I’ve never been the kind of person who only buys one brand (of skincare, makeup, clothing, home goods, etc). While it seems much easier to just find a favorite brand and use all of their products, I’ve found that it’s pretty hard to find one line that does everything well. That being said, I have found a few beauty brands that do many things well! Here they are:

AMORE PACIFIC

*This brand does have a signature fragrance that is fairly strong. I personally find it really pleasant though! I haven’t been able to wear or be around conventional perfumes in a couple of years, but this scent doesn’t affect me the same way.

• TREATMENT CLEANSING OIL it took me a while to get on the oil cleansing train because of my history with breakouts and it’s just a little bit more of a hassle than using micellar water or liquid makeup remover. This oil makes my skin feel so soft and clean though! If you wear lots of makeup and/or sunscreen regularly, oil cleansing will really get it all off without stripping the skin. This is my current favorite! It also doesn’t bother my sensitive eyes at all, which is a huge plus.
• TREATMENT CLEANSING FOAM I LOVE a really foamy face wash. They really make my skin feel super clean but also usually usually leave my face tight and dry. This one is different! It has tiny vitamin E beads that don’t scrub or scratch at all, they just dissolve and really help leaving my skin fresh but still balanced. I went through a few days with super sensitive skin recently and didn’t feel like I could use my whole skincare routine. I only used this cleaner once a day and my skin not only tolerated it well but healed and restored to normal quickly!
  • From the product description: This foaming cream cleanser removes impurities and makeup without stripping the skin of vital moisture while helping to treat and prevent breakouts. Olive oil, sunflower seed oil, and mango seed butter cleanse the skin thoroughly without drying it out, while natural sugars hydrate and soften. As the cleanser is massaged onto the skin, micro-encapsulated vitamin E beads deliver a burst of antioxidant protection, leaving the complexion clean and refreshed.
• MOISTURE BOUND HYDRA-GEL I honestly have loved every single moisturizer that I’ve tried from this brand. This is my favorite for spring/summer and for daytime under makeup. I also LOVE the Time Response skincare line.
• TIME RESPONSE HAND RENEWAL CREAM I’m always on the hunt for the perfect hand cream. I wash my hands a thousand times a day so they’re super dry. Living in south Florida and being outside so much means I’m also starting to get a few brown spots on the backs of my hands which I don’t love! I also used to bite my nails so I’m picky about keeping my nails/cuticles looking healthy now. This is expensive, but it comes as a set of three smallish tubes which I think is a great idea. You could keep one in your bag, one at work, and one in your bedside table. I used it every night before bed and each tube lasted me over a month, so I don’t think the price is crazy. It helped with dryness, nails/cuticles and with the spots!

SUNDAY RILEY

• BLUE MOON TRANQUILITY CLEANSING BALM I really like cleansing balms because they’re basically oil cleansers but in a less messy medium. They’re easy, emollient and again, really great for removing makeup and sunscreen. This one is beautiful, gentle and effective!
• CERAMIC SLIP CLEANSER  I love the names of these products! This really feels cool and silky like ceramic with some slip. Not foamy but gentle and creamy. It is really great at leaving the skin balanced and not tight or dry afterwards. No fragrance, just the natural scent of the ingredients which I love. Great for sensitive skin!
• JUNO ANTIOXIDANT + SUPERFOOD FACE OIL (mini here) This is an amazing face oil! My only complaint is that it isn’t organic. It has so many amazing ingredients like blueberry, cranberry and red raspberry seed oils which are full of vitamins and omegas (red raspberry is also a great natural UV protector), broccoli seed oil which has vitamin A and omega 9, and black cumin which is amazing for breakouts and combo skin (and also gives it a refreshing, light natural scent!)
• C.E.O. VITAMIN C + TURMERIC FACE OIL Vitamin C is so popular in skincare because it’s basically a one stop shop for beautiful skin! It helps with hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, collegen synthesis (aka plumper and firmer skin), and is great for antioxidant protection and overall skin strengthening and brightening! This oil is as lovely as Juno and I often mix them together. I especially love using this on my neck and chest after the shower!

BITE BEAUTY

• AGAVE+ LIP BALM This is my favorite lip balm of all time. I always have an extra one on deck and will scrape the end of the product out of the tube when until it’s gone! It’s super waxy and thick but not sticky at all. Light vanilla scent but no taste. I’m on like my 5th tube and before this, my lip balms would expire before I finished them. I will always repurchase! Perfect after exfoliation and under lip color or by itself. 10/10!
• AGAVE LIP MASK “Lip masks” are becoming more popular lately, but they’re usually just a heavier lip treatment or balm. My favorite thing about this one is the slightly sweet scent and taste! It’s thicker and glossier than the lip balm and I love using it at night or as a gloss by itself or on top of color. My only issue is that you have to squeeze and apply it with your finger, and I’d prefer like a squeeze tube with contoured tip to apply directly to lips. Both the balm and mask always leave my lips super soft and smooth; I honestly can’t remember having really chapped lips once since using them (despite changing temps, some days with too much sun and a couple of bad colds over the past few years).
• AMUSE BOUCHE LIPSTICKS Bite has a great selection of colors and usually also has adorable mini multi-sets for great prices! I love that these have so many natural and organic ingredients and are beautiful and high performing products without many of the less desirable ingredients that are in many other lip products.

