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In the grand scheme of what's truly important in life, beauty products don't rank terribly high. But that doesn't mean we don't love and cherish the really great ones and appreciate all that they do for us.

So as we gear up to count our blessings this Thanksgiving, we decided to take a moment to give thanks for the beauty products that keep us looking and feeling great all year long.

While some of us were nostalgic with our picks and went with beauty products that have been by our sides for years, others welcomed new releases into the fold. And here's the best part: Anyone can play this "game." So, as you baste the turkey or dice stuffing celery and bandy about your life's blessings with your family and friends this Thursday, why not take a moment to give props to the products you appreciate most?

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Contouring for Dummies and a Cleanser That Makes Skin Happy
I'm thankful for ...

Becca Lowlight Sculpting Perfector, $38. I've perfected my cat eye and my brow game is respectable. Contouring, however, is a next-level skill -- and one that I never cared enough about to try to master. However, this cream is a game-changer -- it's basically Contouring for Dummies. While the color may look dull and unremarkable, it's the exact shade of a shadow, which is what you're mimicking when you contour. Stipple a little under your cheekbones and along your jaw, and people will ask if you've lost a few pounds.

Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser, $75. Until I started using this, I preferred scrubs or cleansers with exfoliating ingredients like glycolic acid. This product made me realize that cleansing can be gentle -- moisturizing, even -- and still work. And it's natural (mostly organic) with pink French clay and pomegranate. My skin has been so much happier since I started using it. --Dawn Davis

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A Lean, Mean Curling Machine and a Porcelain Paste
I'm thankful for ...

Kiss InstaWave, $60. The idea of an automatic curling iron made me really skeptical. (Buying a device just so I wouldn't have to rotate my right wrist seemed lazy even for me.) Yet this seemingly gimmicky curling wand has revolutionized my routine and given me the wavy, bouncy hair of my dreams. It's faster, easier to use and more effective than irons twice the price.

Benefit Erase Paste, $26. My sister in albinism, Editorial Assistant Allie Flinn, is the only other person in my life who understands the pain of finding a makeup match for porcelain skin. This brightening under-eye concealer is the most natural-looking cover-up I've found for sleep-deprived, pale ladies -- peachy (not pink), creamy and subtly luminous. --Katie McCarthy

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A Coffee-Defying Whitening Light and Confidence in a Bottle
I'm thankful for ...

Luster Premium White Pro Light, $28.83. I love a bright, white smile almost as much as I love coffee and chocolate. With this whitening system, I can have my latte and white teeth, too. No messy trays, no monthly commitment -- just one hour of whitening in exchange for a mega-watt smile.

Amarte Natural Finish BB Cream, $55. I think of this flaw-concealing BB as the non-alcoholic version of liquid confidence. A quick smear of this moisturizing cream, and red spots, dark circles and uneven skin tone are transformed into a dewy, glowing visage that I barely recognize as my own. And it contains SPF 36! Cue Edwin McCain's "I Could Not Ask For More." --Emily Woodruff

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A New-Mom Moisturizer and a Tangle's Worst Nightmare
I'm thankful for ...

Avène Cicalfate Restorative Hand Cream, $25. No one ever tells you that having a baby ruins your hands. Between the bucket of Purell stationed by the changing table, the constant hand-washing to remove traces of spit-up and poop, and the countless baby bottles and pumping paraphernalia that need to be washed daily, my sensitive, eczema-prone hands felt like they aged five years in three months. This ultra-rich, fragrance-free lotion absorbs fast (no greasy mitts), and cleared up my irritated, cracked skin in days.

Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, $32. If I could get away with never washing my hair, I would -- namely, because my fine hair tangles so terribly in the shower that it takes a solid 10 minutes to comb it out afterwards (even after using a detangler). This is the only product I've used that lets me run a brush through my hair post-shower. No snags, no snarls -- just shiny, manageable hair. --Jill Provost

In the grand scheme of what's truly important in life, beauty products don't rank terribly high. But that doesn't mean we don't love and cherish the really great ones and appreciate all that they do for us.

So as we gear up to count our blessings this Thanksgiving, we decided to take a moment to give thanks for the beauty products that keep us looking and feeling great all year long.

While some of us were nostalgic with our picks and went with beauty products that have been by our sides for years, others welcomed new releases into the fold. And here's the best part: Anyone can play this "game." So, as you baste the turkey or dice stuffing celery and bandy about your life's blessings with your family and friends this Thursday, why not take a moment to give props to the products you appreciate most?
BY AUDREY FINE | SHARES
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