My New Drugstore Obsessions!

I have become a total drugstore junkie lately! I'm not sure if it's the recession that drove me to shell out more reasonable amounts of cash on my makeup, shampoos, and lotions, or the mere convenience of avoiding the strollers and hyper-active teenagers at the mall on my way to Sephora. But whatever the motivation, I am a big fan of Target and CVS for most of my beauty needs and wants. Here are a few of my current favorites that I can't seem to get enough of these days!


BEST BODY WASH:
Dove Deep Moisture Beauty Body Wash


This gentle exfoliating body wash smells fresh and sweet like something you would use on a baby. The tiny gentle exfoliating beads are smooth and soft, so they don't irritate your skin, and the soapy liquid is thick and silky to moisturize your skin like nothing you've ever felt. I am partial to the smell of this stuff, and the scent lingers subtlely throughout the day. When I get out of the shower after using this product, I feel completely refreshed, awake and ready to start my day, and at the end of the afternoon my skin still feels silky and moisturized, even while battling the evil recirculated office air for a continous eight hours. Another added bonus: the product is made from all natural ingredients such as water, soybean oil, and sunflower seed oils, so it's as kind to the environment, as it is to your body! This product ranges from $6-9.00, and can be found at most drugstores.



BEST WHITENING TOOTHPASTE:
Rembrandt Intense Stain
If you're like me, and red wine and lattes are major staples in your diet, then this toothpaste will be your new best friend! This toothpaste is unique to others, in that it contains the ingredient Citroxain, which is a whitening enzyme derived from the papaya plant. This toothpaste (unlike some other whitening products) will not make your gums sensitive, or burn your mouth with an unpleasant stinging sensation. It tastes delicious, and while the tube is relatively small, you only need a very little on your toothbrush to get the job done. Immediately upon using, you will notice your teeth look shinier and brighter, and after only a week I noticed my teeth were easily a shade whiter. If you're looking for something incredibly dramatic to brighten your smile, you would probably want to try the Rembrandt two hour whitening kit, (which I have yet to try, but supposidly works wonders according to reviews), and use this toothpaste as an added supplement. But if you're looking for a moderately noticeable whiter, brighter smile without the sensitivity, I highly recommend this toothpaste!

BEST FACE SCRUB:

Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Scrub (Oil Free):

If you're looking for a facial exfoliator to slough off dead skin and/or blackheads, but not one that will rip your face to shreds...this one is for you! I have relatively sensitive skin (but also oily), and if I use too much facial product of ANY kind, my face gets extremely irritated and red, then it will break out! This cleanser is gentle enough where it can be used twice a day, and it completely removes all makeup and reduces the amount of oil your skin produces during the day. I love the natural/organic-y type smell, and the fact that you only need a little of it to go a long way...thus, it lasts longer which saves money! The fresh smell and the energetic feel after you wash your face are my favorite aspects of the cleanser. I love how clean it makes me feel after using it, and it soaks up the oil on my face like a sponge! Two recommendations, however: One, I would not use this product if you are regularly using salicylic acid or benzoil peroxide on your face for acne, because it may dry your skin out a bit too much. If you're prescribed a medication for your face by your dermatologist, check with him or her first before using this (or any) scrub. Second, I usually use a gentle eye makeup remover on my eyes first before washing so I don't get the product near my eyelids. Getting those little beads in your eye is not a pleasant experience, take it from me! Otherwise, happy cleansing!

Lash Love

I am obsessed with this new Loreal Voluminous Mascara!

I was getting ready to go out for dinner and drinks the other night with friends, and as I was applying my makeup, I realized that I had left the top of my mascara slightly unscrewed, and now to my dismay it was completely unusable. I didn't have time for a trip to Sephora or the makeup counter at Macy's...so I finished getting ready and quickly headed to the drugstore to pick up something quick before meeting my friends at the restaurant. I ran into CVS and headed over to the Loreal section of the makeup, and saw this new Voluminous Mascara pop out at me. I had read good things about it in drugstore makeup reviews (from In Style magazine), so I decided to try it out for myself (in dark brown), especially since I had about 10 minutes to spare and didn't have time to search further. I checked out and ran out to my car to try out my new makeup purchase.

At first, I was skeptical...the brush was thinner than my usual mascara's, and from the first sweep onto my lashes, I didn't notice much of a difference. As I kept applying brush strokes, however, the mascara seemed to be building my lashes up to be thicker and longer than I had seen them in a while. I coated them quickly about three times with my right eye, and then went on to my left, while allowing the right eye to set for a minute. As I finished my left eye's first coat, I went back to my right eye and coated them once more, then returning back to finish my left. I couldn't believe my eyes (literally)! My eyelashes looked like extensions almost instantly!

There were a few clumps in my lashes, but they were quickly eliminated with a q-tip, and my eyes looked incredible!

