Which 5 beauty essentials would you choose if you were stranded on a deserted island?

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That's what a reader asked me a few months ago: Which 5 beauty essentials would you choose if you were stranded on a deserted island? Remember, you want to look great for the rescue team that's bound to arrive!

And then I freaked out because I did know what I would bring! Wait, I don't know what I would bring! Oh my god, the hot lifeguard! Promptly discard all rational thought and worry my trusted Infusium 23 (the leave in I totally believe in) won't make it to shore. Also fret about the state of my eyebrows because no one looks good with a unibrow. But of course Puja - the woman who threads my eyebrows - wouldn't be there either and I can see myself turning away from the lifeguard all dramatic like and screaming, "No! You musn't look at me!"

Clearly I've spent some time pondering this and coming up with a somewhat comprehensive and cohesive list of my five favorite products. Will I look like Kate and catch myself a Sawyer or a Jack? Probably not but at least I won't look like I shoved my head in a leaf blower.

1) Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding: Once upon a time I cut off all of my hair because I was moving to Spain. While in Spain I went to H&M every three days to purchase new giant headbands because I didn't know what the hell to do with my hair and the headbands made me look festive even though my hair was DREADING. It was almost as bad as that time I wanted to get rid of my widow's peak and so I used Nair. Enter Miss Jessie's Curly Pudding. I still don't remember how I found it but one day I was ashamed of my hair and how little I felt I could do with it and the next day I embraced the natural look. It literally is the 'best darn curl cream period'. This stuff has done wonders for my hair and if I'm trapped on an island, all I would have to do is wet my hair, plop some of this stuff on, comb through, and be on my merry way.

2) Palmer's Cocoa Butter with SPF 15: I don't care how expensive stuff is, if it has SPF 15 in it, I'm buying it. When I discovered this stuff it put a little spring in my step each morning knowing that I smelled like chocolate, I didn't have dry skin and I was decreasing my chances of skin cancer. Yes, it's true that the more melanin one has in their skin the better protected that person is from the sun's rays, but why risk it at all? Especially after that one time I laid out in Vegas for five days and returned home with sun poisoning. Now I'm uber careful and I love the original version but this stuff is even better. And on an island I feel like I'd need the extra sun protection.

3) Murad Energizing Pomegranate Lip Therapy with SPF 15: Again with the SPF 15 and again with my anal retentiveness when it comes to protecting my skin and again with paying an arm and a leg for lip stuff but my god, my lips feel amazing after I put this stuff on. It's not gross and greasy and it tastes good and I'll be on an island and I don't want to greet the lifeguard with dry, flaky, burned lips.

4) MAC Select Tint SPF 15: Ok, so there's a theme to my product choices but I swear I didn't plan this! I seriously use all of these products every. single. day and so don't kill the messenger. That said, I am not a big foundation girl. I would always use tinted moisturizer. Everyday for the last 7 years and from MAC. That is until the day I went to get more of my beloved tinted moisturizer and found that it had been discontinued. What was I to do? How was I to proceed? The woman at the counter turned me onto this stuff which is light and natural looking. It gives enough coverage that it evens out my skin as opposed to making me look like I'm about to sit under hot studio lights for 9 hours.

5) Revlon ColorStay eyeliner: Imagine a girl who is so obsessed with the way her eyes look that everyday since age 15, she always had to have on some sort of eye makeup. And with the deft precision of a brain surgeon, she was able to put on that eye makeup every single day evenly without looking like she had been punched in the face. I have been using this stuff for longer than I can remember. There are no words for it except those of profound love because it's perfect. I have a thing about my eyes and this stuff gives them the right amount of pop without going overboard. So when the lifeguad comes - all shirtless and buff and ready to save me - I won't look like a showgirl.

So those are my products. My five favorite things that I'd be sad to live without and now it's your turn. You can only choose five, so choose wisely, ladies.

HeatherB also blogs at No Pasa Nada. She has really great eyebrows.

photos courtesty of Miss Jessie's LLC, E.T. Browne drug company, Murad, MAC Cosmetics and Revlon

Submitted by HeatherB (view blog

) on Thu, 12/04/2008 - 2:08pm

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Someone hand me a brown paper bag to breathe
into.

Like you, my first thought was my hair. What is now my pride and joy used to be the bane of my adolescent existence. Fine but extraordinarily curly, I have tried every product known to man, woman and perhaps canine to tame these tresses. I've only straightened it twice, not counting the time I nearly bought a product called "straightener" from the beauty superstore and the lady behind the counter informed me that it was a RELAXER. (Hold me).