ORIBE

*Oribe also has a signature scent in all of their products, and I am obsessed with how it smells. Rob is too, and every time I use it in my hair he holds my head and huffs it like a mama holding her baby haha! It’s just so fresh, light, beautiful and unique! Again, I am really sensitive to certain smells but this doesn’t bother me at all.

• SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER Oribe has many different product lines for different hair needs/types, and I’ve tried many of them. I love the Signature line (black bottle), Color Protection (burgundy), Volume (brown), Gentle (gray, shown above), and Gold Lust (black/gold). They’re all amazing and you can’t really go wrong with any of them! They all leave my hair super clean, shiny and bouncy.
• HAIR MASK The conditioners are all pretty light and gentle, so I usually like to also grab a hair mask and use it once a week or whenever I want some extra care & moisture. This also comes in different formulas and I’d also recommend them all!
• TREATMENTS You might be sensing a theme of me just saying “buy anything/everything Oribe.” I can’t help it! The treatments are also effective and gorgeous. I love the Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream, Detangling Primer, Grandiose Hair Plumping Mousse & the Damage Repair Power Drops in particular.
• STYLING PRODUCTS (mini here) Oribe’s Dry Texture Spray is an industry staple. I have and use the Free Styler hairspray, Star Glow Styling Wax, Soft Lacquer Heat Styling Spray and Creme for Style as well!
• HAND WASH I haven’t tried this yet, but it’s on my list! I can’t imagine not loving it though (except maybe for the $36 price tag).

DRUNK ELEPHANT

I first tried this brand because of the clean and adorable packaging and it seemed like the perfect mix of better than average ingredients + fragrance free + products that I’m familiar with (most of the super clean skincare I’ve tried has more unique formulas/fragrances that I don’t love: lots of rose/lavender/herbal scents and no creams or gels because they require preservatives, for example). Anyway, after trying first trying a couple of products I didn’t feel blown away because because it seemed so basic.

After trying so many other brands lately (clean and conventional), I can really appreciate and understand the simplicity and effectiveness of Drunk Elephant! They’re meant to be gentle on the skin and used in layers with other products for best results. I’ve never woken up feeling like I used a miracle product, but I’ve also never had any irritation or reaction and they all do what they claim to do and well. I now think this is just a really reliable and great brand that excels at basics, which we all need in our routines!

• JUJU BAR (Juju & Pekee minis here) I love both the Juju and Pekee face cleansing bars. They’re really great for combo and sensitive skin especially. The Juju has the tiniest little exfoliating bits that are super gentle but still enough to feel like I’m getting a little scrub. pH balanced (unlike other “soaps”) and with thermal mud & bamboo powder.
• MARULA OIL (minis here) One of my favorite and most basic products: 100% virgin marula oil. One ingredient! You can’t go wrong with this. Marula is an excellent skincare ingredient that doesn’t clog pores and moisturizes beautifully. It’s also great as a base to mix other treatments or serums into for added hydration!
• TLC SUKARI BABYFACIAL MASK These names are a bit of a mouthful sometimes, haha. This mask is one of the few products from the line that gives an immediate and major result! AHA/BHA flash mask that leaves skin with a noticeably smoother, brighter and firmer. Still gentle enough for my sensitive skin when used 1-2x week though!
• TLC FRAMBOOS GLYCOLIC NIGHT SERUM Another quick result with no unpleasant side effects. I got this as a mini in a set with the Marla oil, and I love using them together to plump, smooth & brighten skin. Glycolic acid is also really helpful for combo skin and breakouts.
• LALA RETRO WHIPPED MOISTURIZER This cream is the epitome of basic and effective. An unscented light but substantial cream moisturizer that addresses dry skin! I love the sanitary pump packaging and used it on my neck/chest and hands also. It went quickly but was worth it!
• B HYDRA INTENSIVE HYDRATION SERUM This was one of the products I first tried that I honestly just didn’t understand at first! I hadn’t looked that much into HA/hydrating serums at the time, and thought this was a gel moisturizer. It isn’t really enough on it’s own, but this serum layered with other skincare makes a major difference in skin hydration and plumpness! I think everyone needs a light hydration layer between cleansing and moisture, and this is a great place to start.
• THE LITTLES ($90 for $130 value) If you’re interested in trying the whole line, this set is great place to start! The value is great and the mini sizes actually last me longer than expected when I use them sparingly.
• I also love the sunscreen and really want to try the new Retinol cream and Protini Polypeptide Moisturizer!

Have y’all tried any of these brands/products? What are some of your favorite beauty brands?