The BEST Cosmetics at the Drug Store, Inexpensive Make Up You Will Like

Recently I saw these bags under my eyes. Horrible black deep bags that just werent going away! I get frustrated beyond belief, I need something to happen to my nearly 40 year old face that  is elegant, like laugh lines - not bags!

I checked make up box for my clinique under eye cream to help reduce

puffyness. I put it on morning and night, and while more sleep will probably be the answer, in the mean time I am going the lotion-potion-cover up route! As I purused my make up box I saw aging lipsticks from free clinique days, my ELF eye shadows pallette colors I used were nearly empty, and my eye liner was sharpened down to the last end. I use only a few products so my shopping lists aren't very long:

- Moisturizers

- Eyeliners and Eye shadows

- Blush

- lipsticks and lip balms with touch of color

Occasional Use:

- "clear" mascara for special events on eyelashes and to tame my eyebrows

- bare minerals foundation occasionally

- a loose powder cover up for occasional spots or redness

- eye puffiness creams

Luckily I come from a genetic pool of youth fullness. When you see my Babcia, she looks 65 for her 82 years of age. And my moms only tell to her years is keeping her silver hair and not dying it anymore. Luckily we have good skin (and having a good diet helps). My laugh lines are light, and I know moisturizer, Vaseline and SUNGLASSES make all the difference! I wear sunglasses Year Round, because squinting doesn't help age lines. Even tho I have some pluses on my side, every girl, uh-um, lady, can use some added help.

If you are reading this post, please post a comment below on what you liked - or didn't  - about this read. Does the topic interest you and you want to know more? Submit a question and I am happy to tackle it.

As with most things I decide to do, before I buy I research. I just want the most for my money. For me that means a Quality Product, that will do as advertised, and last!! I also don't have the cash anymore to buy those awesome jars of Clinique turnaround cream for $40 (and stocking up by buying when they gave away free stuff!). When my acne was starting in my 20's, I kept a simple routine of washing my face every night, an occasional facial scrub (Mill creek Wild Oats) and using the cream around my problem areas, dry and oily. It made a huge difference for me. Now in my 40's  I know I need some magic to keep my magnificence going. 

I actually searched drug store cosmetics, and came across both magazine beauty editor blogs and paid-product bloggers articles on this. Based on the month and year of publishing, you can see which makeup brands were being "advertised" in the article. But there were also some genuine comments by editors too. Articles lead to more links, and them some Pinterest research too. Here are my findings.

Must Have's

- Vaseline. 
I use fragrance free Vaseline at night. It is NOT a moisturizer, but it does a great job of helping RETAIN what your skin already holds. For winter chapped skin prevention and soothing and summer dry skin, Vaseline is a tremendous resource. In winter we literally have the small container by our keys, and on windy city cold Chiberia Chicago days I put a small amount on my kids cheeks and lips to prevent wind burn (especially before sledding). I swear this stuff helps grow nails too. Somehow I always feel when I put it under my fingernails and on cuts and sores It helps heal! As for the "petroleum base" I did my own research and Vaseline has found to be safe for human external use. But you need to form your own opinion. (I also used this at every diaper change for every one of my kids! Its excellent diaper rash prevention). This is not a Vaseline commercial :-)

- Nivea Thick Cream Moisturizer. 
I used Oil of Olay for years, thru my 20's it was just enough to help my skin. But I find myself needing a little extra. My skin shouldn't feel dry, clingy, and look sad. So I reviewed Creme de La Mar, $150 for a 30ml jar (cough cough). It is praised all over France as THE cream to use. I read article after article on it, and actually contemplated by it! However one article really brought me to my senses. 

A model spent 6 months moisturizing half her face with Creme de la mar and the other side with Nivea. And the Nivea side worked better, at an affordable price too. This article from the UK was also great revealing their "secret ingredients" (including Vaseline and glycerin) and how the creme originated.

- Natural Facial Soap and Occasional Scrub

I use a natural coconut facial soap every other day when I shower or when I work outdoors, which doesn't dry my skin. And 1-2 times a week a light facial scrub to get rid of dead skin, for a fresh feeling. 

- Water (or Green Tea) and Sleep

Self explanatory and true!! I have 2 cups if coffee every day and then 2-3 cups of tea. Hydration equals detox, health and beauty. Once I slept for 8- hours or more for several nights my under eye bags disappeared!! Sorry, but sleep is a TRUE beauty secret.

- These brands can be found at either Walgreen's, CVS, or Target. Also at Ulta where noted. I researched online so I knew ahead of time which store carried which products. 

Lipsticks:

Consistently a few brands kept popping up as good quality lipsticks, with long lasting color. I like Clinique and Lancome's lipsticks for their creamy texture, and lasting colors. 

