Tag: drugstore

Winter Drugstore Hits

Happy New Year’s Eve! I’ve been trolling the drugstore aisles this holiday season have some finds to report. This round-up has goodies that will hydrate and cleanse gentle, dry winter skin without leaving it irritated or stripped.

1. Baudelaire Large Wool Sponge: I am a foam fanatic and this natural sponge gets my shower gel all in a lather. Showering just became a lot more fun.

2. Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bar Soap (also comes in fragrance-free): If Jen Aniston loves it, I had to give it a whirl. You know? She was right. The smell is irrisistable and it removes makeup and cleans skin throughly. The bar is actually perfect for my Clarisonic habit – I just rub the brush head on the bar and suds away.

3. Yes to Cucumbers Hypoallergenic Facial Towelettes: These gentle towlettes are must-haves to remove the celebratory makeup from the season. Also helpful if you are just too darn ~~tired~~ tipsy to wash your face.

4. CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion AM & PM: This duo is a straight-forward, no-frills way to clear, even skin. You don’t even have to think: just use AM in the morning for sun protection and moisture and PM in the evening for improved skin tone and hydrated skin.

5. J.R. Watkins Foaming Hand Soap: This natural, dye-free hand soap comes in four scents and is delightfully foamy. Not to mention, I love the vintage packaging. The formula is free of all that yucky stuff and still gets your hands clean from those pesky germs.

Five Tips for Holiday Makeup from Neutrogena

Amy Oresman, celebrity makeup artist from Neutrogena, shares some of her tips using for holiday makeup. I’ve been test driving these items too over the past couple of weeks and am also sharing my thoughts on these drugstore buys.

1. During the holidays when you’re running from one event to the next, your makeup can take a beating. To help you look picture perfect, it’s important to start with a good base. The Healthy Skin Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15 instantly smoothes skin imperfections so makeup applies more evenly and lasts longer.

Editor’s note: I LOVE, I mean love, this primer. It evens skin just on its own while cooling and hydrating. I love the SPF (non-irritating at that). And there is no balling and sliding under makeup.

2. Between parties, shopping and cooking, the holidays can leave many women feeling and looking rundown, often showing up as bags and dark circles under the eyes. Healthy Skin Brightening Eye Perfector is a do-it-all product that not only brightens and conceals but is clinically proven to de-puff and treat dark under eye circles. Formulated with optical eye brighteners, this silky formula instantly boosts radiance and lightens shadows around the eye area, leaving skin looking refreshed and more even-toned, so you’re close-up ready!

Editor’s note: I’ve had one of these in the rotation for a couple months. This is not an illuminator pen – it really conceals with a radiant and moderate-coverage finish. I love using it around my eyes and down the sides of my nose.

3. Often times, the photo flash can make your look washed out. To really make your eyes pop, eyeliner is a girl’s best friend. Nourishing Eyeliner contains a specialized blend of light-reflecting pearls that help make the whites of eyes appear whiter, while the rich color instantly brightens and defines eyes. What’s more, the formula is enriched with skin-conditioning ingredients including olive oil, rainforest shea butter and Vitamin E to help nourish the delicate skin at the base of the lashes.

Editor’s note: This creamy liner is easy to use and especially great for a smudgy look (there is a smudging sponge at the other end). I love the in-cap sharpener and addition of vitamins and conditioners for delicate skin. This sadly doesn’t work on a water-line, but could be great in conjunction with your favorite eye kohl (remember: layering liners makes them stay longer).

4. My must-have accessory for any holiday look is mascara! My personal preference is HEALTHY VOLUME® Mascara because it builds lash volume by 400% with the triple benefits of olive extract, Meadowfoam seed and sweet almond for fuller, more conditioned lashes. The exclusive super sized Visible Volume brush quickly coats and builds every single lash, without clumping, smudging or flaking, resulting in beautifully defined lashes that are conditioned from the inside out.

