What is the most life-changing drugstore product you've discovered over the last few years?
I would have to say Maybelline Define-A-Brow eyebrow pencil in Dark Blonde. I was introduced to that product by a reader when I first started this blog back in 2009 and it was a total game-changer for me. I have always used drugstore brow colors, except for when I had fire-engine-red hair back in the late 90s and I had to splurge on Smashbox Brow Tech in Auburn, since it was literally the only brow color that worked with my hair and skintone back then. Anyway, up until I tried Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Dark Blonde, my brows always seemed "off" since so many drugstore brow colors lean warm, and my brows are naturally a cooler-toned, ashy brown. That pencil was, and still is, my holy grail and it completely changed my life. I also love that it has such a fine point, making it great for my thin brows, and it doesn't require sharpening. It also adheres well to my oily skin and stays put all day without smudging or melting off. It's perfection.
not exaaactly drugstore, but drugstore-priced: my tony moly gel liner has been an absolute game changer for me! I use it basically daily and it's really black and really smooth, but what really is amazing is the staying power. my dramatic winged liner stays on perfectly through three hour swim practices and it lasts really well on my tightline (and of course it wears perfectly through the day on my oily eyes.)
ReplyDeleteI will have to finally check that pencil out G, as I have dark blonde ashy brows too, and I love the Tiny tip the pencil has!! My big drugstore find was the True Match powder in N1 in 2011 (i think). I never had luck with powder foundation at the drugstore level but was determined to find something budget friendly, since I go through powder sooo fast! I actually didn't have to try very many, but not many powders are light enough for my skin anyway! The true match powder was a discovery at a time where I really needed a fast applying foundation product, and the smell of the powder always smells retro and makes me smile :) I can't even count how many powders I have gone through since 2011!!
ReplyDeleteSo far In 2015 I already have have a new contender for awesome product-- the fit me matte powder in translucent! It's very light colored and stays color true on my skin. The true match N1 is still slightly dark for my skin and I have been using the fit me matte to lighten it up a bit! (I also like the dream wonder powder but yet again, the lightest color is kind of dark for me!)
Elf eyeliner sealer! Eyeliner would always smear and smudge, with it on it doesn't migrate to below my eyes.
ReplyDeleteMaybelline Color Tattoo...before the original release of the product I only used Bare Minerals makeup, if I used makeup at all. Color Tattoo opened me to drugstore makeup. Not sure if that saved me money because I purchased more makeup than I used to, but I found some products that I love in drugstores.
ReplyDeleteMine is also a Maybelline product, though it's the EYE STUDIO® MASTER SHAPE™ BROW PENCIL in Blonde. I like the slightly waxy texture, which allows it to cling to both my brows and my skin, the spooly to comb everything in to shape, and the fact that it's a perfect color for my very light brows: adds definition without looking too dark. It's a pain to sharpen, but well worth it!
ReplyDeleteMy holy grail is Revlon Colorsilk hair color in #81. It covers grey beautifully and is so gentle. It gives me the color blonde that I was as a teen before my hair darkened up to a dull dishwater blonde. I love the conditioning packet so much that I wish they would bottle it. At for $4 a box it is a real steal and often on sale for 2/$6!
ReplyDeleteRevlon colorburst lip gloss in Bellini. When I first saw it on your blog I knew I had to get it. So I patiently waited for it to arrive in Australia and have hoarded a truckload ever since. It's the prettiest pinky peach nude ever. You know how Angelina Jolie always wear a glossy pinky nude shade, well Bellini is similar to that. They are getting discontinued for those ultra HD lip range so it is sad to see it go. Bellini will forever be my first love and HG lip gloss.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of too much, really, because I'm such a product whore, buying this and that new all the time, but if I go back and buy something then I know I love it.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I keep going back to, is the CoverGirl 3-in-1 foundation. The Buff Beige is a great match and even if I sweat a lot in the summer it stays on, so I don't feel like a hot mess.
I also really like those colored dry shampoos, especially the ones by Salon Grafix. I use those daily to cover grays and roots, make hair look thicker, and buy time between hair washes.
OK this is from a Canadian drugstore, but I've been told Americans can get this at fancy Walgreen locations! Nuxe Rêve de Miel lip balm. It is the most amazing lip balm ever. So hydrating and not glossy. I love it so hard. It is the best for soothing chapped lips!
ReplyDeleteOmg I just discovered Rimmels Wake Up Foundation. I am so in love with this for my oily skin. Which is odd, because it's luminating not mattifying. But I bought on a whim and it was on sale, and I looove it! I have to use a primer, and powder, and blot once or twice during the day, but it doesn't oxidate on me (OMG HELLO! :D ), and it looks sooo nice and natural! Yay! Downside... limited colours. I mix both the ivory's.
ReplyDeleteTresemme volumizing dry shampoo.
ReplyDeleteUsed on clean hair which is fine, but now my hair has body. It's real girl hair now.
I also reverse shampoo and put leave in conditioner on my ends. Hair is much thicker now, much better all around.
Hmmmm.... jordana best lash extreme is a REALLY awesome product. I keep going back to it. Cant really think of anything I would consider "life changing"
ReplyDeleteThing is, over the years I've found this or that drugstore brand I've really liked...but in the last few years, many brands keep updating their lines and they discontinue products faster than they used to... So even if I found something I really liked & wanted to rely on, it's gone after a couple years! (I'm looking at you Physicians Formula!)
ReplyDelete*If I accidentally posted this comment twice, pls delete one. Thank u, G!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU for posting about this! I was agonizing over buying another Anastasia Brow Wiz for $20 when I read about the Maybelline Define-A-Brow. I too have had a hard time finding the right color for my brows, and they are so sparse that I was going through the Anastasia pencil in less than a month. The Maybelline Define-A-Brow in Dark Blonde works just as well, if not better, than the Anastasia pencil, and they are so much cheaper! Thank you for helping me find my holy grail!!
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