Top 20 Beauty Products | according to my BFF’s

This past March, seven of my best friends and I went on our annual girlfriends getaway to The Norwich Spa & Inn. We’ve been doing it for 18 years(!) and it’s a weekend we cherish. We have lots of laughs, delicious food (via chef Nikki), endless wine, some good spa pampering and much needed R&R.

And although we may be 47-ish year-old women, I noticed that everyone is looking pretty good. I also noticed that there were a lot more beauty products that accompanied us this year. They filled the bathroom countertops. There was a lot of thought that went into selecting these products that seemed to be working pretty well. So I asked my seven besties to give me their top beauty products and a quick description on why they loved them. This. was. so. fun. I got some great advice, insight, and a few new must-haves. I wanted to share the love with you so that, maybe, you could find some goodness in these too.

So here we are: Christy, Kim, Christine, me, Meaghan, Courtney, Shani and Nikki. We are not beauty experts. Rock stars maybe, but not beauty experts. We all went to UConn together back in the day. We experienced the Clinique free gift era. We have tried (lots) of products. And we have had to wash them all off. We have our share of beauty issues: frizzy hair, break-outs, curly hair, flat hair, oily skin, dry skin – you know, the normal stuff. We are aging, reluctantly. We have all had to dress up for a gazillion special occasions (including each other’s weddings!). But we have 23 kids between us, so we know how to throw it together in less than 5 minutes. So I think, just like you, we’ve had enough experience with beauty products to know a thing or two about a thing or two. And I love the idea of women helping other women. Sharing information and advice to help and empower each other. That’s what I’ve been fortunate to get with this group of crazy girls. Click on each of the images or text below to find out more about each product or to purchase.

Here’s Our Top 20 Beauty Products:

And one more for good luck: SWEAT! Yup. My friend Nikki is a avid runner and has beautiful skin. Her dermatologist told her to keep doing what she was doing. She doesn’t use a lot of products so the only thing she could attribute her doctor’s response to was good old-fashioned sweat. I agree! Daily exercise and perspiration opens up your pores and releases the grit and grime that holds in bacteria which leads to break-outs and dull skin. Plus it’s known to rid your body of toxins. win-win.

So there you have it. Twenty, plus one, of the top beauty products from my BFF’s. These may, or may not, work for you, but just trying them can be fun. And who knows, maybe you’ll find you new favorite product too. Here’s to girl power! Enjoy.