Thursday, March 31, 2011

Some of The Best Bargain Beauty Brands


Psst, Want To Know A Secret? You don't have to spend a fortune to look like a fortune. Okay, so maybe it's not a secret as much as a true statement. It's happened to the best of us--we're innocently browsing at a beauty counter and before you know it, we've spent half our paycheck on mascara and eye cream alone (really, never?).

I know I focus a lot on high end brands and luxury cosmetic lines, but that doesn't mean I'm not an equal opportunist when it comes to drug store brands.

It would be nearly impossible (unless you had an unlimited discretionary income) to solely use high end brands and to ignore their lesser, but equally fabulous drug store counterparts. While frequenting Target, I pick up some great beauty finds and thought I would pass them onto you, my readers.

  • Cetaphil- Cetaphil makes a terrific face wash, especially, for all you sensitive-skinned girls out there. It's gentle enough to use on babies and the fact that I use it on my 19 month old should speak volumes!  I love that its milky and non-irritating.

Cetaphil's Gentle Cleanser
    • Neutrogena - Neutrogena's Norweigan Formula Hand Cream, one of the last things I do before drifting off to la la land is slather this stuff all over my hands. When I awake I have well moisturized hands.  


      • Burt's Bee's - I couldn't make it through the day without a little lovin' from my Burt's Bee's lip balm (mentioned in a previous post here), but I've also used their leg cream. The Mama Bee Leg Relief Cream helped me immensely while pregnant, and  I'm not going to lie...this stuff is pretty terrific! Come to think of it, I miss those daily foot rubs from the hubby (I'm gonna have to bug him for one tonight).     
      Burt's Bee Leg & Foot Cream
        • Jergen's - Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer - on any given day if you were to sneak a peek into my bathroom cupboard you would find a bottle of this stuff lying around. I'm naturally pale, and don't want to scare someone with how alarmingly white my legs have become after being covered up for winter. So if I know I'm going to expose my legs I have the decency apply this moisturizer just a couple of days beforehand and my legs magically have color without the harmful effects of the sun. Brillant!  
        Jergen's 
        • Crest Whitestrips - what bargain beauty list would be complete without a shout out to these gems? They are no mess, no fuss and best of all really get the job done (in about 3 weeks). I've used them a couple of times now, and will not abandon my love of them for helping me keep my teeth their whitest. I use this in conjunction with Crest 3D White Multi-Care Whitening Rinse for best results. What I really like about this rinse is that unlike other mouthwashes, it is not colored. It leaves my teeth feeling so "fresh and so clean, clean" and tastes refreshingly minty. Yum!
        Mouth Wash and Crest Whitestrips

          I hope these drug-store recommendations save you a few pennies so you can splurge where it really counts (look for those recommendations in a future post).