Editor’s note: This mascara not only conditions and improves your lashes, but boosts volume in a major way. The large brush is my preferred tool and adequately coats each last for more length and fullness. There is no dry, crispy feeling (hate when that happens).

5. No holiday look is complete without the perfect pout to round off the picture perfect look! Every woman wants soft, luxurious lips, but achieving them isn’t always so easy since many products can leave lips feeling dry, especially during the winter months. Revitalizing Lip Balm SPF 20 is formulated with with ion₂complex™ Technology that offers a surge of moisture and improves lips’ overall appearance. In just one week, this sheer tinted balm is clinically proven to improve the texture of lips while restoring lips’ rosiness.

Editor’s note: It is hard for me to not love a good balm. These did not disappoint They really are hydrating with a fruity flavor. I love “Sheer Shimmer” for an easy translucent lip and “Petal Glow” gives a subtle hint of rose, both leaving my lips super shiny.

AN EDITORIAL SAMPLE WAS PROVIDED BY THE COMPANY AND EVALUATED TO DETERMINE OUR OPINION OF THE PRODUCT IN THIS POST. PLEASE SEE THE DISCLOSURES PAGE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING OUR POLICIES FOR USING EDITORIAL SAMPLES.

J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary Lemon Hand Cream and Salve

This drugstore find has me drooling in a completely calorie-free way. In the interest of my latest adventure on Nutrisystem, I’ve been finding ways other than food to reward myself for workouts and diet victories. And you can probably guess beauty goods are right up my alley. The lemon cream scent from J.R. Watkins is sweet, fresh and delicious. And the hand cream and hand & cuticle salve are coming in extra “handy” this winter. My cuticles are looking healthier after a couple weeks of use. And the back of my hands look more even and perky (is that possible? but yes, I contend it is).

Lemon Cream Hand Cream contains natural shea and cocoa butters, whipped with 10 natural oils in a 96% natural formula. It is a light, fluffy lotion while still being on the rich side. You can use this on hands and other dry and rough areas – I’ve been known to use it all the way up to my elbows.

Lemon Hand & Cuticle Salve is made from a premium beeswax base. While the consistancy is pasty, the salve absorbs quickly unlike some other balms. I love using this at night and before a walk outside in brisk, dry air. I bet this would be great on the ski slopes. The make a dedicated foot repair salve in peppermint, but this could also double for your tootsies.

Both products are: Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free, Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free, Paraben Free, Phthalate Free, Mineral Oil, Petrolatum free and Dye Free.

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Winter Weather Blues – Dry Skin Cures

I woke up to the coldest morning yet this season and my skin definitely knew it. Adjusting to a colder climate has set me on a search for what battles itchy, dry skin best and I have some leaders already lining my shelves. Here are my favorite lotion and potions to protect your skin from winter dryness:

CeraVe Moisturizing Skin Cream: This thick cream is like a little tub of drugstore heaven. The dermatologist-developed formula has no scent, focusing only on deep hydration. Its patented MVE formulation releases ceramides and other essential ingredients throughout the day. There is zero irritation, and anyone with sensitive or irritable skin should love this. On really dry days, I slather this on as soon as I get out of the shower. It absorbs quickly and leaves skin quenched all day long.

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè: I can’t resist a good European import. Especially when I see it in makeup artist’s toolkits so frequently. Often used as a primer, this has a rich lotion consistency while providing cream-strength hydration. I love soothing my skin with this cream after retinol agitation. The formula contains emulsifying and softening agents with active moisturizers that are symbiotic with our skin’s natural balance and encouraging the rebuilding of the hydrolipidic layer.

Kiehl’s Limited Edition Kenny Scharf Creme de Corps: I’m frankly embarassed it took me so long to try this iconic lotion. But might as well try out the limited edition Kenny Scharf version for my first time. Again, this is an unscented lotion – I feel like the focus should be on hydration for serious dry skin. The classic formula absorbes quickly, plumps skin and heals. I like using this at night because there is no stickiness when you are under the sheets.

