My Drug Store Favorites!
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free skin care · Tue Nov 13, 2012 8:35 am

I've been lucking out at the drug store lately and thought I'd share a few things that I truly am loving...

First and foremost - Dove Soap. I know. DOVE SOAP. I've been using this soap for almost 30 years and my skin at just under the big 5-0 looks pretty good - it doesn't strip my skin, takes off makeup better than any cleanser I've ever used, and my skin feels healthy and moist...okay moving on..

COVER GIRL: Clump Crusher mascara. I have been using Lash Blast in the orange tube since it came out. I do cheat on it from time to time as I have a mascara * spam alert *, but I always come back to Lash Blast. This Clump Crusher in the Green Tube is really, really GOOD and no word of a lie - it does NOT clump. This is a perfect mascara for lengthening, defining, and finding little hidden lashes that the big fat wands can't get to. CC won't replace my LB, but I'll tell you, it's a wonderful alternative. To note: it dries quickly so you have to work a bit fast, but so worth it.

REVLON: Mineral LipGlaze in Stay Ablaze and Perpetual Plum - I love this mineral lippie - it's a combo gloss/lipstick - not a lot of shine, great staying power and these two colors are awesome. They're just dark enough to add oomph to your lips but not too dark which makes them perfect for the office. Some might find the scent off-putting - but I don't mind it at all - kind of grapefruity maybe? But I love them.

RIMMELL: Lip Gloss in "All Day Seduction" a great dupe of the lippie version of Nars O*****. Gorgeous shade of peach with hints of coral and gold - this gloss GLIDES on...super shiny...staying power - meh? Not the greatest...but the color is so pretty and I think the gloss was under $3 on sale. Love

CARESS: Evenly Gorgeous Body Wash - Love this. Smell is to die for - like brown sugar/vanilla...yummy and it is both exfoliating and hydrating...the soft scent hangs around after I get out of the shower and my whole body feels really soft.

That's it for now! Smile

xoMaria

free skin care · Thu Nov 15, 2012 1:25 pm

Thanks for the info! Do you use the Dove Bar soap or the liquid soap? I love lash blast as well!

CG

free skin care · Fri Nov 16, 2012 8:21 am

I LOVE Dove bar soap (pink color) with Nutrium because I find that it does not leave a soap residue on my bathtub. Also keeps my skin very soft and not tight/dry compared to other bar soaps for body.

Sun Nov 25, 2012 9:46 am

Hmm, I love my Revlon lips, too - but I swear by "Just Bitten" lipstain & gloss/balm. The stain is great for lining (goes on like a magic marker) as well as color. "Mystique" for day because it looks SO natural, "Twilight" for evening, but even that doesn't look lipsticky and made-up.

free skin care · Tue Nov 27, 2012 4:30 pm

I really do like classic Oil of Olay moisturizer. I think now it is just called "Olay".

free skin care · Sat Dec 01, 2012 6:57 am

Hi Canadian Girl Smile

I use both for the body. The Nutrium in the DOVE makes my skin so soft and moisturized all over. I find the smell has a light scent which I like very much and it is not over-powering. The smell is fresh...I buy a lot when they are on specials (I mean a lot)...

Canadian Girl wrote:

Do you use the Dove Bar soap or the liquid soap?

free skin care · Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:00 am

Canadian Girl wrote:

Thanks for the info! Do you use the Dove Bar soap or the liquid soap? I love lash blast as well!

CG

Hi CG - I use the Dove Bar soap - the pink one... I so love that after all these years it's the one thing I know I'll never change - I even take little travel bars of it if I'm traveling! I always have a few in my suitcase. It's great b/c I never have to take a separate cleanser for face and body - Dove is my one-stop-shop!

Maria Smile

free skin care · Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:30 am

Hi Mariav

I think we both like the DOVE pink soap with Nutrium... Have you noticed that it does not leave any soap residue in the bathtub compared to other soaps? I don't like other type of DOVE bar soaps.

Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:53 am

I love DOVE SOAP......
it's hydrates and refreshes our skin

free skin care · Sat Dec 15, 2012 12:04 pm

After being frustrated with the lack of results from drugstore products, I made the move to department store brands a few years ago. I\m starting to return back to drugstore brands, and I've finding some good ones.

My fav has got to be Live Clean. Their shampoos and coniditioners are by far the best thing you can buy, even works better than my expensive salon stuff! I've also been using their skincare line, the foaming cleanser and moisturizer and I have been pleasantly surprised by both! I've heard great things about the body wash as well, and plan on giving it a try once I've run out of my current wash.

I'm really not one to get attached to a brand, but I'm still in disbelief about how much better these products are compare to the crap I used to buy at the drugstore!!!

