Posts with tag Drugstore Beauty Queen

As we've learned from StyleList, we shouldn't keep certain cosmetics for too long past an undisclosed "expiration" date, but really now, how much does it hurt to throw out a half-full tube of $42 mascara?

It hurts, friends. It hurts.

That's why for some certain things, it's just better to be a Drugstore Beauty Queen, and we're sharing the goods from our makeup bag to show you which specific things we like to pick up from the CVS on the corner. Check it out:

Oh, how we love a drugstore beauty product that works like a department store product, and if it actually works better?

We're sold on that $5.99 price!

You know we've been on the hunt for a good cleanser for the last 12 months, trying everything from samples of high-end boutique-only lines to infomercial-inspired age-defying brands, and back to our old junior high drugstore days. Clearly, we already believe that drugstore facial cleansers are fine, but we're picky about them. Cetaphil? Sure, but we like something that foams. Clean and Clear Morning Burst? But we want to feel squeaky clean after rinsing (please, no lectures about how bad that "squeaky clean" feeling actually is for our skin).

We think we have found the answer with what is new to us from Aveeno, Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser. Not only does it create a lather, but the liquid comes out of the dispenser as a light airy foam, like those foamy liquid handsoaps. The formula rinses clean, and so far, it doesn't overdry our already dry skin that's made worse in this winter weather. Aveeno has always been known as a "dermatologist's brand" like Eucerin, so we trusted it before we even bought it, but after using it now for a week, we love it. It probably helps that we're cheating by using it in conjunction with our Clarisonic brush, but hey, we made that investment last year.

Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser is available from your local drugstore for about $7, or at Amazon.com.

Brow compacts are common among high-end cosmetics companies, but the nifty little arch tamers have yet to infiltrate the drugstore beauty aisles. It's really a shame, since the combination of wax and filler powder can perform miracles for your unruly brows. Of course, brow kits don't come cheap -- most kits cost over 20 clams.

Drugstore beauty line NYC has finally tapped into the brow kit market. From what I can tell, the results are comparable to those of the expensive brands. The powder and wax hold up for the entire day and wash out easily with your regular nighttime facial cleanser. Considering that the NYC version only costs $3.99, it's hard to imagine why anyone would want to shell out $25 for basically the exact same product.

But isn't that always the rub of the Drugstore Beauty Queen?

Salon products -- the ones that actually work -- often cost in upwards of $15, and that can be a high price to pay for great hair when you're on a limited budget. But that's why Burt's Bees Pomegranate and Soy Very Volumizing Conditioner feels like such an awesome deal.

First off, the conditioner works incredibly well. The pomegranate extract -- which happens to smell amazing -- adds light moisture while sugar ester and honey condition your locks with a natural humectant. Toss in some soy amino acids for lift and body, and result is soft, shiny and voluminous hair.

The best part? It's only $8, baby!

I've always admired Physicians Formula cosmetics. I like its approach towards makeup, especially the concealers and skin correctors. Other beauty companies address problematic skin with heavier coverage or thicker formulas, but PF takes the practical approach of color balancing. By this logic, if you have reddish skin, apply green. If you have bluish circles, apply yellow. Sure, it's not rocket science, but has the old color wheel ever failed you before?

Physicians Formula's latest concealer is the first of its kind -- a cover-up that conceals and treats dark circles with something called Haloxyl. So far, the coverage seems better than all of the drugstore products I've tried before, including an $18 concealer that wouldn't blend probably. At $6.95, you can't go wrong with this product.

Admittedly, it's difficult to figure out what shade you should use just based on the packaging, but that's a drawback of all drugstore makeup. However, if you roughly estimate that most people wear either Natural Light or Medium Beige, you have a good chance of finding the right color.

According to the company, the Circle Rx Circle Control Concealer can diminish dark circles by 70% by Week 2 and up to 90% by Week 4. A 90% reduction is a serious claim, my friends. Either way, I'll let you know how things look by the end of the month.

I remember using Sea Breeze oh, about 20 years ago. It was back when I actually did not need to do anything to my face, but I did anyway because all my girlfriends were using things like Noxzema cream, Stridex pads, and of course, Sea Breeze. I loved the Sea Breeze astringent, despite warnings about the "alcohol sting."

But while drugstore products like Neutrogena became more and more popular over the years (even with more mature girls like me now), Sea Breeze seemed to disappear off the radar.

Until a few weeks ago.

Sea Breeze must have always been around; I just never noticed it. Perhaps it was the new look of the line, perhaps it was the placement on the shelves at the drugstore. Whatever the reason, I bought the tube of Sea Breeze facial cleanser and tried it.

I love it. I had been previously using a Dove foaming cleanser which was okay, but I never felt squeaky clean after rinsing. The Sea Breeze rinses completely off, along with every last scrap of dirt and makeup on my face. I found the cleanser available online at Walgreens.com for $5.99, but I bought it at Long's on sale for a few dollars cheaper.

Sorry, girls, I might not have any more drugstore facial cleanser reviews since I might have found "the one."

Yep, we pretty much know now that add "Dr." or "physician" or "med" to any beauty product and you can increase its price by oh, about 100% and yes, it will probably sell even better. Whether products from NV Perricone MD or Dr. Jessica Wu for skincare are really that much better it to be determined, but I will say that the Physician's Formula, which is a drugstore cosmetics brand, is awesome for their bronzers. I don't expose my skin to sun at all, so a bronzer is a good thing for to have. Otherwise, I'll be cancer-free, but still, looking like Casper ain't all that attractive.

Physician's Formula bronzers come in several formulations. There is a container of "pearls" with which yuou use a blusher-type brush, as well as several in a pressed compact form. I've got one of the mosaics, and so far, I love it. I look like I've actually seen the light of day. Not bad for under $15.