Caudalie Vinotherapie Divine Oil: This smells so similar to my old, impossible to find favorite – Tocca Body Oil – that I can’t help but go gaga. The spray dispenser is so much easier to use than a simple open top. This particular item is fragranced, but in the most soothing, spa-like way (“subtle, floral and sunkissed fragrance, punctuated with woody undertones”). Grape, hibiscus, sesame and argan oils are combined with anti-oxidant polythenols. My skin looks more luminous. And last night, I even used this on dry ends of hair. It absorbed quickly and left my hair shiny and bouncy. And confession, I even sprayed this on my face with results similar to my trusty Rodin Olio Lusso.

JR Watkins Body Oil Mist: This drugstore body oil also has a spray nozzle and drenches the skin in moisture. I’ve been using lavender, coconut and grapefruit and adore them all. Apricot kernel oil and vitamin E to nourish the skin while providing nutrients. And the oil is quickly absorbed.

And of course, my beloved bliss body butters work great on dry winter skin. See my review from yesterday here.

Drugstore MVPs

Fall trends are quickly approaching and there is no better way to try on a trend than your drugstore beauty aisle. For the autumn months, I am liking a natural, healthy-looking face with a bold lip. After months of wearing a bun in this hot weather, I am excited to stretch a blow out for a couple days – finally possible without the excessive heat. And for weekends, I love a super hydrated nude lip. Don’t forget to reassess your skin care and make sure you rotate out those more drying items.

1. Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes are the perfect “too tired to wash my face” cheat. I love how gentle these are on my drier skin. Literally, you have no excuse for going to bed with makeup on.

2. L’Oreal Colour Riche Balm in Caring Coral is another version of the lipstick/balm hybrids. This is a little thicker than the Revlon Color Burst Lip Butter, with better staying power.

3. Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk was the first dry shampoo I ever tried. It might even be the best. While it does have a white coloring, it absorbs well and works even on my dark brown hair.

4. Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick has to be one of the coolest celebrity/beauty collaborations. Leave it to Kate Moss to create classic colors that look polished but utterly fashionable. They aren’t drying and stand the test of time (literally and figuratively).

5. Rosebud Perfume Co. Smith’s Rosebud Salve is always at my desk (I also like the mint variety). It is super hydrating – a must to prep for the vampy shades that will be popular this fall.

6. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector SPF 30, not to be confused with a foundation, is a ultra-light tinted foundation that has a radiance. It feels like you have nothing at all on, but it magically evens skin.

Note: I received the Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes as a Klout perk. All other items I purchased myself.

St. Ives Skin Apricot Scrubs Collection

So, I was that girl who had never tried the iconic St. Ives Apricot Scrub. How could I miss out on such a drugstore favorite? I knew this problem required a quick remedy and just in time for an exciting new launch. The scrub is getting a makeover with 100% sulfate-free formulas.

Summer brings more activity, grime and sunscreen build up… at least for me. So I am thrilled to have these in my rotation. These are formulated with natural exfoliants that can even skin. After using all four new formulas over the past couple weeks, I do think my skin is more radiant.

The sulfate-free Scrub collection now includes:

St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub
St. Ives Timeless Skin Apricot Scrub with gentle alpha-hydroxy acids
St. Ives Blemish Control Green Tea Scrub with 2% salicylic acid
St. Ives Sensitive Skin Apricot Scrub

Each variety has a slightly different feel. They all share a fresh, fruity fragrance I am swooning over. The “Fresh” version is probably closest to the original. The granules in Fresh are quite large – beware of scrubbing too hard and irritating the skin. I love the Blemish and Sensitive version. They are smoother and a little more creamy. I’m not sure you can go wrong, especially at drugstore prices. Another St. Ives favorite for me is their exfoliating pads with AHAs that can be found for under $3!!

Suggested retail price is $3.99 – $5.69. St. Ives Scrubs are available at select mass retailers, drugstores and supermarkets nationwide.