i have a blog crush. several actually, but the object of today’s affection belongs solely to a sweet disorder. there are many days when i wish i had decided to write a style blog instead of a financial blog… although i’d probably be in a lot more debt if i had taken that route. but then i read kate’s blog, and i realize that i just don’t have the fashion chops. the girl rocked a goddamn air cast boot for like 2 months, and still looked cooler than everyone else in the room. i think my wardrobe is too basic to be interesting. not ballsy enough. although i’m also not a gorgeous amazon redhead with a tuft of peacock green hair. but enough of the gratuitous love fest. i’m really loving on a sweet disorder today, because i’m about to blatantly rip off one of her posts (with love!).
i hold kate entirely responsible for my new polyvore addiction. it reminds me of being 14 years old and papering my bedroom walls from floor to ceiling with pictures i dissected from my mom’s old vogues & Ws. plus, it has an interactive shopping element! SHOPPING! kate’s been killing with the polyvore for a while now (i especially love her “cute stuff you might actually be able to afford” series), but this week she turned turned her gaze on drugstore beauty (well, she does work at a drugstore), and i decided it was time to steal the post and RUN.
i’m not really a beauty products person, but something about her post (possibly the glorious mint green nail polish) made me want to think about the beauty products that i do use. i definitely didn’t have a whole page worth, but i had some fun narrowing it down to just 10 products that i absolutely can not live without:
1. l’oreal hydrafresh toner– i have super sensitive skin, and this stuff is so gentle that i can carelessly get it in my eyes with no ill repercussions.
2. bonne bell gel blush– i’ve been using this since high school, and it’s the only blush that i’ve ever felt looks even remotely natural. plus, it’s dirt cheap @ $4.00 a tube. too bad it’s only available online through the bonne bell “heritage collection”. i should stock up now before it goes extinct completely.
3. dove deodorant– nice smell, moisturizing, does its job.
4. blistex lip medex– i’m a complete slut for chapstick, and probably apply some sort of lip balm upwards of 20 times a day. i’m also very partial to carmex and burt’s bees, but lip medex wins the overall prize for being the longest lasting and most moisturizing.
5. philosophy candy cane body wash– frugal me should think that paying $16 for a container of bodywash is a poor value proposition when there are so many similar products on the market that cost so much less. but this one is so minty and tingly and perfect. i mean, who doesn’t want to smell like a candy cane year round?
6. egoiste by chanel– i’ve been wearing this since high school. i often find perfume to be too heavy and flowery, but men’s cologne seems somehow lighter and more sophisticated on a woman (although i’m probably making that part up). this one smells like lemons and campfires and vanilla ice cream, and i’m pretty sure if i was douchey enough to use the phrase “signature scent”, this one would qualify as mine (i’ll be buried in it!).
7. revlon super lustrous shiny sheers in plumdrop– the perfect natural shade of lipstick is rare and beautiful, and i’ve got 4 tubes of this under my sink right now (right next to the enormous bin of reject colors). i’m hoarding, because it’s been discontinued (bummer). but if you know there’s something that you love that has left the shelves, check BIG LOTS. a ton of the major makeup manufacturers sell their discontinued overstock to discount stores for low low prices, and i got mine for $3 each.
8. biolage normalizing shampoo– i spent $.99 on my shampoo for YEARS. and in general, i don’t give a shit about my hair at all (i might own a comb or something…), but this one smells fresh and perfect like grapefruits and summertime. i can’t say that it works any better than my suave, but the scent alone makes it worth the $19 a bottle. also, i hate showering, so it takes me a while to go through.
9. max factor facefinity foundation in #2 light ivory– yet another shamefully discontinued product. this time, the only foundation that ever matched my skintone. another tip for hunting down and stockpiling fallen favorites, bring on the ebay. even if you missed it at big lots, somebody else grabbed it, and will not sell it to you for twice the price. my long-term solution, stockpile now, keep foundation stash fresh in the fridge (butter dish) for later.
10. earth therapeutics tea tree oil foot spray– i’m a flats girl, and with the sheer amount of miles i put on those babies by the end of the summer (those invible socks that aren’t ever invisible, don’t really do i for me), they start to get a little rank (and by a little, i mean a lot). this spray makes my smelly shoes smell like the minty rainforest (sometimes i spray it on my wrists it smells so good), and is super refreshing spritz on my hot and tired summer feet.
now it’s your mission to copy me (well, kate) and gell me your own beauty secrets. (and seriously, go to polyvore- it’s the funnest ever).
broke 207 
YES! Thank you so much! I’m always interested to see people’s beauty/skin obsessions. And that perfume is in the classiest bottle ever.
you’re very welcome (to be plagiarized by me at any time). egoiste is the best decision i make every day, and i would be lost without it. did you know that they have perfume detectives who will track down your scent if it has been discontinued?
