Drugstore Beauty Finds

$6 Clean and Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Wipes Do Double Duty

October 23rd, 2009 by Karen 38 Comments

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To streamline my travel beauty routine and the airport screening process, I try to avoid packing products that 1) are liquids and 2) require a bunch of steps to use.

That’s why, for my trip last week, I grabbed a pack of Clean and Clear Makeup Dissolving Facial Cleansing Wipes ($6 for a pack of 25).

They’re pre-moistened and come in a re-sealable bag that fits snugly into my carry-on luggage (a suitcase small enough for an overhead bin).

These beauties do double duty, making them ideal for travel. They remove most kinds of makeup (gloss, foundation, powder, blush and eyeshadow with ease) and cleanse skin at the same time. Even better, you don’t have to rinse.

After late nights playing Kitty Glitter, I liked returning to my room and removing my makeup in a flash.

They feel soft against my skin, have a light soapy scent that smells fresh and clean, and I don’t detect a residue or sticky film (I use them on my face and neck) after using one.

But when pitted against waterproof makeup, they kinda disappoint.

It took a lot of gentle rubbling to thoroughly remove long-wearing products like MAC Fluidline, Stila Lash Visor Waterproof Mascara and Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner.

It’s not a dealbreaker for me, but it does keep them from earning flying colors.

Being just $6 per pack, feeling great on my skin and smelling so nice, I think they’re a great bargain, but I do wish they worked a little better on waterproof stuff… Makeup and Beauty Blog Rating: B

Casual Fridays

Tabs is taking advantage of the new MBB Casual Friday work attire policy. What do ya think of his new outfit?

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Cheap Thrills With Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner

October 23rd, 2009 by Karen 21 Comments

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Silicone-free drugstore conditioners are like pop stars who write their own songs — few and far between.

That’s why my eyes lit up when I read the ingredients on this bottle of Garnier Fructis Body Boost Conditioner ($5 for 25 oz.) at Tar-ghay.

I’ve been searching for a new product to condition wash my hair with, and I wanted something silicon free (for an explanation of condition washing from an old 2007 MBB post).

Why no silicone?

Because I’ve been hearing good things about silicone-free condition washing. From a hair performance point of view, silicones are said to add smoothness, slip and shine (from my experience, I agree), but many women refuse to use them, believing that they build up and weigh hair down over time.

Condition washing with Garnier Fructis Body Boost

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It’s All in the HIPs: L’Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliner

October 22nd, 2009 by Karen 63 Comments

loreal hip high intensity pigments chrome eyeliner
L’Oreal HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliner from bottom to top: Violet Volt, Black Shock, Silver Lightning, Gold Charge

Hey there, my discount lovin’ beauties. 🙂 How do you feel about Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils?

I’m a fan. I think they’re fabulously buttery and love how long they wear.

They remind me of L’Oreal’s new HIP High Intensity Pigments Chrome Eyeliners ($10 per pencil, available in four shades).

I adore how long they last. They take about a minute to dry but then stay put for most of the day vibrant, rich color, especially when worn along my lashlines.

Unfortch, the waterlines are a different story, where all four pencil colors made my eyes teary, and their colors began to fade rather quickly (within a few minutes).

Even so, I like ’em for the price, especially if you don’t wear eyeliner along the waterline.

loreal hip high intensity pigments chrome eyeliner swatches
Swatches from left to right: Violet Volt, Black Shock, Silver Lightning, Gold Charge
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Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer: A Natural Born (Germ) Killer

October 20th, 2009 by Karen 18 Comments

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Girldom Rule #3,654: Within any given group, there’s always at least one girl with an obscenely large bottle of hand sanitizer in her purse.

Homies, I’m one of those girls (bit of a freakshow when it comes to germs). 🙂

And if we were chatting over coffee, I’d be baptizing you in Burt’s Bees Aloe & Witch Hazel Hand Sanitizer ($5).

I blame it on the countless hours I’ve spent people watching. The fingers picking noses and cleaning ears, teeth and, OMIGOD, butts! — I done seen it all.

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Purell used to be my standby, but Burt’s stole me away. I think the liquid spray absorbs faster than Purell’s gel does, and it doesn’t leave a film.

My nose feels Burt’s also beats Purell in the scent department. It smells like fresh cut lemons to Purell’s overpowering vodka.
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I Did It for Soap and Glory! – Soap and Glory Scrub Triangle Set

October 16th, 2009 by Karen 12 Comments

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Before leaving for Vegas, I picked up Soap & Glory’s Scrub Triangle Mini Gift Set ($10) from Target.

I went into the store for kitty litter but left with Soap & Glory, LOL! Soap, Glory & Kitty Litter…

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The three travel-friendly products in the set are targeted toward people with dry skin and come packaged in cute little vintage tubs and bottles.

