Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Favorite Drugstore Products

Below are my favorite drugstore products, which are pretty much the only drugstore beauty products I use but absolutely swear by. I admit that I am a little bit of a designer brand snob. I am really interested to hear what your favorite drugstore products are, so please share yours with me!
I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser for shaving, in place of shaving cream. After years of dealing with razor burn and ingrown hairs, I've finally gotten a system down for avoiding such problems. I've tried pretty much every shaving cream out there, from drugstore brands to fancy $50 products. Once I tried this cleanser, I never looked back! Some major factors that I believe make this product work with shaving are: it's fragrance free, non-comedogenic (most shaving creams are not), and it does not disturb the skin's natural pH balance. 
Again, I've used so many different types of razors and none have worked for me...until I tried the cheapest of them all: Bic's sensitive razors. The key with these are that they do not have that "moisturizing strip" that most razors have above the blade. I only use these one time, so they do tend to add up.
While I use non-drugstore shampoos and conditioners regularly, this is the only clarifying shampoo I use. I've been using Suave's daily clarifying shampoo for about 10 years! I use it when my hair feels heavy and a regular shampoo won't get all the buildup out. I hate it when I wash my hair and then when I dry it, it looks and feels dirty! This shampoo fixes that problem and makes your hair feel squeaky clean.

I just discovered these scunci evolution hair bands during a recent trip to Target. Love. They are "ouchless" and do an amazing job at holding your hair in place. I never have to fix a ponytail at the gym or a bun when I wear one of these, and I have very thick, long hair.
Without Aquaphor's Healing Ointment I don't know what I'd do! I'm pretty sure I suffer from Psoriasis on my scalp and forehead (going to the dermatologist this week to confirm) and nothing pacifies the dry skin on my forehead like this stuff. It definitely doesn't treat the problem, but it's a world of help. If I don't put it on before I go to bed, my skin is a peeling hot mess in the morning even with my daytime moisturizer. I definitely recommend this to anyone who has extremely dry skin, or just some dry patches. 
I've been using the Demi 120 Ardell Lashes since high school and swear by them, over MAC lashes and other drugstore brands. Ardell lashes are very thin, so they're easy to apply and they look natural. 
To apply the lashes, I use Duo eyelash adhesive. Trust me when I say your lashes will not go anywhere. I've really tested this stuff in crazy HIGH wind weather...it must have been a hilarious scene to watch this girl covering her eyes with one hand and weave with the other!