please forgive the ginormo comment below. i didn’t mean to write a dissertation, but it just happened.:)
on deodorant: i never thought i would be able to say this, but i’ve totally gone the hippie route and converted to the crystal deodorant. the first week is like any other product change. things get iffy. you sweat MORE because your pores are used to being blocked up, but you honestly don’t stink. and, after about a week, it balances out and you end up sweating less than you used to on a day you forgot to put on the anti-persperant. it’s more expensive for one item, but, if you don’t break it, it can last YEARS – some people say they’ve had the same one for up to 10 years. i broke my first one because it’s slippery. so i bought a new one that comes in a crank-up tube, just like every other product on the shelf. that makes it a lot easier to hold and store since it’s got a lid, too.
my dad swears by that shit! he actually bought one for me a while back, but i could never get into it. i would say that it’s time to break down and give it a try, but i still have like 4 dove deodorants in my stockpile drawer to plow through before i feel good about bringing any more product into the house! maybe in 2 years when i finally get through it all 😀
also, yes. polyvore. so much fun! i found it via the Glee-inspired site What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?
http://wwepw.blogspot.com/
this is officially ending up on the weekend pickthrough (you will be properly credited). SO AWESOME. i think i would probably dress a lot like her if i was more petite and had more money. i do love me a sweater set!
Maybelline mousse foundation, Aveda foamollient hair foam, and my Chi flat iron (best $80 I ever spent- 4 years of constant use later, both my hair and my iron are going strong), various forms of chapstick. The rest varies.
my curly haired compatriots (mine is already dead straight) all speak very highly of the chi flat iron. what’s so great about the mousse foundation? eventually, my refrigerator stock of max factor is going to die out, so i should probably start looking for something new.
It is easy to use (I smear it on with my hands), looks really natural, and doesn’t make you feel like you’re wearing make-up- it provides nice coverage but overall is just really light. Also, it doesn’t irritate my super sensitive skin, which is always a bonus.
i will most definitely be checking that out. i have sensitive skin, and hate needing a makeup sponge to have foundation that doesn’t look like it was applied by a myopic drag queen. thanks for the recommend!
My list:
I’m with you on Dove Deodorant – Invisible Solid Powder scent (although I just bought Suave because of a $1/2 coupon and 4/$5 deal at CVS. Worth a shot.
Jergens Natural Glow body lotion
Aveda blush in “Filament” – discontinued, can’t find it anywhere…
Tommy Girl perfume – been wearing since high school and I can’t tolerate anything else on me. My Dad gets me a bottle every year, either for Christmas or my birtday
Shampoo – anything on sale that I also have a coupon for. Not committed to particular brand here. I like to think it’s good for my hair to mix it up.
CARMEX – I love it. Boyfriend hates it. Too bad.
i love tommy girl! although my high school perfume memories belong loves baby soft & debbie gibson’s electric youth. bummer about the blush! kelly suggested writing to the company. sometimes they hook you up with free stuff. or what about a place that does custom color blending? they might be able to recreate it. a friend of mine had to give up burt’s bees because her boyfriend hated it. tragic!!
I used to work in the cosmetics section at the pharm and I used to tell people to contact the company when one of their faves got discontinued. A lot of times they can tell you where to find a particular item or they may have some stash that they will just GIVE AWAY!!!(doesn’t happen often but it’s been known to happen sometimes!) Marden’s is also a good place to look.
that’s a great idea! i actually did that once with bonkers candy, and they sent me a whole case for free. it was pretty awesome. marden’s is great too! i think you’ve just inspired me to write an article about discontinued beauty products!
I agree with the Dove deodarant.. its the best. When did I become such a smelly girl? And I used to use Biolage.. but beware.. it just turned me over to more and more expensive shampoo.. and once you use it you cant turn back! Right now Im using Redken.. love it, have super coarse thick hair.. and that Chi is the best thing invented. anyways, i keep telling myself that i have enough clothes and that i dont want to buy anymore for a year.. or at least til spring.. but it gives me a small panic attack.. i dont know what it is but i just couldnt do it! i love your blog btw. 🙂
thanks! the thing about my hair is that it’s dead straight and pretty healthy, and in no way requires fancy shampoo. i’m addicted to the smell, and i’ve been using it so long that it has become part of my smell. when i don’t use my own shampoo, i feel like i’m pretending to be somebody else. it’s weird, and totally not helping my budget. there are never coupons for biolage, and they never go on sale. it’s a sham! not buying clothes for a year would be so hard, but there’s totally a support group for it already. plus, my friend michelle actually didn’t buy ANYTHING for a year. if you really want to, you can definitely make it happen!
Wow! How funny are the support websites. I live in Mass and we’ve been broiling like you have been up in Maine. So i just bought a dress and skirt and thats it!! maybe i’ll try the clothes diet for one year. haha.. we’ll see! anyways, thanks for the website links!
no matter how much i think it’s a good idea, i don’t know if i could be happy for a year without shopping! although i have often thought about doing the wardrobe refashion challenge. at least you can thrift and buy fabric! there has to be a happy medium in there somewhere… we just need to find it 😀
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