I thought it would be fun (and useful) to have a thread dedicated to favorite finds from the drug store. Here are some of mine. Please feel free to post your own.
Ponds cold cream – I’ve been using it most of my makeup-wearing life to remove makeup. Massage it in, tissue it off, then use a warm damp washcloth to finish.
Sea Breeze Astringent for Sensitive Skin (the blue one) – Thoroughly removes the Ponds residue. I follow up with a splash of water and a moisturizer. I don’t use this every day, as it's a bit harsh, but it seems to exfoliate.
Pond’s disposable facial cleansing wipes – These are great for traveling when I don't want to drag along the big tub of Pond's. They are wet, not oily.
L’Oreal 100% Oil free eye makeup remover in the blue bottle. Does the job.
L’Oreal 48 Hr Ideal Moisture, Sensitive Skin, SPF 25 – I just started using it this week, and it seems like a winner for me. Does NOT irritate my skin, soothes and hydrates just as it claims. Aveeno Calming Lotion, of all things, made my skin a littel irritated and pink. This one does not.
Wet ‘n Wild Coloricon Bronzer SPF 15 in Reserve Your Cabana – I just found this one a week or so ago. It is a very pale bronzer, not even *bronze* at all, perfect for pale faces like mine. It’s a light, blush beige color with a little shiny iridescence, which means I won’t use it on my face (I don't like shiny mica face), but it turned out to be a great all over neutral eye shadow, helping neutralize the pinkness of the skin there. (Made in China)
Wet ‘n Wild MegaSlicks lip glosses, assorted colors – I’ve been using these for a hundred years. They are $1.99 each and come in an assortment of sheer tints. The formula is a bit thin, which I actually like because I don’t like thick, gacky, shiny lips. I can’t go matte, though, because I need protection on my lips, and these are great.
Jordana Easyliner for Lips – Retractable creamy lip pencils in an assortment of colors for $1.99. (Made in USA!). I don’t line my lips but rather color in my lips, using the pencil like a thin crayon. Then I go over it with a sheer lip gloss. I also use other drugstore brands of lip pencils (L’Oreal, Cover Girl). The drugstore doesn’t seem to be replenishing stock on lip pencils lately because apparently lip liners are so dated and out of fashion.
Yardley Soaps – My perennial favorite is English Lavender. Such a soothing scent. It’s a good closet freshener, too. The Aloe one smells nice, too.
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly – On a windy cold day a dab of this protects my face better than anything. And a tiny dab tapped on under the eyes around the orbital bones adds a little brightening shine and extra protection.
Chapstick lip balm - Goes well over the lip pencil colored lips when I don’t want a shiny look.
Vaseline Intensive Care and Jergens lotions for hands and body. Been using these my entire life. Nothing works better.
Maybelline Shine Free pressed powder – my latest discovery, only $5 at the grocery store. It might cost even less at Walmart or a discount store. Mine is Soft Cameo 02. It isn’t a miracle product, merely a neutral almost transparent powder, non-scented, that takes away shine. Sometimes I just like a little powder rather than foundation, and My MAC Studio Fix powder is looking a bit thick and cakey these days. This Maybelline powder is much sheerer. Still made in USA.
Finally, not a drugstore item, as I order mine online, but I keep rosewater to use as a freshener/toner on my face. I use Alteya brand, an organic hydrosol rosewater from Bulgaria. The rosewater is a byproduct of distilling Bulgarian rose petals to make attar (or oil?) of roses. It's the real deal, and it smells just a tad vegetal and briny, not like a sweet live rose, although it isn't as briny as a pickle. I think it's about $25 for sixteen ounces. Something like that. I highly recommend it.
Ponds cold cream – I’ve been using it most of my makeup-wearing life to remove makeup. Massage it in, tissue it off, then use a warm damp washcloth to finish.
Sea Breeze Astringent for Sensitive Skin (the blue one) – Thoroughly removes the Ponds residue. I follow up with a splash of water and a moisturizer. I don’t use this every day, as it's a bit harsh, but it seems to exfoliate.
Pond’s disposable facial cleansing wipes – These are great for traveling when I don't want to drag along the big tub of Pond's. They are wet, not oily.
L’Oreal 100% Oil free eye makeup remover in the blue bottle. Does the job.
L’Oreal 48 Hr Ideal Moisture, Sensitive Skin, SPF 25 – I just started using it this week, and it seems like a winner for me. Does NOT irritate my skin, soothes and hydrates just as it claims. Aveeno Calming Lotion, of all things, made my skin a littel irritated and pink. This one does not.
Wet ‘n Wild Coloricon Bronzer SPF 15 in Reserve Your Cabana – I just found this one a week or so ago. It is a very pale bronzer, not even *bronze* at all, perfect for pale faces like mine. It’s a light, blush beige color with a little shiny iridescence, which means I won’t use it on my face (I don't like shiny mica face), but it turned out to be a great all over neutral eye shadow, helping neutralize the pinkness of the skin there. (Made in China)
Wet ‘n Wild MegaSlicks lip glosses, assorted colors – I’ve been using these for a hundred years. They are $1.99 each and come in an assortment of sheer tints. The formula is a bit thin, which I actually like because I don’t like thick, gacky, shiny lips. I can’t go matte, though, because I need protection on my lips, and these are great.
Jordana Easyliner for Lips – Retractable creamy lip pencils in an assortment of colors for $1.99. (Made in USA!). I don’t line my lips but rather color in my lips, using the pencil like a thin crayon. Then I go over it with a sheer lip gloss. I also use other drugstore brands of lip pencils (L’Oreal, Cover Girl). The drugstore doesn’t seem to be replenishing stock on lip pencils lately because apparently lip liners are so dated and out of fashion.
Yardley Soaps – My perennial favorite is English Lavender. Such a soothing scent. It’s a good closet freshener, too. The Aloe one smells nice, too.
Vaseline Petroleum Jelly – On a windy cold day a dab of this protects my face better than anything. And a tiny dab tapped on under the eyes around the orbital bones adds a little brightening shine and extra protection.
Chapstick lip balm - Goes well over the lip pencil colored lips when I don’t want a shiny look.
Vaseline Intensive Care and Jergens lotions for hands and body. Been using these my entire life. Nothing works better.
Maybelline Shine Free pressed powder – my latest discovery, only $5 at the grocery store. It might cost even less at Walmart or a discount store. Mine is Soft Cameo 02. It isn’t a miracle product, merely a neutral almost transparent powder, non-scented, that takes away shine. Sometimes I just like a little powder rather than foundation, and My MAC Studio Fix powder is looking a bit thick and cakey these days. This Maybelline powder is much sheerer. Still made in USA.
Finally, not a drugstore item, as I order mine online, but I keep rosewater to use as a freshener/toner on my face. I use Alteya brand, an organic hydrosol rosewater from Bulgaria. The rosewater is a byproduct of distilling Bulgarian rose petals to make attar (or oil?) of roses. It's the real deal, and it smells just a tad vegetal and briny, not like a sweet live rose, although it isn't as briny as a pickle. I think it's about $25 for sixteen ounces. Something like that. I highly recommend it.
