1. Yes To Liquid Hand Soap ($3.99 each)
I’m the weirdo who washes her hands about, oh, let’s see… 20 times a day? I’m so not kidding, either. And I’m REALLY picky about my hand soaps, but I thoroughly plan to love the dickens out of this bottle of Yes to Liquid Hand Soap because it doesn’t dry out my skin, even when I wash my hands hella times.
Also, the Marula Oil Mango var-eh-TAY smells like marvelous mangoes, but here’s the thing: it doesn’t smell fake, which is important if you wash your hands as much as I do, because, as you know, it’s nice to have a yummy fragrance waft up into yo’ nose.
It removes dirt, oils and all manner of baby goo, and it easily rinses off and doesn’t leave behind an annoying residue.
VERDICT: Need!
Yes To Liquid Hand Soap ingredients
Water (Aqua), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Coco-Sulfate, Glycerin, Sclerocarya Birrea (Marula) Seed Oil, Mangivera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Benzoate, Hexyl Cinnamal Linalool
2. E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette ($6)
The four-pan E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette is darned-near perfect for the price. The finely milled powders look really expensive and natural.
The highlighters are on the neutral- and cool-toned sides, which is a cool surprise (haha, bad pun) because of how many highlighter palettes skew warm.
The shimmer in these shades is also low-key — which again makes them seem higher end than they are.
Heck, I’d go so far as to call these drugstore Hourglass Ambient powders.
VERDICT: Need!
E.L.F. Cosmetics Illuminating Palette ingredients
Talc, Mica, Magnesium Stearate, Dimethicone, Silica, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Boron Nitride, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Ve), Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)
3. CoverGirl Outlast All Day Lip Color & Gloss ($10.49 each)
The Covergirl Outlast All Day Lip Color & Gloss Duos have a long-wearing liquid lipstick on one end and a gloss topper on the other.
Honestly, these aren’t my faves… The liquid lipstick breaks up on my lips, and I can’t say that I’m a big fan of how they feel when they dry. They sort of tighten up, almost like they’ve got a death grip on my skin.
VERDICT: Nope!
CoverGirl Outlast All Day Lip Color & Gloss ingredients
Step 1 Base Color — Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Propylparaben. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Red 30 Lake, Iron Oxides, Red 7, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 1 Lake, CarmineStep 2 Gloss — Polybutene, Petrolatum, Mineral Oil / Huile Minérale, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax / Cire De Candelilla, Oleyl Alcohol, Fragrance / Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate. Some Shades May Also Contain: Synthetic Fluorphlogopite. May Contain: Titanium Dioxide, Red 30 Lake, Red 28 Lake, Red 7 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Iron Oxides, Mica, Blue 1 Lake
4. Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight and Contour Matte Sculpting Palette ($14.99)
Physicians Formula does powder products so well, and the powders in the all-matte Bronze Booster Highlight and Contour Matte Sculpting Palette, which has a neutral tan bronzer, a copper taupe contouring powder and a neutral beige highlighting powder, are perfect examples of that.
I’m talking silky, paycheck-pummeling high-end powders at a surprisingly affordable price, and the pigment in these is no joke. Even though I hardly ever contour, I’ll definitely reach for the bronzer and highlighter in this palette.
VERDICT: Need!
Physicians Formula Bronze Booster Highlight and Contour Matte Sculpting Palette ingredients
Shimmer Stobing: Talc, Mica, Caprylic / Capric Triglyceride, Isostearyl Palmitate, Magnesium Stearate, Synthetic Wax, Polyethylene, Silica, Boron Nitride, Dimethicone, Nylon-12, Maltodextrin, HDI / Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, PTFE, Mucuna Pruriens Seed Extract, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Inositol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tin Oxide. May Contain: Carmine (CI 75470), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)
5. Physicians Formula Eye Booster Matte Lacquer Cream Eyeliner ($10.99)
One thing about Physicians Formula Eye Booster Matte Lacquer is the amount of pigment in it. It’s a pitch black cream liner, and it looks a LOT like my go-to Maybelline Blackest Black Gel Liner.
But one not-so-good thing about it is how difficult it is to draw a straight line with the funky angled applicator. I can kinda do a halfway decent job on my right eye, but guuuurl, it looks like I let a hyper toddler do my left eye in the dark.
