Beauty Bargains

[LelaViavonie]

I went out on a limb.. and bought the Max Factor Mascara.. THe stretch and seperate. I bought it at Walmart for 5$ and WOW was I impressed.

With one coat I could have long seperated natural looking lashes.. and with a second coat they were darker and there was absolute buildable volume.

LOVE IT

 

[anabolina]

I was just in Dollar Tree and they have L'Oreal Hip cream blushes. I was on makeupalley and a lot of other people picked theirs up at Dollar Tree so they're probably at a lot of them. I really like the blush. It goes on super sheer so you can build up the coverage.

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

Superdrug (UK) Vitamin E oil.

I was spending a lot on moisturisers and saw no real results, I bought Vitamin e oil from here, £1.30 and put in a couple of drops of pure Rose oil. it goes on after I've cleansed at night, face, throat and hands. My skin the next morning is lovely and soft and not at all greasy. highly reccomended. Also Cherry Carmex. £2 a pot. tastes lovely, does the job.

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

I'll second Kitty on vitamin e. My husband keeps a little bottle of the oil in the bathroom and slathers it on his face every morning after shaving. He jokes about it, asking me if he's shiny, and do I think it's making his complexion young and dewy. I just laugh, but I gotta tell ya, for a 44 year old, (who spent years and years in the elements as a postman), his face is alright by me. I'll give the vitamin e oil a bit of credit.

 

[pretty faythe]

I've been using merloit grapeseed oil on my face, and and elbows anfter showers. The bottle is $14, I'm thinking its a 3oz bottle, but it lasts forever. A little bit goes a long way and cures the dry skin blues.

 

[MsStabby]

Coconut oil

I've been using coconut oil on my face and body for about a year-and-a-half now. For my body I use Monoi Tiare Tahiti, plain or vanilla, and on my face I use plain old coconut oil (virgin) straight out of the tub. A little goes a long way, it's not greasy at all, and there is no smell to regular coconut oil.

The northeast winters were killers on my face, and I tried everything under the sun. The coconut oil hydrates perfectly. I no longer use any commercial moisturizer because none of them work as well. Works perfectly under make up also.

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Yay for Dr. Bronner's Magic Bar Soap!

So I just had to join in on the thread since I "discovered" an amazing product that was mentioned on page 4 or so of the thread.

My face has been kind of icky these past couple of weeks. I have dry-ish skin that is somewhat sensitive. My skin has been looking pretty lackluster and I feel like it's "congested" (i.e. my pores looked a little clogged, I got my first "collagen bump" [the white little bumps that often occur near the eyes] and overall my skin just looked "blah") so I was in the organic/vegan isle of my local CVS and looked on the bottom shelf and found some of Dr. Bronner's magic soap bars and liquid soaps. I had remembered reading good things about the bar soap, so I grabbed the Peppermint scent.

Oh my goodness! After my evening shower, I splashed some tepid water on my face and got a nice lather with the soap. After a normal slightly vigorous face wash, I gently pat-dried my face and looked in the mirror. Wow! My skin was literally glowing, dead skin was just rolling of the parts of my face that were "congested" looking and the little collagen bump near my tear duct (that my expensive Lancome and Chanel cleansers were not able to get rid of) had come to the surface and wiped away like nothing!! [it has been there almost two weeks mind you!] I could not believe how fabulous my skin looked and felt, and the peppermint was invigorating and smelled fabulous.

What I particularly love about Dr. Bronner's soaps is that they are 100% vegan, certified fair-trade and it's truly a vintage product.

I cannot believe that this soap (cost at CVS: $3.19 for a large bar) worked better than my $50+ cleansers from Lancome and Chanel that are riddled with chemicals and such.

Some other drugstore bargains are as follows:

*Shampoo and Conditioner: Burt Bee's Very Volumizing Pomegranate and Soy Shampoo and Conditioner ($7.99 each, but selling in sets at CVS for $12.99 for both) Not only does this set smell absolutely amazing, but it give my hair much better volume and alot more "bounce" than the way more expensive Kenra and Sebastian Prodcuts I was using before the boyfriend discovered this for us.

*Body Wash: Giovanni Cleanse Cucumber Song Bodywash ($9.95) Again, this smells amazing and it's invigorating and organic. Yay!

*Body Moisturizer: Alba Organics Papaya Mango Body Butter and Kukui Nut Body Butter (online it retails for $12.95 but I know I don't pay more than $10.00 at my local CVS) I think you can tell by now I am all about smells! These smell good enough to eat and they are SO moisturizing, last forever and are organic.

*Foundation: Max Factor Pan Stik ($8.95) I discovered this little gem last fall when I had to get ready at the boyfriends place for a book signing party for one of my clients (I had just done her hair and makeup and since he lived closer to the party, had to run over to his place before he got home to get ready) and realized that I didn't have a foundation in my stash of beauty products at his place and didn't bring any foundation with me (I refuse to go without foundation to parties or important functions) So I trotted off to the local drugstore to see what I could find in a pinch.