Here’s what you get

Clean on Me Body Wash: Soap and Glory says it’s like a cleansing lotion. I’ve even used it as a shave cream, and it works great.
Flake Away: A body exfoliator containing sea salt, it leaves my skin smooth and moisturized.
The Righteous Butter: Shea-mm on you! A rich body lotion containing shea butter and aloe to quench thirsty skin.

These have been great out here in Vegas where the climate’s drier than … well, the desert. They’ve kept the skin on my arms, legs and hands (and the heels of my feet) from painfully tightening up.

Pros

Highly moisturizing
Generous sample sizes, so you can try before you buy
$10 for the whole set

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Four of My Favorite Breast Cancer Awareness Products

October 15th, 2009 by Karen 16 Comments

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Good morning, girls. Hope you slept well. 🙂 I wanted to touch base before running off to the Convention Center.

Each October (admittedly, more now than in past years), I get a few limited-edition breast cancer awareness (BCA) products for myself and to give as gifts to friends and family.

I’m amazed by how much Breast Cancer Awareness Month has changed over the past few years. Like almost everything else in our part of the world, the event’s been heavily commodified and commercialized, but I’m okay with that. If the sight of those little pink ribbons in every nook and cranny of our lives increases our awareness of the disease (even if we don’t always like the way some choose to use it), I think it benefits us all.

So here are four of my BCA favorites of the year. 🙂 *LOVE* the Foot Petals heart-shaped pad…

Sonia Kashuk Bag Lady Cosmetic Case

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How ’bout the print and dual zippers on this pretty pink makeup bag? It’s one of several items from Sonia Kashuk’s Shop Pink Do More collection from breast cancer survivor and beauty genius Sonia Kashuk.

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Cute, right? It holds a ton of makeup, and 15% of the purchase price goes to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Where to buy: $12, check your local Target store

Papyrus Blank BCA Notecards

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I first spied these cute blank notecards at Papyrus a few months ago.

The colors and designs always bring a smile to my face…

Each box comes with four different illustrations (20 cards total), with 10% of the price going toward The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and this is something they’re doing not just throughout October but year round.
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Splurge or Steal: MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator Versus Aveeno Positively Ageless Warming Scrub

October 12th, 2009 by Karen 25 Comments

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My skin adores MAC’s gentle Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. It makes my face and neck feel softer than a feather boa and smells yummy, too (like brown sugar and honey).

But the stuff ain’t cheap, that’s for sure… The tubes cost $20 a pop!

To put the price in perspective, that’s enough to get 13 Wet ‘n’ Wild 666 Brandywine lip pencils, yo!

Why exfoliate?

It removes dead cells dulling the surface of the skin while smoothing and brightening, and if you’re prone to pimples it can also reduce the frequency and severity of breakouts.

A drugstore option?

I love MAC’s Volcanic Ash but also want a cheaper alternative, so I’ve been haunting/hunting drugstore aisles up in my neck of the woods.

I think I may have found one — Aveeno’s $8 Positively Ageless Warming Scrub.

How it stacks up against MAC Volcanic Ash

It’s a fairly new exfoliating scrub for the face and neck that contains Shitake mushroom complex instead of volcanic ash. The company claims it promotes younger-looking skin.

NOTE: Positively Ageless Scrub’s packaging isn’t very specific about what “younger-looking” skin means. Typically, the phrasing refers to products designed to reduce the appearance of age spots, fine lines and wrinkles.

After using it for two weeks, I haven’t seen a notable change in my spots or fine lines — maybe after I’ve used it longer — but I still really like the product as a skin exfoliator.

Like the name implies, Positively Ageless gently warms when I rub it against my skin.

Performance?

It’s mostly a tossup. I consider my combo-oily/dry skin to be sensitive and have to be careful about abrasive scratching.

Like MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, Positively Ageless Scrub’s exfoliating grains are finer than sand, and both leave my face and neck feeling soft and hydrated, versus dry or taut.
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Cheap Thrills with C Me Shine Lip Gloss from Yes To Carrots

September 16th, 2009 by Karen 41 Comments

yes to carrots c me shine lip gloss review

CHEAP THRILL ALERT!

Hey, now, dirty birdies. Get that mind out of the gutter. I’m not talking ’bout that kind of nasty…

Or this kind for that matter…

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I’m talking about the affordably awesome Yes to Carrots C Me Shine Lip Glosses ($6.50 each and available in six shades).

If it weren’t for their faint mint flavor and fragrance (which dissipates quickly), they’d almost be knockoffs of the MAC Lipgelles, which cost twice as much ($14). They have a similar smooth and shiny, non-stick texture and also broadcast seriously intense color.

And with six shades to choose from — Playful Nude, Rose Bliss, Flirty Pink, Carrot Kiss, Red Hot and Cocoa Loco — there’s a decent degree of variety within the line.

I’ve tried three of the colors:

yes to carrots c me shine lip gloss review red hot
Red Hot

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Cocoa Loco
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