drugstore living: huge CVS sale.

It's been quite a long time since my last beauty post, but I'm excited to jump back into doing these! 

When I walked into CVS today, I was on a hunt for some Airborne, but naturally, I walked out with makeup instead. The reason? Well, the appearance of a whole bunch of little green stickers that say 75% off on them. Yes, you heard that right... seventy-five whopping percent off! Now, as you can see from the photo below, I only picked up two things, because, well, it's Christmas time, which means a time for buying for others instead of myself. But let me tell you: I could have walked away with an entire haul. There were some Physician's Formula things that caught my eye, as well as some different shades of nail polish from various brands. It took some restraint on my end, that's for sure.

revlon photoready bronzer in bronzed & chic* | revlon just bitten kissable balm stain in darling

I've been wanting this bronzer for a really long time, due to a recommendation from Emily Eddington. When I saw that it was part of this sale, I jumped on it, & I'm so glad that I did, because there was only one of them left. The bronzer is made up of four matte shades that you can use separately or swirled together. They look like they would also work really well as eyeshadow colors. I quickly swatched the colors swirled together - as soon as I got in the car - but I can't wait to take this product on its true maiden voyage tomorrow.

I'm a big fan of the kissable balm stains & love the two colors I currently own - Honey & Smitten. The shade Darling was the only one in the display with the 75% off sticker, which leads me to believe that this color will soon be discontinued. It's a blue-toned, Barbie-ish pink, & I'm still deciding exactly how I feel about it. I put it on in the car, & I was a bit shocked at its brightness. The jury's still out on this one, folks, but the formula is good & trusty as ever.

Ok, so let's talk numbers. The bronzer was regularly priced at $13.29, & the balm stain was regularly $9.49. My total came to $6.09, which, as you can see, is less than half the price of the original bronzer, as well as less than the original price of the balm stain. 

That, my friends, is a sale that shouldn't be passed up. Let me know if you pick anything up, & be on the lookout for more beauty posts coming your way soon.

*It's worth noting that I couldn't find the bronzer or balm stain on CVS's website. This could mean that CVS will no longer be carrying this product, or that Revlon is discontinuing the product. As it stands, I don't know which it is.

drugstore living: recent buys.

Today I'm sharing a little mini-haul with you. These items have been picked up over the course of a couple weeks, from both CVS & Wal-Mart. My all-time favorite drugstore is Walgreens, but I have to admit that the CVS ExtraCare Rewards Program is both rewarding & easy to use. I haven't gotten as acquainted with Walgreens' program, though, so I will check that out & report back to you.

As you can see, this haul includes a leave-in conditioner from Aussie, a shampoo & conditioner from L'Oreal, a nail polish from the Revlon Colorstay line, a Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, & a package of cotton rounds. Only one of these things is a re-purchase - all of the other items are new-to-me, & I'm extremely excited to be trying them out. Let's start with discussing the re-purchase, since I know the most about it...

Aussie Hair Insurance Leave-In Conditioner | I'm about to begin my third bottle of this stuff, so I think that is saying something right there. Beyond that, this stuff is one of my favorite products because of its convenience & ease of use: simply spray it into either wet or dry hair, &... that's it. Not only does it smell amazing [like coconuts... or kind of like suntan lotion, in a good way], it also makes my hair more manageable, easier to comb through, & more shiny/healthy-looking. The bottle also lasts ages. Remember when I said that this was my third bottle? Well, I started using this product in 2011. That's not very many re-purchases for that time frame. This product will always be an A in my book. I hope they never stop making it. Because if they do, I will cry.

L'Oreal EverCreme Intense Nourishing Shampoo + Intense Nourishing Conditioner | I can't remember which YouTube Beauty Guru told me about this stuff, because sometimes, I listen to beauty videos while I'm in the shower, & since I'm not watching the person as they talk, I will sometimes forget where/who I heard it from. But whoever mentioned this product, simply raved about it. [Come to think of it, it may have been leighannsays, but don't quote me on that]. I haven't yet tried this out, because I'm finishing up the shampoos & conditioner that are currently in my shower, but it smells amazing in the tube, & I'm really looking forward to testing out its supposed amazingness.

