Boi-ing! It's Winnie!

One of our loyal readers sat down to discuss products this week. Let's see what's in her purse!

Some of you may know Winnie because she writes for HiFever and Jar Of Paperclips. Check her out! She describes her skin as combination, and as someone who shops drugstore brands for basic essentials. But! She is willing to go to the department store for that perfect product.

A peek at her mornings:

In the morning, I wash my face in the shower with something mild and put on moisturizer/sunscreen under my makeup. Then I comb out my hair and put makeup on my face and go downstairs to get some coffee and eat cereal or protein if I can stomach it. By the time I'm done, my hair is almost dry, so I can usually get out the door without using a hairdryer. USUALLY.

What haircare products do you swear by?

Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner spray is the only thing I've been buying consistently for more than...5 years. Holy crap.

What brand of products are you most loyal to year after year? Why?

Maybe Benefit? I've had such good experiences with the Boi-ing! concealer and that iridescent stuff (moonlight something? i can't think of the name) [ed note: Moonbeam] that I'll always buy what they're selling.

What product are you curious about but haven't purchased yet? What's stopping you?

The no!no! "exclusive next generation hair removal system." I want to know what the deal is. What's stopping me is the $175 price tag.

What hand soap is on your sink?

I'm mostly trying to work my way through a huge amount of Body Shop shower gel [ed note: she uses the shower gel as hand soap] that I got for free!

Which celebrities make-up style do you most admire and/or try to emulate?

Good question. I know I have the answer to this. When I was younger, I thought Bijou Phillips looked really cool, but as I grew older I realized I would never have eyes that respond well to raccoon-y makeup effects. Same with Liv Tyler and red lipstick. Michelle Williams is really inspirational these days. She always looks neat and simple.

What beauty products are in your purse right now?

Let's see. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer...does Neosporin count?...the Benefit "Justine Case" my aunt gave me which is actually perfect...and a hairbrush. And an assortment of other lip balms. I generally always have at least 3 on me, which has not changed since middle school.

Would you ever consider Botox or other cosmetic surgery enhancers?

Probably not, but who knows how I'll feel when my eyelids start to sag!

What perfume do you consider your signature scent?

I don't usually wear perfume, maybe because I haven't figured out how to wear it the right way? But I like Kenzo Flower. I kept getting samples, the whole time I was in France, so when I came home I bought the bottle. It's nice, and the bottle is pretty.

At Sephora, what kiosk do you go to first? Which one do you always avoid?

Urban Decay always looks like tacky crap. It reminds me of ads from Seventeen Magazine right next to the girl who's just convinced her parents to let her get contacts. Teen stuff. Sucks. I probably always go to the Sephora brand kiosk first, just to see if there's anything I can get there for cheap-ish.

What's one make-up tip you find yourself using every day?

Apply your makeup in natural light if possible! My dresser is right next to a window so this is easy.

What make-up purchase do you most regret and why?

Maybe a "tower of lip gloss" from the Garden Botanica catalog when I was in 8th grade. It was like a stack of lip glosses and most of them were 1) ugly, or 2) would look stupid on an 8th-grader. It was just stupid, especially since I used like a whole night's worth of babysitting to pay for them.

You are lured by the fruity oil scent drifting from your local Body Shop. Then after making a $12 purchase, the cashier says, "You get a shower gel for free!" - Which one do you pick?

Oh man. I wouldn't even be in the Body Shop; I'd just ask Hillary to get me something for 90% off. But I like the Pink Grapefruit shower gel a lot.

What 5 products would you carry to a desert island? Not including sunscreen.

Aussie Hair Insurance, some kind of foundation, eyeliner (is mascara a bad idea on an island? probably?), and lots of lip products.

How many of your products are natural/organic? Is that a reason you purchase a product?
Sometimes I worry about this stuff, but usually not enough to change my habit. Tom's of Maine makes good deodorant that feels less carcinogenic (maybe this is psychological but i don't know), and it's always a treat to go through the Whole Body section of Whole Foods.

When your lips are severely chapped and/or cracked, what do you turn to?

Burt's Bees!

What GAP perfume did you buy first?

Pretty sure it was HeAvEn~~! Heaven or Dream, but I think Heaven was the very first. I also remember the shirt I bought at the same time. From the Gap at North Hills Mall. I had like $15 and I got a $6 shirt on sale (that i still have!) and a little aluminum bottle of Heaven.

Over-the-counter teeth whitening...yes or no?

Yes?

Thanks Winnie for taking the time to speak with us! Keep on reading!