Fri Feb 15, 2013 2:43 pm

I love Lash Blast too! My favourite is the lengthening one in the yellow tube, but I picked up the clump crusher a few days ago and it's really growing on me.

free skin care · Sat Feb 16, 2013 12:54 pm

I am looking a curling mascara. Preferably drug store pricing as I don't keep a tube around for long.

Any suggestions? I prefer non-waterproof.

I do have a couple of eye lash curlers but would like to just use mascara and skip the eye lash curler step.

free skin care · Tue Mar 05, 2013 11:51 am

I love Burt's Bees Orange oil cleanser & Apricot exfoliating cream. I have been using both for several years now on my sensitive dry skin. Can't beat the price,results or the smells!

free skin care · Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:11 pm

I love Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Mascara,Revlon and Covergirl nail polishes,Milani Liquif'eye eye liner pencils,Milani HD Concealer(comes in a Touche Eclat type click dispenser),Norwegian Formula hand cream,Milani Eyebrow Pen(very similar to,and much less expensive than Laura Geller),Out of Africa Shea Butter hand cream and shea butter tins(I get these at Kmart or drugstore.com)and Wet and Wild eye shadow palettes.

free skin care · Wed Apr 17, 2013 4:27 pm

Angelcat47 wrote:

I love Maybelline Volum' Express One by One Mascara,Revlon and Covergirl nail polishes,Milani Liquif'eye eye liner pencils,Milani HD Concealer(comes in a Touche Eclat type click dispenser),Norwegian Formula hand cream,Milani Eyebrow Pen(very similar to,and much less expensive than Laura Geller),Out of Africa Shea Butter hand cream and shea butter tins(I get these at Kmart or drugstore.com)and Wet and Wild eye shadow palettes.

The Wet and Wild is surprisingly good quality for eye shadows. I have a few palettes and really like them.

Walmart in Canada has them. Also my local Zehrs (Loblaws) has a small selection. Good reviews on makeup alley. Worth checking out.

free skin care · Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:09 am

cetaphil body cream is always my favorite

Fri May 24, 2013 3:51 am

I like Dove Soap too,Hypoallergenic

Sun Jun 16, 2013 9:24 am

i love revlon

Thanks for the info

free skin care · Tue Jul 23, 2013 5:47 pm

I really like the conditioner from 'Shea Moisture' and also their shea balm. Both work really well. I bought them at Walmart in N.C. but the internet said Walgreens and Target carry this brand too.

I keep coming back to Lash Blast in orange tube. I like the pink tube one too. So far, I'm not overly impressed with the new green clump-less one.

I also really like the Nivea Kiss of cherry and kiss of moisture with SPF 10. I like them both and keep at least one in my purse all the time.

I like Hollywood beauty carrot oil to shave with. First ingregient is soybean oil. Seems to help slow down regrowth and keeps my legs really soft (but it can make the shower a little slick).

And lastly, Walgreens Studio 35 Argan oil. LOVE THIS!

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 4:42 pm

OK. This may sound snobby, but after a disappointing youth spent in pharmacies buying the cheaper brands, I haven't bought much there for a long time. I use mostly organic based
products, DIY, and have used high end cosmetics for years now. My foundations are typically over $80. So after reading a beauty blog by a woman with similar expensive tastes to mine, who was raving about the Revlon colorstay whipped foundation (which can be had for as little as $11 at times - Target now), I decided to pick one up to try. As usual I was annoyed at the inability to test the color, especially as the jar is so thick its impossible to tell. But being quite fair without much pink, and not as much yellow as most foundations use, I picked buff. When I got it home, I couldn't believe it. It is much better color and consistency wise than my expensive Bergdorf Japanese foundation purchase last made. The color is made for my skin! Best match I have ever had. It is actually light enough without making me look washed out, pink or yellow. And the texture is gorgeous. I usually only use tinted moisturizers or very light coverage, and was surprised that this can be both very lightly applied, sheered out with sunscreen/moisturizer, or more full. It can be naturally built up to cover anything, almost making concealer unnecessary at times, so if lazy I'll just pat a little extra dot of this instead of concealer, especially as there is no color match issues.

The jar isn't great for travel, but for foundation whose color and texture is this fantastic I'd buy it packaged in a rock (actually that'd be cool). I would pay the big bucks for it - in fact I have been paying the big bucks for lesser satisfaction.

Love it. Went and bought two more immediately...just in case Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 5:45 pm

Idealist, things have changed remarkably as far as the quality of drugstore products in recent years. When I was a kid, yup, most was crap.

But now, a little research will show that its often the EXACT same manufacturers selling the EXACT same products, just under different brand names & packaging, and at different price points.

