My top 3 favorite colorless beauty products

I usually focus on color products on this blog, but I thought I would do a post honoring my favorite colorless products. Colorless cosmetics are easy to overlook, but each of these three are absolute must haves in my collection. Plus, each of these cost under $5.

Without further ado, my favorite three colorless products: the NYX Matte Blotting Paper ($3.99), Essence All About Matt Fixing Compact Powder ($3.99), and adhesive magnetic tape (about $5).

The NYX Matte Blotting Papers are the best blotting sheets I have ever used, hands down. I love that they aren't laced with potentially irritating or drying ingredients, like tea tree oil or salicylic acid, or potentially irritating ingredients, like lavender, or scented for no reason. I have sensitive skin and appreciate the simplicity of this product - they are blotting papers with no bells and whistles. I always have a packet of these in my purse and in my desk at work.

The Essence All About Matt powder serves a similar purpose to the blotting papers- mattifying and touch ups. This Essence powder is translucent, pressed, and cheap, which is the trifecta of qualities that make an excellent on-the-go touch up powder. All About Matt powder mattifies better than the Rimmel Stay Matte and never looks cakey or makeup-y on the skin. Again, no bells and whistles here, but it functions exactly as promised.

Finally, my trusty adhesive magnetic tape - my go to depotting savior. Above, you can see three blush pans from the Benefit holiday blush palette. As you may recall, that particular palette was a bulky nod to kitchy cookie tins and was distinctly hideous. I depotted the product from that palette into a much nicer looking MAC pro palette with the help of this magnetic tape. Adhesive magnetic tape is a wonder that makes depotting seamless - I have used it successfully to turn empty compacts, pencil cases, and non magnetized palettes into highly functional storage solutions. Magnetic tape is easy to use - just cut a piece to size, stick the adhesive side to the back of a pan, and pop into a palette.  I bought this particular roll of tape at an arts and crafts store for about $5.

I highly recommend each of these products - they are about as sexy as transportation infrastructure budgets, but are valued workhorses in my collection.