After scouring the isle I didn't see anything that looked like it had a heavier coverage in my color (In the fall/winter, im pretty light but I have a definite golden undertone) and then I saw the Pan Stik. I grabbed the third shade and ran back to get ready.

BOY was I impressed! It not only covered as good as my Besame, Makeup For Ever AND Chanel Foundations, it had a nice satiny-matte finish that required only a slight dusting of powder and the color was darn close to perfect. I was SO happy with it that I plan on buying more when I run out for those days when I don't feel like fussing with my foundation brush and foundation and can just swipe a few strokes on my face and blend with a sponge and I'm out the door. Love it!

*Blush: Rimmel Mono Blush ($3.29) I have these blushes in every color and I like them just as much as my Lancome and Bourjois blushes. They give a healthy glow and a ever so slight shimmer and are under $4!

*Lips: Burt Bee's Pomegranate Lip Balm: ($3.49) I am addicted to this stuff. Period. It takes away a dry or chapping lip in a few minutes and keeps them SO moisturized.

Any Revlon Lipstick: ($5-9 dollars depending on which formula you buy) Anytime I need a lipstick in a hurry or just want to try a new lipstick, Revlon NEVER lets me down. I love every single one I have.

Rimmel Vinyl Gloss ($3.89) Again, I love every single color I've purchased and the slight metallic effect is gorgeous.

*Shadow: Milani ($3-9 depending what you get) I think these are some of the best pigmented drugstore shadows around. Great for the "trendy" colors you don't want to plunk down $10+ when you will only use them sparingly.

*Mascara: Currently, Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara ($7.49) I did a comparison with Lancome Definicils and Lash Stiletto, once on each eye and truly, you could not tell a difference. There is almost a $20 price difference on these mascaras and the $7.49 version worked JUST as well.

*Eyeliner: Pencil: Rimmel Kohl Liners ($3.00) Love the black one for the waterline as well as for a slightly smudgier look on the top lid. The Navy and Purple ones are also lovely.

Liquid: Cover Girl Felt Tip Liner Pen ($7.49) a very easy to use liquid liner pen.

Creme: L'oreal HiP Creme Liners ($9.99) These are better than Smashbox Creme Liners in my opinion. They last ALL day with no smudging.

 

[Emer]

Rebecca--I use the Dr. Bronner's soap for cleaning the house, but is it really gentle on your face? I use my cold cream, but every now and again I need a real cleanser. I tend to have dry skin, so that's my only concern.

I'll have to try some of the vitimin e oil! I have acne scars on my face and I've heard it's usally pretty good for lightening scars. Can you buy it just regular? The only oil I've ever seen was mixed with other stuff (like lemon, or almond oil).

 

[ThesFlishThngs]

Emer, we get our vit. e at Target, in the vitamin aisle. It's a little 2.5 oz. bottle of the pure stuff.

 

[Inky]

Rebecca, thanks for that review of Dr. Bronner's!

My face has been looking lackluster too so i picked up a bar of Bronner's today (the unscented baby mild as i don't care for mint and didn't want tea tree). I used it tonight and am surprise by how good my skin feels and looks, even in one use.

I've used Cetaphil for a long time now (the foaming one, not the creamy one), but this is a good change of pace.

And I second Max Factor Pan Stick. I've used it on and off for years and it's my go-to heavier coverage foundation. I surely will miss MF when they leave the states!

The Maybelline Lash Stilleto is great as well - I hate spending $20+ for a mascara! Though I do love Prescriptives False Eyelashes.

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Rebecca--I use the Dr. Bronner's soap for cleaning the house, but is it really gentle on your face? I use my cold cream, but every now and again I need a real cleanser. I tend to have dry skin, so that's my only concern.

I'll have to try some of the vitimin e oil! I have acne scars on my face and I've heard it's usally pretty good for lightening scars. Can you buy it just regular? The only oil I've ever seen was mixed with other stuff (like lemon, or almond oil).

Emer--I have drier skin as well, and it was perfectly fine on my skin. I always follow up with a moisturizer however, so you might want to do the same if you are anticipating some dryness. But as Inky says as well, you won't believe how nice your skin looks and feels after one cleansing

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Rebecca, thanks for that review of Dr. Bronner's!

My face has been looking lackluster too so i picked up a bar of Bronner's today (the unscented baby mild as i don't care for mint and didn't want tea tree). I used it tonight and am surprise by how good my skin feels and looks, even in one use.

I've used Cetaphil for a long time now (the foaming one, not the creamy one), but this is a good change of pace.

