Your Tips & Product
Recommendations
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Thanks for having such a great website!
I used to work for a nail polish factory once, and I saw firsthand
how little difference there was between a drug store nail polish and a department store
nail polish. I just hate feeling like I'm being ripped off for beauty products!
Wanted to recommend a couple of St. Ives products
I thought were good, and inexpensive. The alpha-hydroxy face lotion from St. Ives
seems to work well - it's acidic enough it actually stings a little going on (that means,
to me, that it's really working!) and the cucumber stress eye and face gel seems to help
my undereye bags some (at least as well as any other, more expensive under eye gel I've
ever tried...) and all the St. Ives products are very affordable, well under $10.00 for
generous quantities (the stress gel is 4 ounces, I think, and the alpha-hydroxy stuff
is...6 ounces?)
Also, plain old used teabags, wet and chilled,
work pretty well for waking up morning eyes.
I'll write more as I think of things....
Oh, yeah, the Revlon professional makeup line really IS
great! I found all that line (minus the brushes) on sale at my local
Sally's Beauty supply this weekend for 99 cents (foundations, blushes, lipsticks,
EVERYTHING!!!!) and bought a bunch of stuff. I bought fair 2 pressed powder, and
found a powder that had some yellow in it (I have some yellow undertones in my skin) for
the first time in my life - been looking for a powder that would melt into my skin like
that, forever...so after I tried it and realized how much I liked it, I went back and
bought the other three pressed powders that were left! (For about $15.00, I
practically bought out the store...love sales like that!) Anyway, I'm happy with
that brand, especially since I got such a good deal with the sale and all.
Love, Leora
The best and most economical way to remove mascara & other eye make-up at night before retiring--Baby oil with cotton ball or piece of tissue. Good wrinkle preventer too. From Ma G.
I have discovered a brand new inexpensive brand. It is called NYC color and it is made by the same company that makes Naturistics and Sally Hanson. Everything is $.99 - $1.99. I was really impressed with the quality and good colors, so keep an eye out for this brand! I have only seen it at Walgreens and Wal Mart so far but it is still very new, so maybe other stores just haven't gotten it yet. Their website is still under construction but there is a picture of the makeup at www.newyorkcolor.com - Anonymous
I love mascara that washes off with soap and
water or at least with soap,water and eye make-up remover so I don't
wake up with raccoon eyes. When I was a teenage Coty made a great wash off mascara than
they improved it and it was
water-proof. (how many women are out there crying that everything needs to be waterproof?)
So then I found Estee
Lauder More than Mascara which was good but very expensive. So then I went
through a testing stage and settled on
Neutrogena which is only 6.59 but it seems
to dry out really quickly so need to repurchase it every 2 months- again tooo
much money so I took your advice and went and got Wet 'n'
Wild. I figured for under $2 if it was terrible not too much lost,
and I got it at Rite Aid so I figured I could return it. These
were my thoughts- the protein enriched doesn't thicken my lashes but makes
them very long. The only problem is this takes longer to dry than any other mascara I've
ever used so I have to be
careful. I feel as if I'm walking around holding my eyes half-open to keep it from getting
on my upper lids. This washes off really well. I think I'll use this for days when I want
to look more natural. The Mega Lash is great. It totally thickens and lengthens.
It washes off well, not as well as the protein but any residue easily removes with a
non-oily remover and there is nothing in the am. This clumps a bit but I took your advice
and saved an old wand and use that to brush through and there is no problem.
This made my week- even if I have to purchase them every month I will only be spending $24
in a year. Most likely, I will replace them every 3-4 months so that is way less.
Some other things that I have found to do. I do melt my lipsticks down to put in a pallet. I found if you cut them off, scoop out the rest and put it in a big tablespoon and heat that with a match- it works really well. The microwave didn't work too well for me.
With loose eyeshadows that everyone is
coming out with now- purchase them with a friend and split the cost. You
can put them in the pill boxes but they leak a bit or get little twist off lid containers
at the drugstore. These last soooo long that sharing isn't a problem- it probably gets
more of the product used up than if you keep it for yourself and then throw it out when
you're sick of it.
