Cheap Beauty...A ? for those of the femme persuation.

[Talon]

I'm a self-confessed drugstore beauty product junkie.
Don't get me wrong, there are certain things that you can only get in a dept. store, professional beauty supplier, or online..But there's not much else that can compare to the great deals, lack of saleslady pressure, and the lazy-dayz clothing that you can wear to the drugstore/chemist.

So, I'm curious..what are your fav beauty finds from your local drugstore..and why do you love them?

[Soft*Silver]

I swear by my sally henson (sp?) diamond nail polish. I love all the colors but esp love their pink colors.

I dont spend alot of money on myself. I have so many projects I pour what resources I have, into. chrissy has never complained, lol, about how I look. So I rely on good bargains that produce quality outcomes. I personally love Avon products for the skin and for makeup. I think their jewelry usually is overpriced and mass supplied so I dont buy any of that unless its significant to me. (like, anything with horses)

I use to spend a whole lotta money on lancome products. LOVE them but when I read in Consumer Reports that one of Avon's $6 face creams beat out Lancome's $50 one, I switched.

[VintageFemme]

I like a lot of Loreal as well as Revlon's products and since Loreal owns Lancome, I feel pretty good about their quality. I do subscribe to the school of thought though that with regards to make up & hair products, that you do indeed get what you pay for. Esp w/ hair products. Redken is my favourite brand for hair. I've yet to find anything comparable.

Maybelline's old fashioned $3.50 duo pack of eyebrow pencils are still my favourites though.

Good idea for a thread! Thanks.

[genghisfawn]

I have a huge heart-on for the Burt's Bees tinted lip glosses. If you get the Fig shade, no matter what your skin tone or ancestry, it looks good on anyone... seriously, anyone.

I've been finding Revlon glass nail files at Dollarama lately (Dollarama is very, very good to me.)

The DreamLumi Touché Highlighting concealer (with the little brush tip) by Maybelline beats the heck out of anything professional. I've bought Benefit, Estée Lauder and Clinique to try doing something about my terrible skin tone, and this stuff maims it all.

(Is it just me, or does Maybelline eye makeup in general beat the pants off everything else? Best Lash mascara goes on sale for like $3.99 at Shoppers and London Drugs all the time and it wipes the floor with the 3x the price competition.)

The Garnier caffeinated undereye concealer is awesome, too. Not impressed that you can only find it in light shades (especially since I go super-tan in the summer) but it helps me look less like I've been hit in the face with a truck and more like I've just had a little less sleep than usual. My undereye circles are hereditary, but this stuff is almost like you've got a wand and you've cast a glamour.

Aveeno lotion forever!

[VintageFemme]

Oh! I forgot =) Rimmel's Lash Accelerator has some kind of lash growth serum in it & it really works! I read about it and Loreal's Visible Lift foundation somewhere [I can't remember now] and how both products actually do what they say they do. And they do! Loreal's VL has retinol in it and that's what is proven to lessen fine lines and improve skin texture. Since I've been using it, I've seen a difference. I LOVE both of these products!

[TheMerryFairy]

Burts bees anything! I always feel fresh and energized.

[Sachita]

I have spent 1000's on expensive products throughout the years. I'm still pretty picky when it comes to perfume (Bob Mackie or Bulgari) and make-up, however I picked up a tub of Noxzema while on a beach trip. I've been using it to wash my face ever since. My skin feels amazing and never dried out.

[Gráinne]

I've used Maybelline mascara (in the pink wand) for...way too many years .

I can't often splurge on Lush products, but I've found good bath bombs for much less at the drugstore. Makes me feel all pampered just the same.

[Bleu]

TALON! My femme sister extraordinaire (and legionnaire)! Terrific thread!

I often get compliments on my skin and being 44 now I take great pride in keeping it looking good. But really, what I do is so simple and remarkably cheap! The key is consistency.
cheap cheap cheap cheap

Clear Pore. I love this stuff...it retails for between $5 - 8 and can be used as a daily cleanser or as a facial mask. The stuff lasts forever too. I buy maybe three to four tubes a year! I use it mostly as a daily cleanser scrubbing it in then rinsing immediately. As far as cleansing mask use, I do this on high wind days in the desert which cakes on an extra layer of dirt. I apply it to my face at the beginning of my shower, do everything else, then by the end of my shower I rinse it completely. That is the extent of how long I leave it on in "mask" mode.
Warning:
The active ingredient in Clear Pore is benzoyl peroxide. Be careful if you get a lot of exposure to the sun when using it. Also, I use cheap white face cloths so my pretty sage colored towels don't get spot bleached with any accidental leftover product on my face.