And I second Max Factor Pan Stick. I've used it on and off for years and it's my go-to heavier coverage foundation. I surely will miss MF when they leave the states!

The Maybelline Lash Stilleto is great as well - I hate spending $20+ for a mascara! Though I do love Prescriptives False Eyelashes.

Hi Inky! My pleasure. I just cannot keep a good bargain/deal/product to myself

I know what you mean about mascara. I mean, I do have my professional discounts that help when buying the expensive stuff, but if something much cheaper works just as well there is no reason to spend the extra money (at least not on myself )

 

[HadleyH]

*Mascara: Currently, Maybelline Lash Stiletto Mascara ($7.49) I did a comparison with Lancome Definicils and Lash Stiletto, once on each eye and truly, you could not tell a difference. There is almost a $20 price difference on these mascaras and the $7.49 version worked JUST as well

Rebecca, because of your review i bought yesterday "Stiletto Mascara" in the supermarket, while shopping for food. I used it today and yes... its a good everyday mascara...doesnt give much volume but it separates lashes nicely and it stays until night.... I will add this one to my 2 other favorites!

Thank's Rebecca!

 

[RebeccaMUA]

Rebecca, because of your review i bought yesterday "Stiletto Mascara" in the supermarket, while shopping for food. I used it today and yes... its a good everyday mascara...doesnt give much volume but it separates lashes nicely and it stays until night.... I will add this one to my 2 other favorites!

Thank's Rebecca!

Hi Hadley! I agree, it doesn't really give "volume" but if you give your lashes a good curl beforehand, it makes all the difference I think I'll post a "Before" and "After" pic for people later today as a few of my friends have asked me to do that for them

 

[LelaViavonie]

Hi Hadley! I agree, it doesn't really give "volume" but if you give your lashes a good curl beforehand, it makes all the difference I think I'll post a "Before" and "After" pic for people later today as a few of my friends have asked me to do that for them

Ohhhh. I cant wait to see..
Since Max Factor will no longer be in the U.S. I must find an everyday alternative

 

[analiebe]

So I just had to join in on the thread since I "discovered" an amazing product that was mentioned on page 4 or so of the thread.

......so I was in the organic/vegan isle of my local CVS and looked on the bottom shelf and found some of Dr. Bronner's magic soap bars and liquid soaps. I had remembered reading good things about the bar soap, so I grabbed the Peppermint scent.

Oh my goodness!

"oh my goodness indeed!"
rebecca, thank you so my for the dr bronners tip - like inky i've been using cetaphil for years as i have super-dry, super-sensitive skin and to be perfectly honest the thought of using a soap on my skin was worrying but after your & inkys positive recommendation i found out where here in melbourne i could find it and purchased the baby-mild bar today... i promptly went home and washed my face and was BLOWN AWAY! by how great it was and how both cleansed and soft my skin felt afterwards - so impressed i returned to the shop and purchased the rose liquid soap for body use...

so rebecca & inky, i can't thank you ladies enough for putting me onto this product.... not only does it work but it's organic, ethically produced and dr bronner himself was a wildly eccentric man - all which make the use of the soap even more fabulous!

 

[Emer]

Trying them out

We went by Rite-Aid and I just happened to remember to buy vitamin e and Witch Hazel--both of which smell!! lol Next time, I'll definitely buy the stuff from Amazon like Lady Day suggested! The vitamin e only came in the pill form, so I've been cutting them open and using the oil on my scars. Only been using them for a couple of days, but I'm seeing a small improvement already! I'll have to take a bare-faced picture for future reference...

 

[Jezebel_Amazon]

Revlon has some new-ish Matte Lip Sticks for under $10. Theres one red in particular.. I think its called really red... That I've happen to fall in love with. Their nude color is quite lovely as well!

 

[pretty faythe]

I decided to stop at the CVS and buy a bar of the Dr Bonners and give it a try, right? OMG, I couldn't find it, so I asked the manager who was was walking the aisles if they sold it and where it would be.....he looks at me funny and says huh? So, I explained to him what it was, ya know, just in case, and he says he never even heard of it before.... I've heard of the stuff for years! lol
So I guess when I'm out running errands tomorrow I'll go where I know where I can find it, to my Sunflower Grocery store, I just didnt want to drive that far away. Smiths grocery sells the liquid version, and I had already tried that watered down a long time ago on my skin and it was to harsh. But I did like it for cleaning and loved how minty it made the house smell

 

[lolly_loisides]

I just wanted to thank Rebecca for her mascara recommendation (Maybelline lash stiletto). I *love* it.

Also, for Australian Loungers I'd like to recommend Key Sun Clear Zinke. I was going to buy the Megan Gale Invisible zinc, but at $20 for 50gms I was unsure, then I found Clear Zinc - $5 for 50gms. So far I'm really happy with it. My skin is dry & super sensitive & I've had no reaction from it at all.