- NYX (was a little dry, I prefer applying with a lip brush)

- Nars, 

- Burts Beeswax as lip balm and the new feature of having a touch of color added. - While shopping I discovered Nivea made a color lip moisturizer, and I live it!! 

- YSL Sheer candy lip color

- Sonya Kashuk - red lipsticks are my favorite for a night out. They are creamy and don't dry out or stain my lips!!

(Which reminds me to go and pick up the nivea lip moisturizer. Its slightly bigger then Burts Bees wax for the same-ish price.)

Eye shadows & Eyeliners:

I like ELF, and I still use my bare minerals shadows. I have evolved into using my pinky to color my eyes, not a brush. I also keep my make up simple. I can find it at discount stores like Big Lots and TJMaxx and Marshall's.

These brands came up consistently as good quality and lasting.

- Make up forever - eyeshadows

- MAC and Lancome eyeliners

- Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips  Custom Eye Enhancing Shadow & Liner, Green Eyes

- Sonia Kashuk - nude to gold eyeshadow

I do like Somia Kashuk at target. But mostly for eyeshadow, and lipsticks. She has a nice color variety. I use green eyeliners, in an olive tone which are hard to stay brand loyal since colors change with the seasons. (Except clinique, which has an "Egypt" color which I love and long lasting). I did buy one of her soft eyeliners which I found "too soft." I had to sharpen it frequently, and when it went thru it would get mushy. 

I still like bare minerals shadows, and apply them as eyeliner. I use the thinest brush, dabbed in water and then over the color I want to use as eye liner. Blend on my hand to it isnt too thick and apply. 2 times usually covers one eye. Its more timely but a nice alternative for eye liner looks.

If your interested in the Rage that is KOHL eyeliner, these are two excellent articles on what Kohl IS And ISN'T and why the KOHL eyeliners advertised aren't real KOHL products.

Flower beauty KOHL eyeliner

Even better historic detail

Blushes:

- Bare minerals is my go to brand. Learn how to apply it so you don't OVER apply.

- Rouge bunny rouge

- Milani Baked Blush Corallina - or illuminating powder

Face Masks:

I have sensitive skin. So I tend to veer away from anything other then simple for my face! But I was reading that these face masks are excellent soothing moisturizer treatments. So I will try them.

I came across some Hollywood article on face mask, and some top cosmetics women selling 1 mask for $35. I dug and dug thru articles and found her source brand she private labels. Innisfree from Korea. Korea and Japan are well known for excellent makeups - this mask is $8 for 10!! Yes, linked below.

Korean drugstore mask 

Innisfree Facial Mask - ebay 

These are other top sellers If Needed::

Goldfaden MD's Fresh-a-Peel at $85 is a top selling brand.

Rose-Marie's RMS Beauty Living Luminize - online (a mineral veil)

Color Choices:

I have green eyes, and I only recently learned thru these articles that some nice color blends for my eye and skin color. I am also learning to stock up when I find a great color or product. 

Green eyes lip color - 

Nudes and a few shades darker then natural. Also Apricots (orangy undertone)

NYX 2 matte lipsticks Nude and:

Round case lipstick $3.99

colors to pick (as previewed online)

Shy

Forbidden

Hippy chick

Summer breeze

Indie flick - apricot

Couture temptress spirit (my lip color nude)

Sunscreens and Japanses Products.

Every article sights sunscreen prevention! I loved my Oil of Olay which had a sunscreen  SPF15 in the moisturizer. Not with Nivea. The brand La Roche Posay is highlighted across the board as excellent and light. I have yet to try it--- as these other raved about products.

Ulta Hado Lado intro kit 19.99$

Anything La Roche Posay sunscreens

@ Target @ Ulta

Kiss my face coconut oil moisturizer

+ all natural kids mineral sunscreen

Hada Labo Japanee drugstore brand @ ULTA

Koh Gen Do is a Japanese brand available @ sephora

Make Mistakes, (make returns!), breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud And get plenty of (beauty) Sleep! 

Grey's Anatomy, Finally, Feminine Equality: Why Derek Shepard had to Die

Finally, some equality in television. Even tho we are falling apart and sobbing over our beloved, sexy, McDreamy, Shonda Rhimes has brought an emotional hurricane to our lives with the death of Derek Shepard on Grey's Anatomy. But once the tears dry I hope women realize the writer has also leveled the field for choices women make in life. Society pushes women to pursue the "greater family good" instead of encouraging careers. Earning and career growth is still the male role, being the breadwinner, especially when you don't live in New York or L.A. In books amd movies women who choose life or career over family suffer. Either death, or misery. But if you see what I do, Shonda Rhimes played a trick on us... she leveled the field by in the male / female role reversal in the marriage of Meredith Grey and Derek Shepard, and this time the Man suffered for pursuing his passion over his family. 