L'Oreal and Lancôme are made by the same company and their
products are very similar. L'Oreal moisturizers esp. the plentitude for
eyes are great but very inexpensive. (Vaseline only is good for my skin on my elbows and
feet)
Prestige is a great line of less expensive products and most of their colors are knock-offs of higher end brands. For example, Prestige Sheer Grape is very close to MAC Desire. Also their lipliner (not the self-sharpening) are very soft and sparkly, I love Antique. They also make a more expensive brand called Studio- I've only seen it in Sears but that is cheaper than other dept. stores- ex. I bought a lovely lippie called Moire for $7. I do try the WW lippies but many of them orange up on me and they smell so terrible- I have to cover them with something else or it grosses me out.Anyway, thanks again for a great site! I'm sure I'll be visiting often! - Nina
I just tried Almay's One Coat Lip Shine in Plum the other day for the first time. It's about $6 and it's great. Sheer color (not really plum, but more of a warm pink) and shiny. A lot of the so-called lip glosses in the drugstores these days aren't really shiny. They're more like liquid lipstick (and thick, especially Maybelline's Lip Polish and L'Oreal equivalent) and the ones that are shiny are often flavored. So, this was a real find. Best regards, Elizabeth
I swear by starting with a great complexion. I drink lots of water, use Clinique's three step system night and day and wear little foundation. I spend a lot of money on skincare and the proper foundation and little money on everything else. I buy lipsticks and eyeshadow in matte only, there is less shine and it stays on forever. Also, I throw out mascara that is older than six months and everything else that is older than one year." Thanks for the wonderful site. - Tracy
Just wanted to let you know about an
inexpensive product that I just found! I have extremely fair skin (yellow
undertones), blonde hair and green eyes. It is a nightmare trying to find a powder bronzer
that doesn't go on a hideous and obviously fake terra-cotta orange. Bonne Bell makes an
inexpensive (under $3 at Drug Emporium) product called Glitter Bronze that is wonderful.
Despite the name, it isn't garish or terribly glittery. Plus, it is a great brown that
blends in and gives a
very natural sort of flushed tan look to my fair skin. Just wanted to let you know about
it.
Also, I recently fell in love with the Wet & Wild #666 lip pencil (99
cents at Target) that you mention. Again, keep up
the great site! After reading your page and trying (and loving) these inexpensive
products, I cringe now when I see women paying outrageous prices at department stores for
beauty products. The manufacturers should be ashamed. Mandy
I have a few inexpensive items that I'd like
to recommend:
Maybelline's oil-free eye makeup remover. It's great about about $3.99.
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara about $7.00. I've been using this for years, it really
pumps up my tiny lashes.
Beauty Without Cruelty's Cream Cleanser about $7.00 at health food stores. Smells nice,
it's not drying.
That's it! Regards, Elizabeth
I use my darker eyeshadows with a slightly
dampened liner brush , no need to buy an extra product with this method. I
also have ound afer much experimenting that my all-time fave mascara is Almay's Amazing Lash in Extremely Black. It gives
excellent full coverage and thickness with only one coat with no clumping or streaking (I
have extremely oily skin
and this stuff doesnt budge until I wash it off) As for cosmetic lines.....most of mine
are Jane...Bonne Bell (
Vanilla LipSmackers is WONDERFUL use as a balm and apply
nightly before sleep for soft smooth lips) and Nat Robbins. Wet N Wild for
me is a case of "been there done that" the lipsticks in particular have always
been exceptionally dry and cakey to me...even with a lip balm. Bonne
Belle has an excellent pressed Oil-Control powder ....I recommend the Transculent. Mix a
bit of this with any colored blush or eyeshadow you feel is too dark.Thanks
for your time and an excellent page. - Kuan_Yin
Trial sizes for the new Neutrogena Healthy skin makeup are available here for less then $3. It is $9.99 for a full size bottle but I find it to be a wonderful summer makeup. It is very light weight with sheer coverage. It evens out skin tone wonderfully and stays on all day long which is wonderful since I have such oily skin. I have found that most stores don't carry the four lightest shades but that walmart stores always have every shade. Also Mabelline Great Lash Mascara is only $1.99 here. - Maeve
