Real + Steal

So, I am writing this little post at around 2 am. This is not normal for me, I assure you, and I have tried EVERYTHING to get to sleep: reading, eating, drugs, more eating, but nothing is working. So instead of sleep {who needs it anyway} I thought we could talk about a thing or two.

First, tonight while at dinner, S and I met Natalie from this lovely blog and it was so exciting! The blog world is a surprisingly small one. And everyone is real cute. And Natalie is no exception. And it makes me happy. You should go over and check out her and her darling sisters.

Second, since it is 2am and my attire is less than fashionable I am not posting any outfits today. Instead I will tell you a story (complete with a very obvious segway into the purpose of my post, so just go with it): My first job when I moved away to college was in cosmetics at a department store. As a single college gal it was heaven to play in makeup all day long, but after leaving the land of free Clinique and Lancome, and getting married, I had to figure out ways to get the good stuff I was used to for much less, because I am cheap and I am not ashamed.

So, after scowering every drug store shelf I could stroll through, I think I have figured out some real good copies of some of the best products I loved in my cosmetic department days.

And, in fact, some of the cheap versions are even better than their sparkly department store counterparts. So, are you interested? Shall we begin with primers?

The first time I used MAC's eyelid primer I thought there was nothing on the planet that could compare. Manna from heaven I tell you. But guess what? ELF's version is just as good, and is only ONE DOLLAR. Are you kidding me? That is less than a king-sized Twix. And I am not lying when I tell you your eyeshadow is not going anywhere with this stuff under it.

Ok. You probably think I am on crack right now. I do not blame you. First off, when I hear the name "Monistat" my skin literally crawls. And could there be a grosser word than "chafing?" No. But hear me out. One day I was complaining to a lady at work that I was out of Prime Time and that my order from Sephora hadn't come in, and she told me about this Monistat gel and said that the ingredients are IDENTICAL to Prime Time's. So, at $7 a tube I took a chance and I am not kidding when I tell you that it is BETTER than Prime Time, especially if you use a mineral foundation. Seriously, after using this as a primer you would not believe how good your foundation looks at the end of the day. Try it. I dare you. You will find it in the that-time-of-the-month aisle at your drugstore and you will thank me.

The first time I used Moroccan Oil was an out of body experience. It is magnificent. Split ends gone, super shiny hair, insanely delicious smell. But when I ran out of my bottle a few weeks ago I panicked, ran to the drug store, decided to try this John Frieda version, and I can't believe how lucky I was! I seriously heart it. It does just as many great things for your hair as Moroccan Oil and is A LOT cheaper.

I cannot take credit for this one, it is all my dear S's doing. I am obsessed with having an eyeliner that doesn't smudge or move and Lancome's Artliner does that amazingly. However, I don't even pay $29 for my cable/internet bill so I couldn't justify buying it anymore. Now, if you know S then you know that she always has a flawless eyeliner line. It is both annoying and enviable. What does she use? Line Stiletto. And now so do I. I love.

I am a lash girl. I can't get enough. I layer on the mascara and then I curl them until they touch my eyebrows. I can't help myself. And I like them BIG. I used to believe that only Clinique High Impact mascara could give the fatness I wanted to my lashes, but I'll tell you that Great Lash BIG is just as good. S and I swear by the pink and green, it is a staple in my house like diet coke, hot tamales, and 'Friends' watching at 6pm.

And lastly, as you know from previous posts, I am a nail polish fiend. And I will tell you, when it comes to polishes I have tried them all, and all I want is one that will last for days. In this category I have found quite a few that last for a while but cost $8-$10 a pop like OPI. However, let me tell you that that little New York Color polish from Walmart will last for a week. When that little sucker gets on your nails it hangs on for dear life. I mean it.

Phew. That's it friends! Do you have any drugstore beauty product secrets that you swear by? We would love to hear about them. Especially since it is the middle of the night and good deals tend to make me sleep like a baby.

ox/W.

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