I think someone already did this on the old FH board, but can y'all post your favorite beauty bargains? I'm on a tight budget...
Here's mine: Queen Helene's mint julep mask (I used to use Origins charcoal and this is so much better - for 1/3 of the price) St. Ives moisturizer, for body Eucerin sunblock, for face
I swear by Oil of Olay Regnerist with SPF 15! It is amazing - my skin is so smooth! My mother had an age spot on her cheek and tried everything to get it to go away, and after spending thousands of dollars on expensive creams and treatments, this oil of olay cream for $20 made it go away in ~2 months! amazing!
wow, tara, that's amazing! i use Oil of Olay foaming face cloths & the lotion for 7 signs of aging (not sure the name) & i am very happy with the results. i am considering regenerist tho since i'm getting older now. i also use aveeno shower gel & it works great... my legs used to get sooooo itchy after showering & now it never happens! oh & for my short hair i use pantene 2 in 1 shampp & conditioner w/ the blue lining (i think it's either normal or cleansing).
I regularly use Cetaphil to clean my face, and a ton of Neutrogena products (sesame body oil, lotion, foot cream, hand cream, Rainbath, deep conditioner, anti-itch lotion, lip gloss).
Any St. Ives bath or lotion product... they are all cheap, smell good, and are really rich
I just tried L'oreal Panoramic Curl mascara and it AWESOME. It makes your lashes really long and curly... it's not too thick so no spider lashes.
Max Factor Color Adapt foundation is really nice because the colors (or at least the one I use) is a great match and blends really well.
Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing sheets
Not a specific brand, but when I see boxes of hair color on sale (I'll usually pay $4 max) I'll buy several boxes regardless of the shade. I think the conditioner that's included to be used after coloring your hair is amazing because it's so rich, creamy, and nourishing. I think it's the best deep conditioner out there. I just throw away the dye and activator.
Vaseline for lip balm
For super chapped lips, I've never found anything better than Blistex Ointment
Ditto on the Queen Helene Mint Julep mask...I've found ti to do exactly the same thing as the Origins Clear Improvement mask except it smells better.
I just tried the Olay Quench body moisturizer and I swear my legs are softer, plus they have a subtle shimmer element too in it.
I drown my hair in Brilliant Brunette shampoo, conditioner, and the shine blam thing.
Vitamin A&D ointment is the one thing that moisturizes better than anything and repaired chapped, dry skin fast. Like Vasleine petroleum jelly but even better.
The Clean and Clear oil-absorbing sheets are fun! and blue! and they work (unlike everything else in that line)!
Neutrogena Skin Smoothing lotion has helped out a lot with the bumps on my arms, as has Vaseline Renew and Protect lotion.
Neutrogena sunblock is great, especially this ultra light dry formula they have that doesn't make you feel sticky at all when you put it on.
Oh...and Shoprite makes the only cotton balls I will use. I make my family ship them out from New York.
Maybelline Shiney-licious lipgloss and Forever lipcolor (this is one of the few brands that actually feels moisturizing- even compared to high-end brands) I like the revlon super lustrous lipgloss too!
Maybelline mascara
Covergirl cheekers blush (as long as you have a real blush brush to apply it with)
Clean + Clear acne spot treatment
this isn't drugstore, but the GoodSkin Care line from kohls is really nice
Vaseline (great for lips or overnight moisturizing)
Baby Oil (I like it for eye make-up removal and softening on occasion)
Nature's Gate Moisturizing Lotion with Papaya (I used to use Eucerin because it was the only lotion that would moisturize, but Eucerin is greasy and doesn't smell good; the Nature's Gate smells amazing and is the best at moisturizing - haven't found better at a department store). PS I HATE the herbal lotion from Nature's Gate - it's disgusting.
I generally find that drugstore mascara (esp. Loreal) is just as good, if not better in some cases, as department store brands.
Ocean Potion and Bullfrog-specifically the sport SPF 36 gel spray on- sunscreens are the best on the market. I have tried every (DDF, Kiehl's, BioMaple, Peter Thomas Roth, and others for sure) expensive sunscreen as well as drugstore brands (esp. Neutrogena products, I hate Coppertone and the like) and think these are the best there is. Here is why: Ocean Potion comes in SPF's as high as 50, is available in spray on, smells like orange creamsicles but only when you apply - the scent fades FAST, it absorbs like a champ - perfectly smooth with no white or residue or greasiness, it works forever - you can literally put SPF50 on fair skin and hang out in the Caribbean all day without re-applying - I can't say that about other high SPF's (like Neutrogena's SPF45 which has little staying power). Bullfrog SPF 36 spray on gel works so amazing; you can spray it on without having to rub it in and it leaves no residue, stickiness, or white layer. It lasts so long and is the least messiest to apply. The only caveat is the smell, but that fades fast.
John Frieda's Ocean Waves Texturizing Spray - So cheap and so good for soft curls