Drug Store Beauty Booty

 

1 ~ got2b rockin it encore fresh dry shampoo

i have never used the got2b products before and kind of find them a bit gimmicky.  i was forced to try this dry shampoo as it was the only option at the grocery store and i was in dire need of some.  well my friends, turns out jokes on me, because not only is this stuff totally cheap but it always totally works and makes your hair smell amazing.  it isn't the best dry shampoo i have ever used but i much prefer it over the dove and suave dry shampoos. 

 

2 ~ clean clear morning burst skin brightening scrub

this goodie was recommended to me by mr. b himself.  when we were home in may for the young wedding my parents had this in their shower and b kept raving about how much he liked it.  so i thought i'd surprise him with a tube of it at my house.  well wouldn't you just know that it turns out i quite enjoy it myself as well!  the scent is incredible and it really does do a lovely job of exfoliating and leaving your skin clean and clear and under control!

 

3 ~ maybelline color show nail color "green with envy"

i kept seeing this color at the drug store and picking it up and then putting it back because i needed another nail polish color like i needed  a hole in the head, but it turns out that i did need this color for the wedding i attended in september!  the color is very similar to the essie "mint candy apple" but a lot less goopy.  it required two coats (like most polishes) and lasted at least 3 days without chipping.  i received many compliments on the color and will definitely be exploring the other colors in the collection for my next special event. 

 

4 ~ garnier fructis body boost conditioner

i have extremely fine hair that is so easily weighed down.  finding the right shampoo and conditioner is down right difficult.  i usually stick with the bumble & bumble thickening products but always require a little extra conditioner for my ends and don't want to waste the expensive stuff on that.  i recently purchased this conditioner for less than $4 and i absolutely love it!  it has a lovely scent and leaves my ends soft, straight and healthy.  in fact since i started using it, people have complimented me on my hair a lot more frequently. 

 

THE FAIL

 

organix nutritional acai berry avocado shampoo

after raving last post about organix coconut conditioner, i figured i would absolutely love their acai berry avocado shampoo which smelled wonderful.  wrong.  i have pretty normal hair, neither oily nor dry, but when i began using this shampoo i noticed my hair looked really flat, dry and dull.  not at all what the bottle promised.  i also felt as though i had to use a lot of the shampoo to get my hair clean.  not a fan at all.  after about two weeks it was back to bumble and bumble and my hair has been a lot happier. 

Drug Store Beauty Booty

it's that time again!  below are some of my favorite (and some serious fails) beauty products you can pick up at your local drug store. 

1 ~ l'oreal paris hip studio secrets professional color chrome eyeliner in silver lightening. i use this for my inner eyelids to lighten thing sup a little and it glides on so easily and stays put.  great product!

2 ~ organix nourishing coconut milk conditioner.  i love anything and everything coconut and tried this fabulous conditioner when a friend was in town.  it is a thick conditioner that really moisturizes and smells amazing.  i buy the travel size since i just use it at the ends of my hair and the scent in the shower is luxurious and the softness of my hair after using it is incredible.

3 ~ maybelline eye studio master precise liquid eyeliner.  i thought i my search for an over the counter liquid eyeliner was over when i found this one, but my thoughts they are a changing and i am now in love with this maybelline product.  it is about the easiest liquid liner to use and the color is true black and the thin tip allows you to really make it simple or layer it up and make it all dramatic.  amazing stuff.

4 ~ dove refresh+care invigorating dry shampoo.  if you have read my blog at all, you know that i rely heavily on dry shampoo to make my shampoos last that much longer. i have tried may dry shampoos and definitely have my faves but finding one for under $5 that actually smells good and works was sort of like hitting the jackpot for me (okay not even close - but i was happy). 

5 ~ l'oreal voluminous power volume 24h washable mascara is the mascara to beat all other mascaras.  i think that i am done searching for mascaras and it feels great to have one that is so wonderful and comes with such a little pricetag.  if you like any of l'oreal mascaras i am pretty darn sure you will love this one as well.  one coat provides great coverage and elongates those lashes.  two coats leaves you with a phenomenal set of lashes, no falsies needed.  seriously, do yourself a favor and give it a try.  it is a mascara to put an end to all other mascaras.