For a long time I had trouble applying make
up to my face without looking washed out. I tried using darker shades, but
it looked so unnatural, so as a last resort I started using sunless tan lotion by
Coppertone. I'd heard that those kinds of things can turn you orange, so I was a bit leery
at first. I was pleasantly surprised to see that after a few applications my skin took on
a light, toasty color. Not only can I now use the shades I like, but I can use less Make
up.. Its a product that I recommend. Not only is it effective, and safe, but its also
inexpensive. - Melinda
I would just like to share that Bath
and Body Works has great make up. I have never felt such soft eyeshadow
for such a low price. Their colors come in a wide variety. They have everything, liquid
foundation, compact powder, loose powder, eyeshadows, eye liners, lip liner, their version
of chubby sticks, lipsticks ranging in sheerness, lip gloss, etc. Also, they have good
quality make up brushes. All this can be bought for less than department store prices. The
best thing, is when you go to their store, they have it laid out very nicely so that you
can test the products before you invest the 7 or 8 dollars. I think this was a very smart
decision for them. Thanks again for this site! - Megan
Polish (any polish) will stay on a lot
longer without chipping & peeling if a cottonball soaked in white vinegar is used to
clean nails before putting on nailpolish. So, step one would be to remove
any old nailpolish, then use the vinegar , let nails dry naturally, and then put on base
coat, polish, etc. The reason why this works so well is because it is the oils on
the nails that stops the polish from adhering to the nail. If the oils are
removed, the problem is solved. Take care - Juliana
For those who use Purpose face wash - try Johnson's Head to
Toe Baby Wash instead. The ingredients are identical, and you can
buy a huge bottle of the baby wash for alot less than a small bottle of Purpose.
Great for sensitive skin, cleans thoroughly, smells nice too.
The right makeup tools can make any makeup go on better and
look better. Invest in nice makeup brushes, and you'll see a difference.
A .99 cent lipstick looks totally different applied with a good lip brush.
Garden Botanika, a northwest cosmetics boutique, sells a fantastic makeup brush kit for
only $25 with powder, blush, eye shadow, sponge, and eyebrow/lash brushes. If you're
not in the N.W. you can order online at www.gardenbotanika.com
Toners I believe are a waste of time and money, a totally
unnecessary step.Your cleanser should be able to remove all dirt, oil and
makeup on it's own, and if it's not, then look for a different cleanser! Cleanse,
moisturize and find a good eye cream and that's all you need. Exfoliate with a
gentle scrub 1-2 times a week, and use a moisturizer with AHA to exfoliate dead surface
skin cells too. Good drugstore brand - Alpha Hydrox.
When you do shop at department stores, do not be afraid to ask for free samples.
The sales people are normally very happy to send you home with one or two
applications of a foundation, concealer or any other makeup or skincare product so you can
try before you buy. Just ask - and you shall receive! And if the salesperson
does not want to help you out, then why give them your business anyway, just move on to
the next counter.
I LOVE MAKEUP TOO! Really enjoying the frugal face alot! -
Tracie
I always used to have trouble picking out a
natural shade of lipcolor. It seemed like all the colors with
natural-sounding names like nude, flesh, etc. were too brown. Then I heard that to
get a natural-looking shade is to get a lipcolor that matches the color of your tongue.
It really works--you can go a shade or two deeper than your tongue color and still
look natural but
better.- Dawn
I am half Greek and half Native American, and I have been trying, with much frustration, to match a foundation to my face since I was a teenager. I have only recently (at age 28) found a couple of good matches for my medium, olive skin: Neutrogena liquid makeup in Toasted Honey (my sister, who is more yellow, likes Golden Bisque), and I also like the Nars range (Barcelona or Santa Fe) when I feel I can splurge. - The Goddess
Savex lip balm. Comes in a
little pot, like Carmex, but much more effective, and no scent. It finally cured my dry,
peeling chapped lips. It has a small amount of salyclic acid; enough to cure peeling lips,
but also ok as a daily lip balm. And only $1.
