Beauty Divine

Beauty products are expensive. And why are we so swayed by the ones with a pretty container and a brand name? I’ve spent way too much in the last couple years trying out expensive products that just didn’t quite live up to my expectations. When I worked at Von Maur, I had a discount and many coworkers who assured me that I HAD to try Estee Lauder, Clinique, Laura Mercier, etc. After using drugstore products my whole life, I decided to try it out. Some things I felt were wasted. It’s frustrating when magazines tell you “This is the BEST product” and you spend the money only to find it was not so great. Others I think were very much worth the money and paying more. So because I’m nice and want to save you the trouble and money, here are my findings. Please don’t send me hate mail if you don’t agree. These are just my opinion and hopefully you’ll benefit from them.


Hair products
Money well saved:
*Pantene Pro-V Ultimate Texture Hairspray – great for separating boring flat hair.
*Garnier Fructis Color Shield Conditioner – My hair color fades insanely fast. This really locks it in and smells good too.
*Got2be crazy sleek flat iron & blow dry lotion – saves split ends and settles frizz. Bottle is really cute and makes me smile.


Money well spent:
*Aquage finishing spray – great for curls and making hair look shiny
*Matrix smooth & sleek shampoo – I’ve never found anything that compares. It rocks.
*American Crew fiber balm – who cares that it’s supposed to be for men? I steal it from my husband to quick paste down fly-aways and it works!


Money well wasted:
*Redken Fresh Curls Curl Boost scrunching spray – It may just be my hair, but I don’t feel like this does anything at all
*John Frieda Frizz-ease hair serum – okay this is one that I see in every magazine so I talked myself into buying it. They don’t tell you in magazines that if you hair isn’t insanely curly or dry, this will just make it extra greasy - even with just a drop of product.


Fragrance/Skin-care products
Money well saved:
*Clean & Clear oil free shine control moisturizer – Light and creamy, doesn’t make your face oily and greasy.
*Clean & Clear foaming facial cleanser – the foam is really nice on your skin, not harsh like most cleansers – I end up with soft, clean skin


Money well spent:
*Jergens natural glow face tinted moisturizer – especially for albinos like me that do not keep a tan, a little tint is nice. The bottle is small and is only in the expensive category because it goes fast and you have to buy more often
*Escada Moon Sparkle perfume –sooooo good! Sheer and pretty and doesn’t overwhelm the senses


Money well wasted:
Clinique skin care cleansers/moisturizers – Okay I did not try them all, but these are expensive and I honestly didn’t find them to do anything that Clean & Clear couldn’t for my skin. People with different skin types may disagree.
*Estee Lauder beautiful sheer perfume – loved it the first few weeks and then smell got really old and faded really fast.


Makeup (This is my favorite part, so there are many)
Money well saved:
*Maybelline mascara –Maybelline makes great mascaras. I like simply pink/green mascara. Doesn’t clump or smell.
*Physicians formula multicolored blush, bronzers, & powders – these multicolored pallettes make skin tone very even and don’t get cakey. They add a really pretty glow.
*Almay liquid eyeliner – very even consistency and color. Doesn’t smudge or fade. Easy to wash off.
*Maybelline & Covergirl shadows – great color. Especially if you get your brush wet before applying, they are even and bright.
*Sonia Kashuk cream blush – you can get it at target. Great for when you need a lot of color to stay on, but want to look natural and not powdery.
*Victoria secret lip gloss – Smells, tastes, and looks amazing.


Money well spent:
*Mary Kay eye primer – Primers are amazing. They act like glue for your eyeshadow, brightens the shade, and keeps it from getting stuck in the creases
*Smashbox soft lights shimmer powder – Ever wanted that shimmery glow that celebrities like Megan Fox have on the red carpet? This powder is the secret. It looks really natural if you apply a sheer layer. It’s bomb.
*MAC eyeshadows – are very higly pigmented so the color is bright and stays on well.


Money well wasted:
*Clinique eyeshadows and blush – Wears off really fast! I was pretty disappointed.
*Mary Kay eyeliner – did not smudge, but color was not strong enough. Faded quickly.
*Covergirl mascara – It smells. The color is okay and tended to clump a little. But the smell is really gross. Possibly just the type I was getting (curling mascara), but still…ew!


Have you found that some products work better than others? Leave some comments. I would love to do more saving and less wasting!