Maybelline Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm SPF 20 in Cherry Me | I seriously can't even begin to tell you how many times I've picked this product up in the drugstore, intending to buy it, then talking myself out of it. It can't be that good, I'd say to myself. Why I was belly-aching so much over a product that costs $3.99, the world may never know. But since I picked it up a while ago, I can let you know that it IS that good. Everything that everyone is saying about the Baby Lips line is correct. It's hydrating, the ones with color give your lips that perfect, my-lips-just-naturally-look-this-amazing touch of color, & I can honestly say that the chappedness [definitely not a word, but you understand what I mean] of my lips has decreased dramatically. I plan to slowly collect each of the available varieties. I think the clear ones would be great to keep in my nightstand to apply before bed. 

Revlon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Spanish Moss | Y'all. There is a reason this little baby has gotten its own photograph. I love this color. I love it so much, that this polish has been named my Signature Nail Polish for Late Summer/Early Fall. The first application, which I believe I painted on Sunday, has only minor chipping around the tips, mostly on my right hand. And when I say minor chipping, I mean you can barely tell it's there. This is my first experience with this formula, & the only drawback I've noticed is that, if applied too heavily, it can get a little gloppy & bubbly, which I found out when I painted my left hand first. On my right hand, I applied thinner coats & was pleased with the effect. With these polishes, I suggest painting two light coats. That did the trick for me. I didn't use a base coat or top coat, & it's pleasantly creamy & shiny, & as I said, it is definitely long-lasting. 

White Cloud Cotton Rounds, 100 Count | When I popped into Walmart the other day to pick up some cleaning supplies, I ran across a huge display of all different kinds of cotton rounds. As I had just run out of cotton balls, I thought I'd give these a try. When I compared the different brands & quantities, these came out as the best value. I've been using them to apply my witch hazel toner, & I'm pleased. As you can see in the photo, they are textured, & that aids in removing any stray makeup that may not have been removed when cleansing my face. 

I really enjoyed sharing my mini-haul/mini-review of these recent buys! I may do full reviews on some or all of these products in the future. Let me know if you'd like to know more about any of them. Also, what have you bought recently? Any suggestions for my next shopping trip?

Want to see more Drugstore Living posts? They're all here.

product round-up \ summer 2013.

Today I am going to share with you my used-daily products for each of the major makeup & beauty categories. I am a creature of habit, & once I find a combination of products that I like, I stick with it for a while, even in the midst of trying new things here & there. The goal with these posts is to give you insight into how I achieve my daily look in any given season. So without further ado, let's get on with the first in this series...

Skincare \

moisturizer: St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer

sunscreen: Jergens Natural Glow Facial Moisturizer

face wash: Neutogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

face exfoliator: Aveeno Positively Radiant Skin Brightening Daily Scrub

eye cream: Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream

primer: Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Pro Primer
lip balm: Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

Base Makeup \

foundation: Cover Girl Clean Oil Control Foundation

under eye concealer: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser

face concealer: Wet N Wild Coverall

powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder
eye base: MAC Painterly Paint Pot

Other Makeup \ 

bronzer: NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny
blush: Wet n Wild Color Icon Blusher in Heather Silk

Eyes \ 

eyeshadow: Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trio in Walking On Eggshells
eyebrows: MAC Eye Shadow in Espresso
eyeliner: L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner
mascara: Maybelline Volum' Express The Falsies + Wet n Wild Mega Length Mascara

Lips \ 

lipstick: Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Kiss Me Coral
lipgloss: Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Lip Gloss in Cotton Candy

Nail Polish \

Wet n Wild Megalast Salon Nail Color in Heatwave
Essie Sand Tropez
Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel in Nirvana

Perfume \ 

Bath and Body Works Body Cream in Honey Sweetheart
Bath and Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Warm Vanilla Sugar
Burberry Brit

Self Tan \ 

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Lotion
Bare Minerals Faux Tan Body Sunless Tanner

Admittedly, not all of these selections are drugstore products. I'm still searching for a perfect eyebrow filler from the drugstore, as well as an eye base that works as well as my Paint Pot. Any suggestions?

If you'd like individual reviews on any of these products, let me know! I plan to review all of them in time, but if any of them stand out as ones you'd like to know more about right now, tell me.

drugstore living.

I have a big love for any & all beauty products, but I have a special affinity for drugstore products. I've made it my mission to research & review as many products from the drugstore as possible. 

To read all of my makeup- & beauty-related posts, go here.

If there is a specific product you'd like me to review, let me know, & I'll do my best to get out to the drugstore & pick it up & start testing it out. Email me with any requests (siddathornton@gmail.com).