Thanks for your site. Fun and informative.- Joy
Found a good new brand of eyeshadows at the discount store, "BR", made by Rich on Inc., LA, CA. I got two compact sets of matte eyeshadows for $.99 each. The colors are very soft, not the garish ones usually found in cheaper makeup kits: mostly browns, taupes, golds, greens, grays, whites, plums, blue (I know Paula says 'don't' but these are really good) and peaches. And the shadows last well, too. - Marcy Rae
A book on the history of lipgloss gave a
recipe for simple colored gloss. I didn't get the greatest results
but here it is
3 non toxic crayons
1 tablespoon mineral oil
a 1 inch diameter beeswax candle
Crush crayons in a bag and melt in a double boiler with other ingredients pour into small
container and let cool for 15 minutes
One method that works very well for me is too leave all the ingredients in the plastic bag
and suspend in the hot water when it is time to pour into jar just snip off the corner of
the bag its cleaner then using a double boiler - Tessa
For a good skin cleanser use hydrogen peroxide.- C U
I saw on your website that you welcome yellow-based foundation recs. How about EL (Estee Lauder) Enlighten in Pure Light and Neutral Ivory, EL Minute Stick Sunlight, EL Double Wear in Sand, Linen and Bone, EL Double Matte in Warm Sand. Very yellow based colors and the formulas, depending on your skintype, are really good, too. - Vanessa
Hi! I REALLY enjoyed your site and the tips. Just stumbled upon it! I must admit that I use Clinique because I prefer it...I've tried a lot of the inexpensive brands and most have not compared in my opinion...BUT I do have a way that I try to save money when buying Clinique. I only buy when they have the free give-aways. I buy the Balanced foundation and the Super-Powder ONLY, and the rest I get for free. They always give away moisturizer and lipsticks. The lipsticks are usually the latest season's new color too! I've acquired quite a collection of eyeshadows, lip liners, etc. Also...I have a friend who likes Clinique too. When we don't care for one of the freebees...we trade back and forth until we both have what we want. It works out nice that way. Thanks for such a great site! - Monica
I stumbled across your website, and really like it. I've tried to get
makeup ideas from alt.fashion and the like, but most sources seem more concerned with
high-end department store brands. It's good that you provide reviews of drugstore stuff
too, for those of us who aren't always willing or able to spend $30 for each item!
I can attest for at least one inexpensive, yellowy
foundation: I'm half-Asian and have fair, yellow-toned skin, so I usually
have done without it as most lines are always too rosy for me. However, Revlon's Colorstay
is excellent. It's also SPF 6, which isn't high, but every little bit helps. It's more for
oily skin, but it doesn't fade, run, or streak; since it gets humid where I live, that's a
big bonus too. The only thing is, you have to be diligent about washing it ALL off at the
end of the day -- it really does stay. For the money, it's a good deal. - Amie
I read what you said about concealer settling into the fine lines under your eyes and I wanted to tell you about this stuff that I get from Perscriptives. It's called line prevention. It's really expensive, but you only use a drop or two at a time so it lasts a really long time. You just apply it around your eyes and mouth, and anywhere else that your makeup seems to seep into fine lines, and it keeps the make-up floating on the surface. It's great, I highly recommend it! I know Perscriptives has counters in Bloomies, Maceys and Burdines.- Natalie
I have been using the Neutrogena Mascara and love it!! The consistency is great and the wand length & shape is easy to handle. Price is right, too. I have been using Maybelline over the years but like this better. Has anyone out there tried the new line of Oil of Olay cosmetics yet? - Sue
I always hit the Clearance Bin at Target
(my favorite place to buy makeup). I just bought a perfect and non opened Revlon Colorstay
liquid eyeliner in Black for $.74. I have a pretty big collection of lipstick from there,
too. It seems that shoppers will open a lipstick tube to see it's color and then close it
up with out twisting the lipstick back down, squishing the lipstick. Target goes through
the make up and tosses all the squished lipsticks into it's clearance bin at amazingly low
clearance prices. I bought several Loreal Rouge Virtual lipsticks for $.84 each. Since the
lipsticks are squished, I just scoop 'em out and stick 'em in the pillbox.