If this liner came in a pot, though, I’d be all over it.
VERDICT: Nope!
Physicians Formula Eye Booster Matte Lacquer Cream Eyeliner ingredients
Isododecane, Dextrin Palmitate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PEG-15 / Lauryl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Troxerutin, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Simethicone, Water / Eau, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Tocopherol, 1,2 Hexanediol, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides (CI 77499)
6. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Removing Towelettes ($6.99)
Yes, these oil- and fragrance-free Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Removing Towelettes feel fabulously soft, and they don’t leave behind a funky film, but you can’t count on them to actually remove heavy-duty stuff like waterproof mascara or long-wearing lipstick or liner.
I don’t have as much patience anymore for makeup removers that don’t get the whole job done… These are a pass for me.
VERDICT: Nope!
Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Removing Towelettes ingredients
Aqua/Water, Hexylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Disodium Edta, Myrtrimonium Bromide, Panthenol, Poloxamer 184, Polyaminopropyl Biguanide, Polysorbate 65, Simethicone, Sodium Benzoate. F.I.L.# B171983/1
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
P.S. TGIF!!! ?
TGIF, oh yes. I hope you have great plans for the weekend. It is a bank holiday on Monday here in Germany and the weather is beautiful, so I plan on making the most out of it.
ELF is a brand I hear high praise of, but never actually tried myself.
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I hope you get to try it someday. It’s pretty good for the price.
Happy weekend!
I need to try that ELF palette, I’m not super into highlighting but at least I’d have this if the urge struck! Really my favorite palettes are the ones that have bronzer, blush, and highlighter in one, do a post if you find a good one!
Hi Rachel,
I found a couple great ones from BECCA, but they’re priced higher than drugstore products. Are you specifically looking for drugstore?
Drugstore would be nice but its not always the best quality. I have heard good things about BECCA but I don’t think I’ve tried anything from them!
I love finding hidden treasures at the drugstore! Thanks for the reviews. I have way too many Bath & Body hand soaps I’ve bought over the years, but the Marula Oil Mango sounds great. I’m sure I can add another one to the stash! Happy Friday! 🙂
The bronzers and highlighters sound great! I like the sound of that hand soap, if I see it at target I might pick it up!
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Hi Karen; I really appreciate your drugstore reviews as that’s more in my budget! I actually have (and dug out for the summer) the bronze booster palette. And I was eyeing the ELF highlighter palette so I’m glad to hear such high praise. Hope you have a lovely weekend!
Hi Holly,
The Bronze Booster Palette is so lovely! Do you use the contouring shade a lot?
Anywho, hope you can get your hands on the ELF palette. It’s such a gem!
Happy Friday to you.
I haven’t used the contouring shade as I’m so fair skinned, but it just now struck me that perhaps I could use it as an eyeshadow?
can anyone suggest make up wipes that actually do get everything off. and i mean everything! i’m going on a trip to europe and i’m trying to minimize the amount of liquids I bring. usually I can’t live without my lancome energie de vie makeup removing oil…but if i can find wipes that are just as good, i may concede.
suggestions?
Hi Yelena,
I like the MAC ones for taking off everything (even long-wearing products). They’re kind of pricey habit though. I’m still on the hunt for a effective drugstore wipe and would love suggestions, too.
Where are you going on your trip?
i’m going to england and scotland for a week! i’m trying to be good about not taking too much makeup and of course taking the right m akeup remover that is non liquid and isn’t too heavy. i bought the UD makeup remover stick and i think i like it, but it’s bulky and requires water for removal.
i think i ended up buying these wipes to try over the next few days before i leave. we’ll see!
i don’t have time to make a mac stop, but i have also been disappointed in their makeup removers before. (the one in the purple bottle, also the cleansing oil). so i may try that another time but i don’t think i’ll have time to pick it up before my trip.
thanks, karen!
ooh i just checked and I bought the waterproof garnier towelettes, hope they work!
Same here. I’m sick of wipes that don’t remove waterproof mascara.
I use wipes only when I’m on a trip, when want to pack light. So they need to work!
That illuminating palette looks gorgeous! I’ve seen it, and always toyed with the idea of getting it.
I am quite the “Hello, my cheekbones are here”, kind of girl, but the palette looks awesome for everyday wear :).