LOOKING FOR WAYS to cut spending in these recessionary times? If you've already made the switch from venti to tall and still need to save some coins, perhaps it's time to ditch the pricey powders and glosses. To help you avoid going bankrupt in the beauty aisle, we've collected some of our favorite drugstore cosmetics to keep you looking cute while conserving cash.
» 1. Staying Power
Most powdery drugstore shadows make a mess and then disappear. But Revlon Color Stay 12 Hour Eye Shadow quads contain a range of shades that stay crease-free well into happy hour. ($7)
» 2. Eye Equality
Rumors abound that Maybelline's Full 'N Soft mascara uses the exact same formula as pricier counterparts. Feel free to conduct your own Pepsi challenge at home, but we're true believers. ($5)
» 3. Finer Liner
The Soft Kohl Kajal pencil from British brand Rimmel sharpens well for a fine and dainty line or can be applied with a heavier hand if you do get the urge to go totally Winehouse. ($3.49)
Continue Reading "Pretty Cheap: Beauty Products for Low Prices" »
IF YOU BELIEVE the fine print boasting on its packaging, pheromone-enhanced Ten by Intense body lotion should leave its wearer irresistible to, well, just about anyone.
"Pheromones," the tube helpfully informs us, "are known to create sexual attractions between individuals." And Ten's two scoops of sexy are supposed to give the wearer "a boost of self-confidence and a secret weapon to attract others." All for just $30! (Buy it at Amazon.) Take that, self-help industry!
So it was with a twinge of excitement, coupled with a sensation of dread, that we slathered some on — watch out, that goop flies out fast — and bravely stepped out into the world.
And that's where our heightened expectations met cold reality. Our boosted self-confidence began to ebb when, predictably, we weren't mobbed by attractive people lured to our side by Ten's pleasing baby formula-meets-cotton candy scent.
The only unusual attention we received was from a tourist dude in a Gilligan hat on the Metro who kept elbowing us in the side as he read his newspaper, and a creepy guy at Safeway whose focused gaze bored into our soul. Which, at least for a moment, made us wish we didn't smell so nice.
THE MOST FASCINATING thing about Pop's Lip Lust ($13, Sephora) lipsticks are that they are "infused with natural food flavorings for yummy taste." While we tried only Petal Pink — maybe Dewy Toffee had more tang — we concluded that cosmetics purveyors must have a recessive genetic trait that makes food taste like crayons (with perhaps a touch of cotton candy).
But that's OK. We don't view cosmetics as meal substitutes. As a lipstick, it's nice — sheer, moisturizing, a little iridescent. And, we suppose, if we had to eat it in an emergency, it would taste better than other brands.
EVERY GIRL HAS a "just left the salon" strut. Of course, upon washing that glowing hair, locks go back to their original state, and strutting turns into a shuffle. How does one keep that fresh-from-the-hairdresser glow? Bella Bethesda salon (4733 Elm St.; 301-718-9111) has a shining solution.
Its new treatment, Cellophanes by Sebastian, is said to be "lip gloss for the hair." The soy protein-infused goop is coated on; after a 20-minute stint in a heater and a blow-dry, voila! And this treatment actually seems to work. Gloss-wise, it's Bobbie Brown compared to Lip Smackers. Until the end of July, Bella Bethesda is offering a special on the shiny stuff. The Cellophanes treatment and a blow-dry are $50 or $20 without the blow-dry.
Written by Express contributor Robyn Mincher
IF YOU'VE EVER considered using a pumice stone to slough dead skin off your lips, you can stop. MAC's Prep+Prime Microfine Lip Refinisher ($14.50, MAC stores) is basically just that. One half of the stick is grit, the other is vanilla ChapStick.
We tested it via a toothbrush (often recommended for this purpose by makeup artists) and an actual piece of pumice. The results were good in comparison — the toothbrush left a lot of skin and the pumice stone hurt. Sanding off skin with this thing took longer, but the results were less traumatic.
LOOK, HERE'S THE THING about long-lasting lip gloss: It stays on or it doesn't. There's not a lot one can say about it past that. L'Oreal's Infallible Never Fail Lipgloss ($10, drugstores) stays on. Unless you eat. Or use napkins. Or bite your fingernails. Or kiss someone. So "long" is "until something besides your lip touches your lip."
If "long" means something else to you, maybe you want to look elsewhere. But if you don't expect your lip gloss to stay around forever, or if you're just looking for a fling, this comes in subtle yet pretty colors and won't make your lips feel disgustingly sticky. So, life's a trade-off.
FAMED ITALIAN HAIR PRO Oscar Blandi has finally found the secret to perfect hair spray. And it's sugar. Really? The same stuff that puts the yum in cupcakes can also give our roots a boost, even in July humidity? Amazing!
And not only that, but this Lacca Hairspray ($23, Sephora) keeps hair in place without much tack and smells divinely of honeysuckle. This is one treat worth breaking South Beach for. Not that cupcakes aren't a great reason, either. And gelato. And brownies. OK, so there are a lot of reasons we'll ditch our diet this summer, but at least we'll have fab hair.
Written by Express contributor Erin Clements Rushing
IT'S WELL DOCUMENTED that we're suckers for clever packaging, and our affection for the "I Dream of Jeannie"-inspired Terracotta Tajine Metal Eye Shadow from Guerlain ($35, Sephora) is no exception. Although, we are a little confused as to why someone would go to such trouble to encase a foam applicator. (Are people still using those things?
Embrace the makeup brush, ladies!) Anyway, our sample shade, though it applied considerably lighter than the color in the pot, did hang around all day long. But in a good way, not like that annoying third wheel Major Healey.
Written by Express contributor Erin Clements Rushing
FOR WOMEN WHO are pale, summer is a trying time. Bronzers abound, and you know from years of trying that when you apply one, you get brown smudges on your face. You look remarkably like an urchin in a touring production of Les Miserables. This is not a good look.
But the bronzer (and lip gloss and mascara) of the Korres Mediterranean Sun Collection ($35, sephora.com) is subtle and natural. The lipgloss is startling red in the bottle, but swipes on sheer, and the mascara won't clump — and it's made of rice bran, which is weird and cool.
A FEW YEARS AGO, we were floored by the dry manicure — little sheets of polish you simply stuck on your nails. Now we have the ocular version: Color On Professional Eye Envy ($25 for five pairs, Sephora), ovals of eyeshadow you smack on and peel off.
There are a few other steps involved, but that's the essence — EYELID STICKERS. There's a thin wedge of dark shadow for the lashline, and gradiated contouring for the rest of the lid. And they have so many uses beyond quick, flawless smokey eyes — like putting quick, flawless smokey eyes on a sleeping person.
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