Tag: drugstore

Maybelline Favorites

Today, I am thrilled to be guest blogging at the fashionable Style Me Thrifty! Madeline curates a collection of affordable fashion finds, which can always come in handy, especially this year. I encourage you to check out her blog. She asked me to come up with some drugstore gems, and naturally they were all Maybelline. I am a huge fan, if you didn’t know.

Head over to Style Me Thrifty or check out the post below:

Some of the best drugstore finds these days are by Maybelline. Not only are they a great bargain, but are serious performance powerhouses. These four favorites have earned a permanent place on my vanity:

1. Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealers – nothing refreshes my face like covering those dark circles and this is SO easy to use

2. BabyLips SPF 20 Moisturizing Balm – such adorable packaging and it really heals dry winter, lips

3. Eye Studio Master drama – creamy, high intensity liner perfect for the evening cat eye (and comes in fun colors like Sapphire)

4. Colorsensational LipColor – incredibly rich colors that don’t dry out

Salma Hayek Nuance $100 Giveaway!

I am loving Salma Hayek’s Nuance line available at CVS, especially the Oxygen Activated Foaming Face Wash. And now is your chance to win a basket (worth $100) of my favorites!

First, I love this line because of Salma’s genuine and active involvement in development of Nuance. Salma Hayek was heavily influenced by her grandmother who was a trained cosmetologist in Mexico. I admire a celebrity who choses an active role in development of their brands.

Secondly, I am just a little obsessed with the CVS Beauty Club. They give you a 10% off beauty pass when you enroll. Every time you spend $50 on beauty products (quite often for me!) you receive $5 in ExtraBucks. AND you get $3 in ExtraBucks on your birthday. CVS Beauty Club is social media savvy with special offers and content on Facebook and Twitter.

Nuance Salma Hayek Oxygen Activated Foaming Face Wash

There is something so fulfilling about a good, foaming face wash. It is so gratifying to work up that lather. But with drier, winter skin, some formulas can leave a our skin tight and strip us of our much needed hydration. And Cetaphil, while really wonderful for the skin, sometimes leaves behind the daily grime and makeup. So, I am thrilled to recommend a drugstore cleanser that is foamy fun AND won’t parch your skin: Nuance Salma Hayek Oxygen Activated Foaming Face Wash exclusively at CVS.

Salma Hayek wasn’t just a celebrity name to slap on a product line. Her grandmother, a cosmetologist who developed home remedies, inspired throughout the development of the line. Salma was active in the creation of products and you can really see her Mexican heritage in the ingredient list (mimosa, blue agave, camapu & prickly pear extracts – these help soothe and hydrate skin). Mushroom & beet extracts help maintain skin’s natural protective barrier. And O2 complex invigorates skin for a healthy-looking glow. Even with my current dry, sensitive situation, I wasn’t irritated in the least. She covered the basis – this cleanser is : Paraben free, Dermatologist tested, Not tested on animals and Gluten free.

In fact, there is so much I love about this line, I am hosting a giveaway. And its a BIG ONE. Stayed tuned for updates.

eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm

I’d heard great things about these little balls of lipbalm goodness, but had never come across one in person. Didn’t take but two seconds for me to plop a couple in my basket at CVS this past week. I had to see what the fuss was all about.

These have zero color, but are incredibly nourishing – perfect as part of the nighttime ritual. They pretty much covered all the bases here as far as unwelcome ingredients:

Gluten-free
Paraben-free
Petrolatum-free
Phthalate-free
95% organic
100% natural

The sphere actually works really well – no edges and even application. Unlike a tube, you don’t nick the edge of the balm when replacing the cap. The packaging is very similar to what you find your NARS products in – soft, velvety plastic. And one of the highlights for me: surprisingly easy to find in my massive purse. Right now, I can’t stop using summer fruit as I am craving a beach vacation. But sweet mint is a close second.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Smooth Absolute Instant Age Reversing Foundation

Brilliant – turn the foundation bottle into a wand with a built-in, high quality brush. Add in L’Oreal’s Hydra-Collagen Complex for an anti-aging, plumping effect and you have have an easy-to-apply, smoothing foundation with SPF 17. Not to mention serious bang for the buck.

As you twist the product up into the brush, somehow the perfect amount is provided. I do a quick swipe on my nose, chin, forehead and cheeks and then blend. The brush is unique in its high quality, streak-free application. Turning the brush on it’s side, you are able to get around the nose and underneath eyes. While it is medium coverage, the effect is natural because it isn’t too matte. Only downside is a lack of shade range with only eight options, all in the fair-skin range.

L’Oreal Visible Lift Smooth Absolute Instant Age Reversing Foundation is available at Target for $13.48.

Fall Drugstore Beauty

I had the opportunity to try a luxury brand of skincare, but unfortunately my skin reacted poorly. So, I decided this was an excuse to give drugstore skincare a whirl. In the past, I have relied on drugstore brands for all or part of my ritual with average results. But now, there are formulas available that have beauty editors and dermatologists raving, namely Olay Regenerist. So I picked up the Regenerating Serum and Regenerist Eye Lifting Serum. They aren’t cheap – each will run you $21.49 at Target. But they are a far cry from luxury skin care lines at department stores where night cream can be over $500.

But that’s not all… I also picked up some long-time staples including Cetaphil, Lubriderm, and Orly polish. Going to give the Bonder a try – Eva Chen swares by it. Fifth Ave Fuschia and Revival Red Maybelline lipcolors were irresistible. Snuck some candy corn in there – it is October after all…

What are your drugstore staples?