Don't get me wrong Derek Shepard is a man, All Man. Down to the last sexy drop!! And Meredith is feminine, but not in the lipstick and cute trendy hairstyle kind of way. I've always felt that Derek Shepard's role in his marriage was so gentle. Yet he was the lighting rod, moral strength, he was chasing Meredith to make up, being romantic, he was of course so sexy and what every women wants in a man. But in general, this is what women WANT. We want that romance, that pursuit, that real vulnerability he shows Meredith. And eventho he's gorgeous and sexy manly, his character does things that are often a traditionally female role like "giving in" to decisions (when he said he would help more with the kids so Meredith can work). Emotionally he would help Meredith thru her anxiety, genuinely "supporting her" (more female character like) and NOT simply problem-solving (like a typical male).

Meredith however was the strong wife. Eventho she was high anxiety, she was the decision maker (a traditionally male role) in her marriage. Even thru her crazy decision making process - and anxiety - she pushed for Zola, she pushed her career and Derek's. She is an example of a typical women trying to balance both her children and career and struggling with those choices, as "society" would want her to struggle. 

Why Grey's Anatomy character Derek Sheppard Needed to Die

If you can see the traditional role reversal in Meredith Grey and Derek Sheppard's marriage, you could actually anticipate his death. There is a movie theory on "traditional female character types" falling into a few buckets. Two of which are Eve and Lilith (you can see more on the explanation of Eve and Lilith at the end of this post). Thru this perspective, where Derek Sheppard is written as an Eve character, making decisions for "his family's benefit" and not his own, the ability to seduce Meredith in their courtship, being so caring for his wife, when he switches gears and wants to pursue his passion - that's when he takes on the characteristics of a Lilith... And we know what happens to female characters who pursue passions, and desires, even if they are for their careers. These Liliths never reach 100% happiness, they never are allowed to have everything, and neither does Derek Sheppard.

Derek was frustrated with leaving the opportunity to go to Washington DC on the table. And he made the decision with out consulting Meredith, she in turn knows he belongs in DC and tells him to go. Her character sacrifices, for her man to pursue his opportunity! Meredith was gaining on her own career and finding that unattainable "balance" and here's her man who wants more. Meredith remains in her marriage, as the traditionally male role, a decision maker for the greater good.

As for Derek, he made a choice. And now he's frustrated with staying and not pursuing DC. He wants to "leave his family" and pursue "the greater good" for medicine. But Derek tends, in his marriage to take on the female role characteristics, and his decision making is impulsive, he doesn't discuss staying with Meredith altho he wants to pursue his passion and not keep his family responsibilities as the priority. 

And so in this last episode of Season 11, Derek needed to die to level the playing field for female characters and fulfill his Lilith role. Finally a man, in the switch from being an Eve to a Lilith role, pays the price. In movies, a female Lilith would suffer die, punishment for chasing her dreams and not choosing family. . .  Except here Lilith is the Male Character.

Meredith Grey had already let him go when she told him to go to DC. She already knew they relationship had ended and they'd be separated. (I'm assuming some things about long distance relationships, Derek had an affair on, is first wife Addison, these "things" happen, Washington D.C. is infamous for it's affairs and liaisons, doctors have the next highest divorce rates next to police officers, yes I have thought this thru since Derek got hit by the truck!) And so what could've been another season worth of episodes, Meredith narrating the end of her marriage, her divorce party, and woe-fully experiencing her ex-husbands 3rd marriage to a young resident, instead we received a fateful just end for a "al la Lilith" man leaving his family. This time the guy paid the price.

A Brief informal Background of the Movie Character Theory of Eve and Lilith

Female characters 

These leading ladies make choices, sometimes "for themselves" versus the choice society wants them to make "family." A Lilith will end up feeling unfulfilled and even have a character death. Eve, who can seduce a

man, and be the moral divining rod for her family, will be the more accepted female role and societies view of women. All female characters, in movie theory, will fall into a few character types, two of which are Eve, of Adam and Eve, who supposedly had a spunky sister Lilith. The Clean, proper, following societies rules character of Eve lives in movies making the choices society wants her to make. Even if it includes seducing her man. The Lilith type characters make choices that are for her, "selfish," and not in "societyies benefit." The Lilith's don't stay with their families, instead they chase their  dreams. Lilith was supposedly the first wife of Adam, but she wouldn't submit to her husband, and fled. Then Adam was given Eve, who has the power to seduce him, and is the moral decision making for the pair.

Additional reading on this Movie Character theory:

Gender, I-deology: Essays on Theory, Fiction and Film

 By Chantal Cornut-Gentille D'Arcy

An interesting perspective: Lilith the Rebel http://marxist-theory-of-art.blogspot.com/2014/02/lilith-rebel-between-texts.html?m=1

Make Mistakes, breathe, reflect and Laugh.Out.Loud