sworn by in the past and rounded up all my Ride or Die makeup, skincare, and hair care products in one place.
First and foremost, everyone’s ride or die makeup will (and should) be different depending on your skin type. I have sensitive oily combination skin, aka the most annoying kind of skin type you can have, so all my picks will work well for anyone susceptible to redness, inflammation, acne, oil, etc. I tend to favor brands like It Cosmetics and Physician’s Formula who are known for catering to difficult, sensitive skin.
Ride or Die Makeup | For the Eyes (1-6)
| 1. Maybelline The Blushed Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, $10- a fabulous drugstore alternative to Urban Decay’s NAKED palettes | 2. It Cosmetics Eyelift in a Tube, $29- a convenient 2-in-1 under eye concealer and liquid highlighter that’s effective and provides great coverage | 3. Physician’s Formula Eye Booster 2-in-1 Lash Boosting Eyeliner and Serum, $12- my go-to drugstore eyeliner for everyday use; the Japanese formula targets the root of lashes to provide noticeable lash-boosting benefits | 4. Physician’s Formula Argan Wear Kohl Eyeliner, $10- my go-to eyeliner for photos, since it can be a bit more dramatic in color and smudge effects | 5. It Cosmetics Tightline Black Mascara Primer, $24- a mascara primer that can work as a light mascara on its own | 6. L’Oreal Voluminous Feline Noir Mascara, $9- a drugstore alternative to $29 Dior Diorshow mascara
Ride or Die Makeup | For the Lips (7-11)
| 7. L’Oreal Color Riche La Palette Lip Plum, $17- this aesthetically beautiful palette gives you a zillion different ways to wear a plum-colored lip | 8. It Cosmetics Vitality Lip Stain, $20- hydrates and conditions your lips while giving them the pretty flush color of lipstick | 9. NYX Cosmetics Slim Lip Pencil, $3.50- the best drugstore lip pencil on the market; my favorite shades are Plush Red, Pale Pink, Sand Pink, Peek-a-Boo Natural, and Plum | 10. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Lip Pencil, $20- definitely more expensive than NYX, but still a great lip liner with impressive staying power; my favorite shades are Weirdo and Obsessed | 11. MAC Liptensity Lipstick in Habanero Red, $21- the best matte red since MAC Ruby Woo
Ride or Die Makeup | For the Face (12-20)
| 12. It Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination with SPF 50+, $38- my every day CC cream of choice with SPF 50+ | 13. Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation, $43- a pageant queen’s secret weapon for looking flawless in unforgiving HD photos and on stage | 14. Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer, $34- another pageant queen’s secret weapon for looking flawless under an unforgiving HD microscope | 15. It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Finishing Powder, $29- gives you a flawless matte finish (over foundation or CC/BB cream) without feeling cakey | 16. L’Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer, $13- my go-to drugstore primer; ideal for taking photos | 17. Juice Beauty Phyto-Pigments Illuminating Primer, $36- light every day formula with an organic base of botanical juices and extracts | 18. Physician’s Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush, $12- blush pearls are infused with natural plant extracts, which mimic the positive effect of Endorphins | 19. It Cosmetics Your Most Beautiful You Anti-Aging Palette, $38- an anti-aging matte bronzer, illuminating radiance powder, and brightening blush stain all in one | 20. NYX Highlight and Contour Pro Palette, $25- the best highlighting and contouring tool I’ve seen yet (and it’s actually affordable!)
Similarly to makeup, everyone’s skin type is different. My oily combination skin is a product of sensitivity and inflammation caused by mild rosacea. Also, I suffered from an eating disorder for almost ten years, so I’ve been back peddling in an attempt to try to make up for its damage with high quality anti-aging products. Hence, you’ll notice that the price point for my ride or die skincare is a bit higher than for my ride or die makeup.