Every third or fourth day I skip the Clear Pore cleanser and scrub with the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System.

This handy little item retails for between $15 - 20 and the extra pads are a couple bucks for a pack of 12. The little blue disks are pre-loaded with soap and I scrub my face for about 3 mins total. I do not use anything else that day to clean my face with as it tends to be a little tender. Next day - back to the Clear Pore.

Umm...on a side note...this item can be used as an external vibrator when the exterior cap is removed. It's hard plastic and is completely washable so is easy and sanitary to use for either application.

Two birds, one inexpensive item, and noone suspects a darn thing...hell, yeah, bitches!

PS: It's important to follow with a good moisturizer. I use L'Occitane Immortelle, ($62- 4.4 oz) but that's not so cheap therefore does not belong in this thread...HOWEVER one little pot of this stuff lasts me 6 months!

I spend less than $200 a YEAR in cleansing and moisturizing products for my face and neck. ShiZam!

[Beloved]

Most of my make-up I get from Sephora, because I have a few favorites from Stila (mostly). I don't have a ton of it so it's not that expensive.

I use any over the counter facial moisturizer with SPF 30. I have tried Neutrogena, Aveeno, and Olay and have liked them all. I also sometimes buy mascara from the drugstore, too. I just bought a L'Oreal one today that I've never tried.

I am also a fan of Burt's Bees tinted lip gloss.

[Ginger]

I've tried Lancome and other high-end mascaras, but keep returning to good old drugstore-sold, L'Oreal Voluminous waterproof mascara.

Also I've used humble Pond's cold cream since I was a girl, to remove eye makeup.

I love wandering through huge drugstores on my lunch hour. You never know what deals you'll find.

[Girl_On_Fire]

My two favorite beauty products are baking soda and coconut oil. Baking soda is great to exfoliate with and coconut oil is a good natural moisturizer for skin and hair. Oh, and I love my French clay mask and mineral make-up. I'm all-natural kind of femme.

[Ginger]

Originally Posted by Bleu

Every third or fourth day I skip the Clear Pore cleanser and scrub with the Neutrogena Microdermabrasion System.

This handy little item retails for between $15 - 20 and the extra pads are a couple bucks for a pack of 12. The little blue disks are pre-loaded with soap and I scrub my face for about 3 mins total. I do not use anything else that day to clean my face with as it tends to be a little tender. Next day - back to the Clear Pore.

All good tips, and I've just excerpted this one. Thanks, Bleu. I've always wondering if those microdermabrasion things worked. I use Clinique exfoliating scrub but have thought about switching to another mode of scrubbing off the dead cells to make way for the new.

[*Anya*]

I use Dove sensitive skin on my face.

I like how it smells. My maternal grandmother always used Dove and it reminds me of her.

I also use a little Clinique beige twist foundation (when I remember to), I curl my eyelashes and I finish with a little Clinique mascara.

I'm good to go.

Clinique is not cheap but it lasts forever and I always time my purchase for when they give those little sample size "gift with purchase" deals.

[Dominique]

I've been using these ELF (eyes, lips face) brushes priced from $1 to $3 and availabe at Target or on line. They have the best eye lash curler too, also $1.

Another discovery is baby wipes. I fell in love with them when I worked for Fed Ex and couldn't stand my hands being dirty all of the time. Now, I use them to quickly remove my make up. Ultra cheap. No fuss, no ruining my hand towels. I also buy these at target.

[blush]

Originally Posted by Dominique

I've been using these ELF (eyes, lips face) brushes priced from $1 to $3 and availabe at Target or on line. They have the best eye lash curler too, also $1.

Another discovery is baby wipes. I fell in love with them when I worked for Fed Ex and couldn't stand my hands being dirty all of the time. Now, I use them to quickly remove my make up. Ultra cheap. No fuss, no ruining my hand towels. I also buy these at target.

I use baby wipes to remove eye makeup. Best idea ever! I also put a squirt of saline solution in my mascara to extend the life of it.

[Bleu]

Originally Posted by blush

...I also put a squirt of saline solution in my mascara to extend the life of it.

Brilliant!

That is thinking!

[Ginger]

Two people say they use baby wipes to remove makeup. I'm gonna try that! It wouldn't be as greasy as Pond's...

[TheMerryFairy]

Originally Posted by IslandScout

Two people say they use baby wipes to remove makeup. I'm gonna try that! It wouldn't be as greasy as Pond's...

Baby wipes are great for makeup removal and clean up in general. It's mild for sensitive skin.

[TheMerryFairy]

I also frequently use Johnsons oatmeal & vanilla baby lotion on my skin. Smooth, not greasy, mild scent and a great moisturizer.