Product Review - Drugstore Gems

By now I’ve established that I’ve never met a product I wouldn’t try.  We all have our vices and let’s be honest there are worse things I could be spending my money on.  Now some people may say I’m out of control with the product ordering (seriously…ask my doorman….as I’m sure he judges every time a box arrives.)  So yes, I do have a bit huge problem resisting discovering the next best thing…or stocking up on the current best thing.  And while I frequently worship at the house of Sephora, a girl who moonlights as a product whore has to be thrifty too. 

Now here’s the truth.  There are some places where I just won’t cut corners….like generic OTC meds…I just don’t believe that Brand X Ibuprofen works as well as Advil.  Or that CVS Cold will have the same effect as Tylenol.  I also don’t believe in generic OJ, shampoo, body wash, soda, razor blades or Mac n' Cheese.  But that’s just me.

That said, the aisles of Duane Reade (and CVS and Target and drugstore.com and soap.com, for that matter) are chock full of some great little gems, if you just know where to look.

Me?  I sought and found (sometimes with a little help):

Minipoo of the New Millennium:

When I was a kid my mom always cracked jokes about a product from the sixties -  Minipoo: The Dry Shampoo.  It seemed such a funny concept.  Why would you use a dry shampoo when you could just…I don’t know…* wash * your hair? 

But until high school I was the girl with the Pat Benetar/Legend of Billie Jean hair.  And then there was freshman year in high school, a time for which we will never speak of again.  And then the perm on my already curly hair which I’m pretty sure I just let air dry a lot because it’s just what you did.  I mean sure, we all wore make-up and I was painting my nails for as far back as I could remember and putting some Suave mousse in my hair to make it look the way it did (the jury will stay out on if it was good, but rest assured I believed it was at the time).  But there was never a doubt about washing it.

And somewhere all these years later, when I figured out how to actually care for my hair…and further figured out that washing it every day wasn’t good for it, I read about….tried….and now swear by dry shampoo.  More specifically Pssssssst shampoo.  A mere $6.99 and it does wonders.  Yes, it sprays out white, but as along as you don’t take a bath in it and run a brush though your hair you’re good to go. 

To note, I’ve originally went with Johnson&Johnson cornstarch powder….great on grease….hell on the hair….all that white powder does not brush out and grey roots have never been a goal of mine.  I’ve also tried some of the pricey dry shampoos out there and can assure you none of them were worth the money….there’s one brand that clogs to all holy hell. I even returned it to Sephora…got a new can…and less than 2 weeks later, same clogging problem.  There’s one that smells like lemon Pledge.  And one that just sits in your hair, mocking you while it does a whole lot of nothing until you wash your hair again.

Go with Pssssssst!  If your hair is thin like mine, it also adds some good oomph even on the clean days and helps to add some texture if you’re going all up-do on things.

You’re the Top

Well I still locked into my OPI Oktoberfest nail polish because it ain’t broke and this creature loves her habits.  But as any at-home-manicuring girl will tell you, the topcoat is key. 

One of my at-homer friends, who is the queen of the 5-minute red mani, swears by this Sally Hansen Insta-Dry.  It literally dries in seconds.  You can find it at any Duane Reade (or the like) for about $6.00.  And never fear...the bottle is red (which I love) but it goes on clear.  

And while I’ve never had a manicure that was chip free….which is most likely because I’m an epic spaz…this top coat gives such an amazing shine I’ve had multiple people ask me if I had a gel manicure.  To which I’ve proudly responded, “Nope.  Sally Hansen.”

The Eyes Have It

I love mascara. It makes all the difference. Transforms the face.  Opens the eyes.  Blah…blah…blah…..we’ve all heard it before.

And in the past decade (or so….), between samples and make-up counter recommendations and free gifts and impulse purchases and flexing my CVS discount and reading about the next-best-thing in some magazine or another and being suckered into buying a new one that I didn’t need I’ve probably tried over fifty different mascaras. I’m not even kidding. I have four in my closet right now….one rejection from my mom….one free gift….one back-up purchase because the one I wanted was out of stock…and the one I actually use and have sworn by for the past few years (and yes, one of the reasons I originally tried it was because Drew was in the ad…don’t judge me or my weakness for celeb endorsements):

Usually retails for under $10 and online stores are always having sales.  Soap.com is my favorite for the online coupon.

I don’t believe in waterproof.  I have cried with this one on and it’s held up just fine.  And mascara is a bitch to take off as it is (unless you’re using this magic, which incidentally is about $15….a drugstore gem if they actually sold it in a drugstore), so why the hell would I want to make it harder to get off?

Very black.  Thick brush.  Usually requires a little Q-Tip touch up, but make-up artists do that all the time, so I’m feeling good about myself and my application most days.  Hurrah for CoverGirl!

And hip hip hurrah for being able to find three essentials for under $10 a pop.  It’s what helps a girl invest in her future.  By which I obvi mean, the Clarisonic.  And no, I’m not even close to being done raving about it, so stop the eye roll.  

But it's true.  The Clarisonic and my love of it have only just begun. (or to fit the song below....I only want it to begin!)

So what are your drugstore gems?   Share and share alike!!!!