drug-store beauty

I'm not all that girly, for a girl. But I do have a love for good lotions and potions and smelly-good goodies. Here are some of my favorites, all readily available and cheap as chips.


Aveeno Positively Nourishing Fig-Shea butter body wash.
This is the newest product on the list. It just smells like heaven... just enough sweet, a little earthy, creamy. It has the kind of rich, natural, non-cheap scent you would expect from higher-end soap makers like LUSH (which I love love love) and Body Shop. I want to be surrounded by this smell at all times. It does seem to moisturize fairly well, too.


Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque
An old-skool favorite. I have problem skin. Zits. Been plagued with them since I can remember. Blech. While this mud mask isn't a cure-all, it is really refreshing and leaves your face feeling clean, tingly and so soft. It also works as an overnight spot treatment.


Bio-Oil
My BFF just introduced me to this a few weeks ago. It is the most pricey item on today's list, but a little bit goes a long way. It's a light-weight oil that I like to put on as a body moisturizer after I shower. It has a lovely herbal smell, and is supposed to help with stretch-marks and uneven skin tone.


Palmer's Cocoa Butter Gel Oil
This is another favorite after-shower moisturizer of mine, though it is heavier. I use this more in the winter when my skin tends to get really dry and itchy. In the summer it's usually too heavy. It smells just like chocolate and looks like honey. So luxurious. Yum.


Palmer's Shea Butter lotion
This is my favorite lotion ever. Apparently I really like the scent of Shea and Cocoa butters huh? This lotion smells clean yet creamy and rich. It absorbs well, without being sticky. The only problem I ever have with this lotion is that the pump on the bottle usually gives out about 3/4 of the way through.


Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
As I said earlier, I am an acne veteran. Still get it, even though I'm in my 30s. For years and years I thought the solution was harsh chemical cleansers and astringents like Clearasil. ACID WILL KEEL THESE PIMPLES! Turns out all that ever did was irritate everything and make it look worse. Cetaphil is really gentle, cleans well without stripping away the good oils, and leaves my face soft and not-so spotty.