Below are 10 products that I swear by DAILY. These are tried and true products that have stood the test of time that I have full confidence in recommending to you, because they have worked so well for me! Each product is linked below if you’re interested in discovering them further!
1. Skinceuticals Retexturing Activator: if you’re looking for a powerful but gentle exfoliating serum, look no further. This product is an absolute godsend unicorn product that I don’t think is mentioned enough, and that not enough people know about.
This serum is a combination of 25% hydroxyethyl urea/amino sulfonic acid compound, which acts as a high-powered exfoliator, similar to a glycolic acid. But it also has hyaluronic acid, which is a natural humectant that helps replenish hydration and acts as a natural hydrator. So essentially, this product functions as a high-powered glycolic acid, without any of the sensitivity or irritation that may occur with other glycolic acid products—in fact, Skinceuticals explains that this serum “has the resurfacing power of a daily 20% glycolic acid treatment.” THAT’S POWERFUL.
But, again! There is no sensitivity, no peeling, no irritation—it’s truly a unicorn in that sense, because anyone with even minor skin sensitivity first trying out glycolic acid knows that the irritation and burning with a strong alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) can be real.
Not only is the serum exfoliating, naturally brightening, and helps to resurface your skin, but it applies like a dream, as well. The hyaluronic acid in it allows it to seep into your skin incredibly quickly. It has a smooth, thin texture, but isn’t so thin that it feels like you’re putting a toner or essence on your skin. It wears fabulously under makeup and doesn’t cause any pilling of other products used with it. Best of all, it is free of fragrance and essential oils, making it the perfect exfoliator for those looking for gentle but powerful exfoliation, and those with sensitive skin!
2. Veil Spark Workout Shirt: for all my modest dressing ladies out there, this one is for you. When I decided to make the conscious effort to start dressing modestly, I had to overhaul my workout wardrobe. It is so easy to just throw on a pair of leggings and a tank top, and go for that run, or hit the gym! But we can’t do that (unless we’re at an all ladies gym, of course).
Queue this top, which truly takes the guessing out of it! It covers everything that needs to be covered, stays put no matter what exercise you’re doing, and yet is still breathable and lightweight, so much so that I can wear it during the summer and not sweat like a crazy person! It runs true to typical Islamic sizing, which means that I can wear my regular size (size small), and it still fits me loose enough for a comfortable modest fit, but I’m not swimming in it. So that means that if I’m running out the door for errands, or running out the door for an actual run, I can throw it on and know that I will feel comfortable and covered, regardless of the exercises I do!
The top itself is such good quality, and Veil makes other practical, modest workout pieces, too! They even have a top that has a built-in hijab—so while I don’t wear hijab full-time yet, it will be a great investment piece for the future when I do decide to start!
3. Haute Hijab Hijabs: for all my hijabi ladies out there, I don’t think that Haute Hijab needs much explanation, but I wanted to include them here because HH hijabs are such an essential piece of my everyday life. Now, while I don’t wear hijab full time yet, I still wear hijabs every single day, whether it’s when I pray, or when I go to my in-laws (who as a cultural practice wear a scarf around the home, so I do the same as a sign of respect, despite that they’re my mahrams).
Hear me: I have hijabs from a couple of different companies, but none compare to Haute Hijab hijabs. In fact, my sister-in-law likes to call me “bougie” just because I wear these very worth it hijabs, but they’re just such good quality that wash well, stay put well, and overall make me feel good while I’m wearing hijab—who doesn’t want that?! I have invested in more HH hijabs than a non-hijabi probably should, but I find that having a large collection of high quality hijabs at your fingertips cannot be beat. Plus, when I do decide to start wearing hijab full time iA, I will have this collection ready to go. Invest in yourself by investing in Haute Hijab hijabs, and you’ll see the difference, guaranteed.
My favorite Haute Hijab hijabs for casual outfits are their jerseys, and my favorite for more formal occasions are their chiffon and georgette. But I also love their viscose for summertime. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
4. Lemon-Cayenne ACV Water: if you haven’t tried lemon-cayenne apple cider vinegar water, you need to try it now. And if you haven’t tried it first thing in the morning to start your day, you really need to try it now! Admittedly, I don’t drink this in the morning as often as I should, and I regret that. It is by far the best way to get your fluid intake bumped up and start your digestion on the right track for the day. The lemon allows you to get a high-powered dose of vitamin C in the morning, while the apple cider vinegar aids in digestion by using the acid to break down enzymes in our stomach, pancreas, and other places in the body. And notwithstanding all the health benefits, it’s just fresh and tastes great first thing in the morning! I can’t say that it replaces my coffee (never!), but it’s definitely a good addition.
I make my lemon-cayenne apple cider vinegar water like this:
- 8 ounces of water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup pure lemon juice
- 3 shakes of cayenne pepper
- 1 packet of stevia (optional)
DRINK UP!!
5. Lansinoh Nipple Cream: this cream is called nipple cream, because… it’s literally for nursing mothers with dry, cracking nipples. SERIOUSLY! I mean, if it’s good for my nipples then it’s good enough for my lips, am I right? Yes, I am, because this is by far my favorite lip balm—it’s what I used throughout my course of Accutane when my lips were dry as the desert. And I still use it now! It gives the perfect amount of occlusiveness and moisturization to your lips for literally hours at a time. This is the balm that I wear on my lips at night before I sleep at night, and I always wake up with supple lips.