Clearance stores like Big Lots are other great places to buy
make up. They sell name brand lines like Loreal and Revlon along with off
brands for dirt cheap. The Big Lots near me has a huge selection of Revlon lipsticks,
eyeliners, and mascaras for $1.99 each, plus most of the Street Wear line for $1.49. I
went there last night and they had Loreal, Maybelline, Revlon, Almay, M Professional,
Bonne Bell, Physician's Formula, Cover Girl, Prestige, Coty..and many off brands of every
cosmetic conceivable, all for $.50 -$2. It's great. I never pay full price for make up. - Kotterpin
My tip for a facial care scrub is to take your normal cleanser (not a bar soap) in your hand and add to it some baking soda in the same hand. I myself use a liquid cleanser and before working this solution into my skin I wet my face because I have oily skin. This eliminates the need for a separate facial product, it saves money and the baking soda is something most people have on hand in the house. - bcc
I like to mix different nailpolishes. Food
coloring works very well. A few
drops in the bottle and a good shake.- Ancil
I love your site so I just thought I'd mention a couple of products I
haven't seen on your page. Jane cosmetics has these great
all-in-one color sticks, eyes, blush, lipstick in one. Of course it's
creamy for the eyes but if you dust a bit of powder over the top it works fine, I also use
it for blush, after blending in the dots of color I go over my cheeks with my blush brush
( without adding any new blush to it) and it's a normal lipcolor. I have 3 different
colors, mauve, pink and bare, and always keep one in my purse when I need color but can't
carry more than the all-in -one and some lip gloss. All that for less than $4!!!!
Perfectly color coordinated every time.
With all of the frost in the makeup this spring for people
who want to try it but not spend a lot if it doesn't work, just look to your favorite Wet
and Wild line. They have a compact in with the blushes that is a neutral,
fairly subtle frost. I have deep set eyes and contrary to most opinions I think frosted
eyeshadows that aren't too bright in color look good on me, it makes my eyes stand out
just enough. So I use this frost for my eyes and lips and will try it to highlight my
cheeks. At $2.50 I won't feel bad for paying much for a fad.
keep up the good work, Jamie
If you want to make your nose look smaller apply a darker foundation on your nose .-
Betty
I use Clinique's creme blush -I love creme blush because it blends so much more smoothly. Powder
blush on my face always ends up looking cakey or streaky after a little while.
Lancome used to make a great creme blush also, but it got discontinued (or they began
adding powder to it). Anyway, the formula changed and it didn't work for me
anymore, so I scouted out another source and ended up with Clinique.
I also use their Balanced Makeup base. But the soap is too strong and the
Dramatically Different Moisturizer doesn't moisturize enough. I use Purpose or Basis
soap for sensitive skin, a light moisturizer (L'Oreal or Physician's Formula),
Clinique base and blush and drugstore lipstick. Sometimes vaseline around my eyes at
night. I'm 51 and have few wrinkles or skin problems. (I had acne as a teen.)
I exfoliate when my skin feels it needs it (never more than 1x/wk, sometimes
only every other week), with L'Oreal exfoliant. My skin tone, texture and
elasticity improved dramatically several years ago
when I began taking 800 i.u. of Vitamin E capsules daily for a medical condition. - C.A.A.
As far as drugstore foundations are concerned there is one that I've found
that the color works for my skin color. Neutrogena Healthy
Skin Liquid makeup in the color Softest Gold. It is almost as good a match for my
skin as Bobbi Brown in Sand and Stila in color #2. Max
Factor's Light Champagne color that was recommended by one of your readers is too orange
for my skin tone. As far as concealers go, I have been using Joe Blasco's "Red
Neutralizer 1-2". It gives good coverage and covers a blemish without drying
and cracking. It is also creamy enough to use under eyes.
Thanks for your suggestions
Mytra
I am so glad that I came across your site. Since Sunday night I have read and reread your information. I like your opinions more than Paula B.s, of which I have her books and newsletters. FWIW, have you ever come across Jordana cosmetics? This brand is also cheap and has a great selection of very matte colors. I especially love their pale and sheer nail colors. For 89 cents they can't be beat. Keep up the great work - Marjorie
Hi - I have a recommendation for an oily/combo skin cleanser: The latest Paula Begoun book recommends Purpose liquid cleanser as an acceptable cleanser for oily/combo skin. (Purpose is made by Johnson & Johnson.) In the baby care aisle, you can buy Johnson & Johnson Head to Toe Baby Wash which has the exact same ingredient list, costs half as much and gives you twice as much product. It does have a slight fragrance, so someone extremely sensitive to fragrance might not like it, but for everyone else, it's worth a try! - Elizabeth
The best nail-polish I've found is one
called "Spectacular", which at £2 is about the cheapest you can
get in London.
Tacky name, but it goes on like a dream and hardens well. -
Tina