Ride or Die Beauty | Skincare (1-5):
| 1. Clarisonic Mia Fit Skin Cleansing System, $219- once you go Clarisonic, you’ll never go back; this one is just as good as the Mia or Mia 2, but it’s smaller and portable | 2. Dermalogica Clearing Skin Wash, $37- works great with a detox scrub, with a Clarisonic brush, or on its own as a gentle cleanser | 3. Clean & Clear Makeup Dissolving Wipes, $6- the best $6 you’ll ever spend for late nights; I keep an extra pack my in my gym bag, too | 4. Clarisonic Deep Pore Daily Cleanser, $27- if you have a sonic cleansing device, any face wash will do, but I like this one because it has salicylic acid | 5. Origins Eye Doctor Moisture Care, $38- my go-to daily eye cream for reversing puffiness and reducing the appearance of fine lines
Ride or Die Beauty | Skincare (6-10):
| 6. Fresh Rose Face Mask, $62- I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t like this hydrating gel mask; it’s great for normal, oily, combination, dry, and sensitive skin | 7. Pixi 24K Eye Elixir Peptide, $22- refreshes eyes and signs of fatigue; works even better if you stick it in the fridge | 8. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel, $48- provides spa grade exfoliation without over-irritating skin | 9. Cosmedix Purity Detox Scrub, $35- for more radiant skin, I alternate between using this detox scrub and my Clarisonic; great for daily detoxification with salicylic acid | 10. Cosmedix Peptide Rich Defense Moisturizer, $52- because my skin is super oily, I’m extremely picky about my moisturizer, since most products make me break out; Cosmedix’s formula is light, contains SPF 50, and helps prevent and reverse signs of aging
Although I tortured my hair and scalp with bleach, heat, and color during my pageant days, I’ve been extremely gentle with it ever since. Not only is my hair naturally thick and dry, but the color treatments, coupled with keratin, a voluntary hair thinning, and some unfortunate experiments with infused hair extensions, made me fearful that it would never be easily style-able (and that it may’ve also eventually fallen out). Fortunately, after years of patience, my hair has finally reached the point of looking and feeling healthy again, but I still feel like I need to take extreme care with it. These ride or die hair care products, which include a mix of both drugstore and department store items, help protect and keep my hair in tip-top shape year round.
Ride or Die Beauty | Hair Care (1-7):
| 1. drybar 1.25″ 3-Day Bender Curling Iron, $135- my favorite curling iron of all time; even my curls stay intact anywhere from 2-3 days (full review here) | 2. Pantene Airspray Hairspray, $5- alcohol-free formula that offers impressively strong hold for $5 | 3. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Dry Oil Finishing Spray, $34- my favorite heat protectant spray; smells incredible and gives hair non-oily shine | 4. Original Wet Brush, $12- if you don’t own one, you should; it removes tangles in wet hair with no pain whatsoever | 5. Nexxus Emergencee Reconstructive Treatment, $22- my secret weapon for repairing extremely damaged hair with immediate results | 6. It’s a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product, $18- I use this leave-in product daily to protect, nourish, and enhance my hair (full review here) | 7. Bumble and Bumble Balm-to-Oil Pre-Shampoo Masque, $43- a pre-shampoo mask that effectively softens, de-frizzes, and de-tangles dry hair
Ride or Die Beauty | Hair Care (8-15):
| 8. drybar Detox Dry Shampoo, $23- I’m incredibly picky about dry shampoo, since my hair is super oily after 8 hours or so, but this dry shampoo works like a dream to help my hair feel clean and never oily or dirty | 9. Argan Oil of Morocco Miracle In-Shower Oil, $9- add a few drops to your conditioner for a boost of silk proteins that help smooth slip ends | 10. Big Sexy Hair Pump Plus Voluminizing Spray Mousse, $18- a staple weapon for long-lasting pageant queen volume | 11. T3 SinglePass Luxe 1″ Straightening and Styling Iron, $180- my current favorite straightener on the market; straightens hair in 1-2 passes depending on thickness | 12. Big Sexy Hair Powder Play Voluminizing and Texturizing Powder, $17- ideal for instant volume in dry hair | 13. T3 Featherweight 2 Dryer, $149- proven to be healthier than air drying your hair! (what?!) | 14. Fromm 1907 Square Thermal Rounder Brush, $18- the perfect blow out brush | 15. Fromm 1907 Glosser Paddle Brush, $20- the perfect brush for sleek updo’s (like this one)’
What are your ride or die makeup, skincare, and hair care products? Anything I should try in 2017?
This is the ultimate list! Great – thanks for putting this up, already got a few of these 🙂
I swear by your list, Steph! Your round-ups are the best!
Thanks so much! I’m so glad you like them! 🙂
Hi Stephanie,
I love this! Some of the skincare products that I use earned their spot on your list and I can’t wait to try some other stuff that you have in there. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Jenny! I’d love to know some of your favorite products, as well! Feel free to share 🙂
Hi Stephanie, thanks for your reply. For the Skin Care, I don’t have Clarisonic, but I have the Skinvigorate by MaryKay, I love Cetaphil cleansers, I’m using a Korean brand toner, and Nivea for my day and night cream. Not so fancy but it works for me. On your Hair Care list, I have all the brushes, and numbers 3, 5, 9, and 14! I try to avoid hair dryers, curlers, and hair straighteners, thanks to a bad experience (don’t ask me about it lol!), but I do get my hair done, with a professional, when I need to (parties and such). I like Dr. Organics shampoo and conditioner. 🙂
Hi Stephanie,
I don’t have that Maybelline the Best Nudes, and I really want it. I can’t wait to include this in my babies. This is perfect to use every day. Thanks!