products I love: drugstore finds

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Like I've said before, I love finding a product that works, but you know what's even better? Finding a product that works at a price that can't be beat. As much as I love certain beauty splurges, I'm all for finding great products at affordable prices, so I get just as excited about browsing through my drugstore's health and beauty section as much as I do about browsing through Sephora. After some trial and error, I've found some tried and tested and much loved favorites, all under $10: 

 Neutrogena makes gentle, hypo-allergenic, hard-working products that I love. My favorites include their make-up remover wipes and the grapefruit scented body wash. I've also recently discovered Organix moroccan argan oil conditioner. It adds extra conditioning for when my hair needs extra TLC and comes in great, eco-friendly packaging. As for beauty, I love Milani lipsticks (great texture and feel), L'Oreal's Voluminous mascara (long-time fave), and Maybelline's Color Whisper lip balm/stick (light-weight and low-maintenance like a balm, less drying than a lipstick with buildable color payoff).  I also have to give props to Sinful Colors nail polish - an extensive range of decently long-wearing (at least on me) colors that are priced at a wallet-friendly $1.99 or less.

What are your favorite drugstore finds? 

daily makeup

I am not the most consistent makeup person, probably because unless I'm going out with my boyfriend for a date or dinner with friends, I'm perfectly okay with going au naturel or as close to it as possible on a daily basis. But lately, as the weather has gotten colder and as my skin begins to start its annual metamorphosis of going 3 shades lighter than I normally am in the summer, I find that I start getting pasty, and so daily makeup is a must to infuse some color on my face.

It's pretty basic. I put on some face primer (I'm a recent convert and am trying out different kinds...right now, I'm testing out Smashbox's original photo finish primer, but I've heard good things about NARS' pro-prime so will try that one next) and some tinted moisturizer with SPF. I like tinted moisturizer over foundation because I like how light it is as compared to foundation, especially in the summer. When I want a little more coverage, I use tinted moisturizer and some concealer ( I use Make Up For Ever) or opt for a true foundation.

Next, I work on my eyes, which I happen to think are my best feature. I tend to focus heavily on my eyes and just go fairly neutral on my lips. My go-to every day eyeshadow is NARS duo eyeshadow in "cordura" - the bronze shade is neutral yet interesting, and the dark, cocoa shade amps up the color for night or for more intensity. I use NARS eye primer for longevity. (I promise I'm not sponsored by NARS...I just find their products to work well for me, and I appreciate that they have a full range of shades for women of color). Lastly, I use chocolate brown eyeliner (softer than black for day) and black mascara (my favorite is a drugstore brand - L'Oreal Voluminous mascara; I've tried many, many mascaras at all different price points, and I keep coming back to this one). 

Other extras: a little highlighting blush (my shade is "Luster"), a little highlighting shadow for when I want my eyes to look bigger (I like "Cyprus"), and a Shu Uemura eyelash curler to give my stubbornly straight lashes some curl. I top it all off with Laura Mercier invisible loose-setting powder.

My favorite brushes are by eco tools. The eye set above was around $8. The brush hairs are soft, easy to clean, don't fall out, and I love that each brush in the eye set is labeled for its purpose since I'm not the most makeup savvy person. I think they're a great set of quality brushes for a reasonable amount of money. 

I know this seems like a lot, but I get this done in less than 10 minutes if I'm taking my time and less than 5 minutes when I'm rushing to get out of the door. 

What's your daily makeup routine?