Flashback Friday: Maybelline SuperStay Concealer Better Skin

Maybelline SuperStay Better Skin Concealer

I know how fickle, some of y'all think I am, and you are not entirely wrong.  I declared this fabulous drugstore find my Holy Grail concealer not even 8 mos ago.  Yes, I have tried dozens over the years; Laura Mercier, Nars, Dior, Estee Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Benefit, Stila, Lancôme, Hourglass, Trish McEvoy , IT, Bye Bye Eye Concealer, just so you know I've gone the high end route as well.

I stumbled upon this last December and was amazed how much I like it.  Smooth, full coverage that lasts, some ingredient that "allegedly" helps lighten dark circles, a perfect match for my skin tone and priced under $10 bucks...What could be better.

Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion

Y

Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion 48/Hrs.
$6.99

Certain beauty brands and products are emblazoned in my childhood brain because they were favored by my Mom; Nivea Lotion, Dove Soap, Finesse Shampoo and Conditioner, Arpege,  and Maybelline Eyebrow Pencils.

In my family, vanity skipped a generation.  My obsessions are more closely aligned with my grandmother Connie.  My mom is naturally pretty, shied away from the sun and had great skin.  She literally could be coiffed and out the door in 10 minutes. Sister Loren is not that far behind in a pinch. Me??? Uh...no.

I always loved the smell of Nivea products.  I truly have seen a difference using their Skin Firming Moisturizer, and no, I don't give a whit about whatever chemical combination they brewed up that make it effective on my knees and upper arms.  It works. Period.

We didn't have a cold Northeast winter, though this spring was unseasonably chilly.  I was surprised during a recent pedicure when it was pointed out how incredibly dry my legs were.  No matter how much she slathered,  they still looked distressingly reptilian.

Fortunately, CVS and Sephora are just a few steps from Cozy Nails in Greenwich. I knew immediately where I was headed next.


After perusing the skin lotion aisle, I settled on Nivea Extended Moisture Body Lotion for extremely dry skin, that promises 48 Hours of hydrated skin. I would have been content with 24 hours, but sometimes more is more.

Can I tell you how much I love this lotion?  First of all, the first pump and whiff always brings me back to my childhood.  Isn't it wonderful how aligned smell is with memory?  It has just the texture I prefer; rich, gel like and instantly absorbed.  And it gets better; it plumps, totally alleviated my dry skin and  made every inch of my body feel like a silk sheet.  I can't believe how soft my own skin is to my touch.

This is drugstore beauty at its best; affordable and totally effective.  Mom loves it too.  So will you...

xox,
DD

Review: Nuance by Salma Hayek Mineral Eyeshadow Duo

Nuance by Salma Hayek Mineral Duo Eyeshadow
$8.99 at CVS 

I'm fairly certain our second largest expense, besides our mortgage, is my monthly CVS bill.  I appreciate the nice perks, all those seemingly random 25% coupons, that I can send quickly to my loyalty card from my iphone, but half the time when I need a haul, they are not active.

Oh well...So one arrived 3 days too late, and I had to pick up a prescription anyway.  The chances of my buying nothing, with this additional 25% probably set to expire within the hour, was exactly nil.

On a whim, I picked up Nuance by Salma Hayek's Mineral Eyeshadow Duo for two reasons; the Dusty Rose/Sheer Champagne combo, was exactly the two shades I wear most and I was intrigued that the display was picked nearly clean....

Was I on to something???

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara

CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara
$6.99

I'm not 100% sure how CoverGirl Queen Lash Fanatic Mascara ended up in my Walgreen's basket. Maybe I was just disoriented, being in Walgreen's instead of CVS. I'm pretty certain the CoverGirl Queen line was created for women of color, but mascara is color blind, is it not?

What a lovely surprise this mascara is!  It reminds me a lot of CoverGirl's Lash Exact, a mascara I used for quite a long time. The down side was that it dried out quickly, the pluses, however, outweighed it; Clean, full lashes, zero flakes and budget friendly.  I can't be sure why we broke up...

Beauty Bargain Alert: NYX Eyleliner Pencils

NYX Retractable Eyeliner
$4.50 at drugstores nationwide

I had completely forgotten, in the midst of my eyeliner conundrum, that my good friend Jane had emailed me awhile back about her lucky find...NYX Retractable Eyeliners.

She swore they were not only good, but better, than the Bobbi Brown liners she had been using at a fraction of the price and loving them for their glideability and long wear.

Though available in 18 self sharpening shades, you will probably only find a fraction of them at the drugstore, but the ones available are the good old standby shades that most of us prefer anyway--black, dark brown, charcoal and navy.

Review: Physician's Formula Bronze Booster

Physician's Formula Bronze Booster
$18.95 at CVS in Greenwich, CT.
(cheaper anywhere else)

Have I ever been to CVS for standard drug store fare; Q-Tips, toothpaste, Advil etc... and not left with some type of beauty product???

No. Never. Not once...whether I need it or not.

I'm still not sure what the purpose of Physician's Formula Bronze Booster is.  I have stopped using bronzing powder because I find it to look matte, dry, and a little streaky.

Physician's Formula bills itself as, "Number 1" in Bronzers.  They certainly offer a lot of them...7 to be exact.  I have no clue what the difference between them is. At least Bronze Booster stood out from the pack a bit.