6. Oribe Texturizing Spray: I discovered Oribe in 2017 during law school, when my aunt first purchased a subscription with Birchbox for me! Oribe is a high quality, not inexpensive hair care brand that produces everything from blowout creams, to shampoos and conditioners, to texturing sprays. I stumbled upon their cult favorite texturing spray when I received a sample size in my Birchbox, and I have repurchased it so many times over. I use this when I wear my hair in its natural state—curly! I spray a generous amount on my hair, typically when it’s curly and dry, and it just gives my hair this crisp (but not crunchy), and gives it a shine and overall healthy glow that I don’t get from any other product! I use this in the mornings when I don’t straighten my hair, and it allows me to wear it curly, without it looking frizzy.
7. Hourglass Caution Mascara: you guys… it’s so sad, but I have literally the shortest, thinnest eyelashes known to mankind. Sigh. But that’s okay! Because I found this mascara. I was introduced to this mascara by Melanie Elturk, the CEO of Haute Hijab, during one of her Instagram stories! It caught my attention, and I bought the mini version at Sephora to try out. You guys, I swear! This is my holy grail mascara. It gives my lashes length and volume! It doesn’t clump, and there is very little transfer during the day. It also layers really well with itself and other mascaras if you’re looking for even more added length and volume! Not to mention, the gold tube (which is totally irrelevant to the performance of the product), makes me feel kind of chic. Overall, this works better than any other mascara I’ve ever used, and I will continue to repurchase. (I’ve even gotten this for my mom, who has similar eyelashes to me, and she loves it!)
8. EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46: HERE COMES THE CULT FAVORITE. I know that I wrote about this in my Accutane Products post, but I had to include this here because I really do use this every single day! This SPF is truly one of a kind. This applies like a unicorn straight from the clouds. It doesn’t even feel like a sunscreen! I’ve also experienced zero irritation, breakouts, or sensitivity from it.
It has broad-spectrum SPF 46 (amazing), which protects from both UVA and UVB rays, and it’s formulated with niacinimide and lactic acid, which are both amazing brightening ingredients. I will say, however, that this product is formulated for acne prone and rosacea prone individuals. Therefore, the finish can be fairly matte, rather dewy or glowy. I personally have dry skin, so this sunscreen can sometimes make me feel a tad dry at the end of the day. It can also sometimes pill depending upon the moisturizer you have underneath it, and if you don’t allow your skin to dry before you put it on.
But any minimal dryness or pilling can all be combatted with applying a tiny bit a face oil to your skin prior to applying the SPF! (Just make sure the face oil dries all the way so as not to dilute the SPF power). Notwithstanding, this SPF wears so well, feels so good, and provides such great protection that I will continue to purchase it!
9. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer: HOLY. GRAIL. Let me tell you guys, I have been waiting for YEARS to feel comfortable enough in my skin to wear a product like this—a tinted moisturizer. This is a favorite among many bloggers! I originally came across this product from my favorite blogger, With Love, Leena. She raves about this product as a perfect everyday product for light coverage when you don’t want a full face of foundation, just to add a bit of life to your otherwise drab and lifeless face (kidding!). She is SO right.
This product is so glowy, dewy, and brings so much brightness to my face! I personally don’t like a heavy coverage foundation, because I feel like it makes me look cakey. This gives no cake, whatsoever. It simply provides very light, even coverage to make your skin look like a better version of itself. I recently purchased this for my mom, too (this is a trend), and she loves it! I will continue to repurchase this over and over. (For reference, I am in the shade 02 Vanilla!)
10. Lancôme Idôle Eau de Parfum: you guys—I’m a little obsessed with fragrances. I just love exploring new scents, and I love smelling fresh, clean, and feminine throughout the day. I don’t like anything too sweet, but I don’t like anything too musky, either. I was on the hunt for my go-to fragrance, and queue Lancolm Idole: this is my absolute ride-or-die, no-matter-the-season, fragrance.
I first discovered this from Loren Asad on Instagram (my blogger ladies really help me out in the beauty department), who absolutely raves about it being her favorite fragrance. My interest peaked, and I swear, I am IN LOVE. This is absolutely my go-to fragrance that I personally love more than any other fragrance I’ve ever owned or wear on an everyday basis (and that’s a lot)! The scent is incredibly feminine, classic, and chic. Subtle while still very apparent, not too sweet, and not too musky. It has a perfect classic floral scent, that Sephora describes as “sophisticated yet unapologetically modern,” bursting “with notes of citrus, rose, jasmine, white musk, and vanilla.” I couldn’t have described it better myself.
If you’re not convinced yet, I bought my dermatologist this fragrance after being complimented on it again and again! She just loves it! And a final positive note about this fragrance is that it is ethically and sustainably sourced, so you can rest assured that what you’re wearing is sourced from an ethical background.
And that’s it! Those are my 10 products that I swear by daily (though I have many more). If you’re interested in hearing about more products that I swear by, or you have any questions about these products, just send me an email or leave me a comment below!