Anyway, you had a question? For six years I used the same anti-frizz product from L'Oreal until they discontinued it WITHOUT CONSULTING ME. I literally had a country-wide search going, but was unable to replenish my stockpile (think Elaine and her sponges from Seinfeld). Once I used up the rest on "anti-frizz-worthy" occasions, I tried an array of expensive salon and drug store products. I settled on a combination of three, inexpensive, easy to find products that I use daily.

1. Garnier Fructis Style Sleek & Shine Anti-Humidity Smoothing Milk, which I mix in my palm with a little of my second product,

2. Garnier Fructis Style XXL Volume Weightless Gel, on top of that I usually add a bit of Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Mousse, but I've only got three products here, so we have to conserve!

3. Origins Antioxidant Moisturizer with White Tea. I have really dry skin. This is working well to moisturize, but I just noticed that there's NO SPF protection!! I just had a pre-cancer mole removed. Damnit. I need a new lotion before I get stranded with the hunky lifeguard on a cancer-inducing desert island.

4. This one is easy. I put on chapstick or lip balm about thirty times a day. I don't have one I love. None seem to work on my CONSTANTLY chapping lips. Aquaphor is just what the dermatologist recommends. I have one in each handbag.

5. Gold Bond Ultimate Softening Lotion. This lotion is the best I've ever tried. And believe me, I'VE TRIED THEM ALL. I have really, really, really dry skin. This is like a lotion blanket, but it's thick and absorbant. It doesn't have a flowery smell or a fancy bottle, but it works.

Whew. That was long. Procrastinator? Who, me?

Submitted by Anonymous New York on Fri, 12/05/2008 - 12:47

Dude, this is HARD.

1) CoverGirl LashExact mascara - Whenever I read about people searching high and low for the best mascara, I just want to scream "Lash Exact! It's on your drugstore shelf! GET IT."

2) Kiehl's Lip Balm #1

3) Frederic Fekkai Glossing Cream

4) Aveda Be Curly

5) Chanel Blush in Tempting Beige

Submitted by whoorl on Fri, 12/05/2008 - 15:56

Way Hard

This is hard for me because I don't wear any makeup at all. Never have but I won't say I never will. But these are my five beauty things:

1. Bag Balm - Before you get all weired out on me I have an explanation. Yes it's for cow udders to keep them from getting chapped, but this stuff works miracles on your lips. I haven't had chapped lips in a long time. It's kind of expensive to pay basically for chap stick...but it comes in this huge container that will last a really long time. And it's always a conversation starter.

2. Purity by Philosophy - I bought this stuff after evacuating for Hurricane Ike because I left my original stuff back in the hurricane and I've fallen in love with this. It works so well. That's all I can say about it. It's great.

3. Isoplus Scalp Treatment - I'm a woman of color and I have long healthy hair and I must contribute it to this product. It works wonders and helps my hair keep growing. It always gives my hair a refreshed look!

4. Denman Classic Styling Brush - My beautician recommended these brushes to me in high school and these are the only brushes I use. I have one for every brush need, paddle brush, styling brush, round brush. These are the best.

5. Curel Intesive Care Lotion - I have dry skin but this always seems to help. This is probably the product I wouldn't want to live without. I have bottles of this stuff every, home, car, office, beach bag...sometimes I find the stuff in places I didn't even know. But it's an essential part of my life.

So that's it...I guess that wasn't too hard, but I guess I down myself a little when it comes to beauty products because the first thing that comes to mind is makeup and I don't wear any. But there are other parts to beauty products too, sometimes I just forget that.

Angela

www.moving-along.com - My personal blog

www.hotter-than-biscuits.com - Website for Hotter Than Biscuits Trivia Podcast

www.talking-gossip.info - Website for Gossip Girl Podcast

Submitted by AngieLaa on Sat, 12/06/2008 - 05:55

Well, THIS is damn near impossible.

1. DiorShow Mascara- My very favorite.

2. Fekkai Glossing Cream (Thank you, Whoorl!)

3. Smashbox SkinTint in Ultraviolet (Clearly, I will never shup up about this product.)

4. Chanel Glossimer in Sirop

5. Amazing Cosmetics concealer (Best. Ever.)

5.1 A razor. Any one will do. Just in care I get rescued, you know?

Submitted by metalia on Sat, 12/06/2008 - 18:24

Can I count a kit as one?

1. "Amazing Makeup"flawless complexion (or whatever it's called) kit. Or at least the amazing cover up that somehow covers up bags, circles AND pimples.

2. OK, and the powder.

3. Mascara - any mascara. Just something to show the world that I do, in fact, have eye lashes.

4. Lip gloss. Of some kind.

5. Ummmmmmm - there is no way my hair survives with one product. But Aveda sells the Be Curly line in one BOX sometimes. So that counts.

Miss Britt

http://www.miss-britt.com

"Dignity is Overrated"

Submitted by missbritt on Mon, 12/08/2008 - 07:35