6 ~ burt's bees radiance serum.  i am a big fan of serums under my daily moisturizer and can no longer go without using one.  my fave serum is a bit of the pricey side ($65 min) and i am always on the hunt for a good serum for under $30.  when one of my fave bloggers sequins & stripes shared that she loved the burt's bees i set out to buy it immediately - only to find that it is really hard to find or always sold out wherever i go.  luckily one day i found it at cvs and i have been using it for over two months now and while i haven't noticed anything dramatic, i do think it has had a good effect on my skin.   

and now onto the fails, which luckily are outnumbered by the loves!

maybelline volum' express mega plus mascara - before i found my trusty l'oreal i tried out this mega plush one and was excited at the potential.  well i was a bit of an idiot and bought it in waterproof (which i hate) but had already opened it and was so mad at myself i went back and bought the normal version as well. 

big mistake.  the bendy brush that is supposed to be so helpful and allow for great ease of applying didn't bend at all and was actually on the flimsy side and annoyed me.  the mascara was also very wet and made my eyelashes stick together in wet long clumps leaving a less than desirable look.  i gave it 5 tries and then tossed it.  boo.

covergirl lineblast eyeliner - this little diddy was purchased for $12 in a von's grocery store in estes park underneath the stanley hotel in colorado.  i was low on my maybelline precise liner and wanted to get another one in case for the wedding and unfortunately all they had was this covergirl one.  i was hopeful and optimistic that this shorty would be even better than my maybelline product. 

not so much.  this liner is very wet and does not go on black even though the color is enduring black.  in fact my first time using it straight out of the package required me to go over the line i just drew three or four times to get the proper coverage i wanted.  i don't use the word hate very often (except when discussing magic) and i quite hate this product. 

there you have it my friends.  my fave (and least fave) drug store finds that are all under $10!  isn't it nice to save some cash-ola and spend it on something nice? 

any other drug store beauty i am missing out on that i must try!  please share!

Drug Store Beauty Booty

it took me over a month to finally find the maybelline baby lips lip balm in my local target after i searched any and every store in LA for this raved about product.  i ended up purchasing the grape vine color (pictured above) and have to say, i just love it!  less than $3.99 a tube and it leaves my lips with a pretty barely there tint, a light grape taste and baby soft lips.  plus the packaging is just adorable.  i forsee (if i can find them) many more baby lips lip balms in my future. 

i didn't think it was possible for me to find a liquid eyeliner pen that i loved as much as the stila one i raved about here, but believe it or not i did!  the revlon colorstay liquid eye pen was not immediately impressive to me as the color didn't come out as dramatic and black as i had hoped.  however, quick thinking on my part and storing the pen with the tip down made a big difference and i have been so happy with this product since. 

a lot of people ask me how i get my liquid liner so perfect and i always say the liquid eye pen is the trick.  this eyeliner stays on all day as it promises (even after a major sweat session at circuit works) and washes off pretty easily (with the help of almay eye makeup remover pads). 

this pen and i are going to lifelong friends.

i ran out of moisturizer recently and realized i have not bought any in a long time (thanks to my mom who always sends me her rejects or gifts me good stuff) and was a bit stumped as to what i should buy. 

i have always read such great things about olay products and decided that i would give the olay total effects 7-in-1 anti-aging daily moisturizer w/ spf 15 a shot.  i may have also been swayed that it was on sale if i am being completely honest. 

turns out i really like the stuff.  i haven't really noticed a lot of improvements to my skin, but i do like the consistency and spf factor.  i am not sure if i would buy it again, but i don't hate it! 

now i realize this isn't "technically" from a drug store, but it was only $7.50 so it seems to fit well enough into the category. 

i have been suffering from really dry lips these past few weeks and no matter the amount of product i smear on them, they still felt rough and flaky and totally hating it. 

last friday, i popped into bath and body works for some home scents and came back with some new scents as well as this tube of my favorite night balm by c.o. bigelow.  well i thought the package was a little cocky, i am quickly changing my tune as it has become my favorite night lip balm.  i apply it before i lay my head down and awake 5-6 hours later with balm still on my lips!  it's a miracle.  and in the short time i have been using it, i can see a vast improvement to the condition of my lips. 

buy this immediately...whomever you are kissing will thank you!

i've said it before and i will say it again.  eye cream as we get older is so important.  and not just any eye cream...hydrating eye cream.  moisturizer is our best bet again wrinkles and let me just tell you, this neutrogena ageless essentials continuous hydration eye cream does just that. 

santa brought me this little guy in my stocking this past christmas and i love it. i am almost at the end of the tube and will be buying it again once it is empty.  the cream leaves your eyes feeling soothed, moisturized and with a healthy sheen/glow.  my undereye concealer goes on so much smoother and doesn't cake or fall into the cracks. 

and those my friends are my favorite products as of late.  do you have any favorites that are missing from the list that i must try?  do you think there is a huge difference between drug store and retail beauty products?