Bottom line: While any of your high-end mascara brands (from sephora) are ultimately going to be less clumpy and require less of an application, if you are looking to spend about 10-15 dollars less (than, say...Dior), at about 7 dollars a pop, this is your go-to drugstore mascara of the moment.

Top Five Favorite New Products

Recently I went on a little makeup shopping spree with my latest paycheck. First, I headed into Sephora (which never fails to be an extremely pricey decision), in search of finding a new eye shadow. I probably have over 1,000 eyeshadow colors, varying in brand from Loreal to Chanel, but that never stops me. I headed into my own personal heaven (Sephora, of course), and headed straight to the eye-catching colors of the Too Faced display. I had used Too Faced products in the past, because my overly awesome and brave boyfriend ventured into the store during Christmas to purchase a pallate of eyeshadows and lipgoss for my holiday stocking! I was overjoyed when I realized that the lipgloss was scented and flavored vanilla (my favorite!), and the eye shadows had the most luxurious pigment, ever! So I browsed through their selection of eye shadow duos, and settled on "Totally Toasted"($17), which is half (shimmery) nude, and half (shimmery) chocolate brown. I tend to wear mostly neutral colors because they favor my complexion and (sometimes) intense platinum hair color. This eye shadow was fantastic! It was pretty subtle, but soft and flattering, and when layered together it seemed to create the perfect base for my eyelids. The best part about this eyeshadow for me though, was that when the usual dusting of the shadow fell onto my cheekbones, as often happens during application, it appears almost as a highlighter, making skin look glowy and fresh. All over, I was impressed! Needless to say, I took the shadow and headed to the counter (after purchasing a few other items, of course)! This was only the beginning of my fabulous shopping experience. I picked up four other impressive products that very afternoon. They are as follows:

2) Advanced Radiance Age-Defying Liquid Makeup by Covergirl ($15, CVS): This foundation is perfect in everyway! The color matches my skintone perfect (I use the second to lightest color-classic ivory, 110), and one little pump rations out the amount of foundation you need for one application, perfectly. It blends evenly without sticking to your skin, and provides the ideal amount of coverage, without appearing caked on. It camoflauges any wrinkles or imperfections, and cuts your concealing time in half, if you need it at all. It is also perfect for hiding undereye circles, without even adding additional concealor. The foundation also lasts all day, and can even be carried on through evening happy hour cocktails, with only a small reapplication of the matching pressed powder (which is equally fantastic), and is only $8, which is MUCH cheaper than any other powder I have ever purchased. The advertisement claims this stuff chops five years off of your age, and I think it definitely fulfills that promise! The other day I got carded to buy a lottery ticket again! Before running to Sephora to buy the most expensive Laura Mercier foundation you can find, give Cover Girl a try. You might be surprised!

3) BO-ING Benefit Concealer ($18, Sephora) : While on the pricer side of concealers, this Benefit Industrial Strength Concealer (as it claims), is just about as perfect of a formula that you can buy. This concealor hides my every imperfection to make it look like I have perfect, glowing, and radiant skin, which we all know is not possible to achieve. This is perfect for those unsightly undereye shadows/circles due to broken blood vessels and sensitive tissue. It is also a wonder for your eyelids when you want your eyeshadow to stay put all day. Definitely one of my all-time best buys!

4) Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss ($8, CVS): I purchased this in Pink Afterglow, which was a perfect match for my complexion, not to mention I love shimmery pinks, especially for this time of year! This lipgloss has an SPF15 built into it, which is a plus, in and of itself. The formula goes on smooth, glossy, and provides flattering coverage that lasts for hours. I am the queen of reapplying my lipgloss several times throughout the day, so it makes me very happy to apply less throughout my workday. This is 10x better than any lipgloss I've ever purchased at Sephora, even my beloved NARS! Try it, you won't be disappointed.

5) Revlon ColorStay Eye Liner ($7, CVS): I purchased this eye liner in both Navy, and Black. Navy is my new obsession for an eye pencil, because Navy naturally makes the whites of your eyes look whiter, and your eye color pop. My eyes look bluer with this eye pencil than any other I've ever worn before. It's an automatic kohl pencil, so it glides right on, giving you the perfect thin line application on your upper lids, and the color stays on for approximately 12 hours (I timed it!). Even on the lower lid, the color stays for hours. This is the best eye pencil (in my opinion) currently on the market. And for only $7, it's a steal.

Hopefully my five product recommendations will tell you that, while yes there are fabulous and fun products at Sephora, there are equally amazing finds at your local drugstore, you just have to know where to look. The only drawback about going to a drugstore to buy your makeup, is that you can't try it before you buy it. But at only $7 dollars for most items, even if you buy something, hate it, and have to re-buy it, you're still probably paying less money than you would for a product at Sephora. So experiment at CVS, and save your money for something luxurious like a night out with your friends for some sushi and sake, or a new cute pair of Aldo wedges :)