My friends with very particular taste and virtually unlimited funds for beauty products, all have an equal array of drugstore & high end products. Why the high end products? In rare cases they do believe the quality can't be matched, but in most its only because they like the packaging, like being "in possession" of Chanel, or are too lazy to run over and buy the drugstore equivalent or have just become used to what they're using. And we all prefer the high end purchasing experience compared to some of the less elegant drugstores!

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 6:33 pm

Hi Lori,

Though I'd mostly given up drugstores, it doesn't mean I haven't given them a try for things over the years. As a matter of fact, I have taken makeup alley advice for holy grail drug store products here and there. Usually when it comes to make up, there is ultimate disappointment texture wise. Powders not as finely milled, eyeshadows not as finely milled and color drenched, lipsticks nowhere near the gorgeous textures of high end brands, mascaras not as lengthening etc. I don't believe for a second that any of these things are at all the same. I have never found anything else texture wise that compares, though I still try. I have favorite products from French pharmacies that I use, but not makeup. There are many many blogs all over the Internet of high end products and their 'dupes', but you can most definitely see the quality difference in almost every case, and the blogs will also mention the difference in quality. They may come from the same company. But even the same companies produce higher end ranges with better quality ingredients. Some put quite a bit in to developing new products.

I know its hard to believe you get what you pay for with make-up (well, its still over priced to be sure, but worth it for me if I use it vs chuck it in the back of a drawer), because its not true with everything, and believe it or not I am an incredibly frugal person (which is why I stopped buying a lot of things I didn't love, and started buying a few things I did with high end makeup). But I absolutely believe it to be true. I don't even believe I spend more money now, I am just more carful with my purchases. Multiple drug store buys really add up too, especially buying on whims because it was 'cheap' or on sale. Drug stores are expensive places, I find.

Each to his own though. Everyone is happy with different things. I wear minimal makeup, but what I do wear I like to be beautiful, and high performing. That brings me to one issue I'm not entirely sure of yet, and that is how well wearing the revlon colorstay whipped is, or wether it rubs off on clothing. Perhaps I'll update once I get some more wear time in.

Sorry if my opinions rub with other views. My usage of both high and low end products with continued experimentation has led me to these conclusions. I have no doubt that drug store make up is satisfactory, but I guess I'm after more than that.

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 7:18 pm

Idealist wrote:

Sorry if my opinions rub with other views. My usage of both high and low end products with continued experimentation has led me to these conclusions. I have no doubt that drug store make up is satisfactory, but I guess I'm after more than that.

All that matter is that YOU find what works for you, period.

free skin care · Sat Aug 24, 2013 9:34 pm

I might add that I am just talking make up here, I don't feel the same necessarily about department store skin creams vs drug store brands which have indeed been tested and come up to find that some drug store brands are better or just as good, and some dept store products may have some good products too. But I don't buy skin care from either places generally, though consider things like Cerave and other products decent. Of course I still seek out the Epionce's and Skinmedica's instead Very Happy

free skin care · Sun Aug 25, 2013 10:56 am

Well yes, to each their own. But there are actually quite a lot of people in the lower economic bracket who are only happy with excellence in quality, and do like what they wear to be beautiful and high performing.

I don't know for a fact that its only rare instances when there's a quality difference... I'm just echoing what friends, some who are makeup artists/insiders and have experimented with a lot of products have shown and told me. (By the way, I don't find MUA to be the most trustworthy resource.)

I never said they were all the same. I do find some inexpensive, very finely milled eyeshadows with amazing color payoff in drugstores these days, although sometimes its tough tracking down a particular brand. Especially here in Canada (headsmack)! I often have to go to the independent drugstores.

Re the commonly used term "dupes", I find that in both drugstore AND high end, one eyeshadow color will be amazing quality, while another color will be absolute crap. Its the same with lip products and mascaras. So color pigment, fragrance & oils added to counter other ingredients, etc. all change things in a big way. Its the individual product that counts, not the brand, line, or manufacturer. It should be that high end are more consistent, but I've found really surprising lapses in their quality control.

I stand by the fact that they do sell identical products under different names at different price points - even if you can sometimes only get the less expensive equivalent online or on a different continent. When you start researching you hear things like there's only one place in America that manufactures the particular type of powder compact, or whatever. Or you hear from people who work at certain places who spill the beans.

Yes, a lot of $ may go into developing new products, but there's only a certain market for the higher price point. Ingredients can be super cheap, so selling at VOLUME at a lower price, makes good sense from a profit perspective. You may be surprised, but kids now have WAY HIGHER quality standards than ever before, with the amount of info & products available to them, so they have to be catered to. Yes, some high end may include a missing ingredient, but it doesn't sound like all even bother to do that beyond perhaps fragrance.

But yes, if you choose not to believe all that, and feel more reassured with high end, you'll feel better wearing it! And that counts for a lot and may well be worth it to you. Smile

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