My favorite drugstore beauty buys

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One of the things that I believe strongly is that things that are more expensive aren’t necessarily better. One of the things that I’ve been trying to do recently is rejigger my beauty routine to include products that work, regardless of the price or the branding.

In no particular order: here are a few of my go-to drugstore beauty buys. I like them because they’re affordable and easy to find, but also because I find they work really well–just as well as the more expensive products that I’ve tried.

When I moved to San Diego–land of year-round sunshine!–I knew that I needed to start using serious SPF every single day. Sure, I probably should have been using it previously, but let’s call it eve-of-turning-30 wisdom. I’ve been using Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 for the past few months and I’ve been really happy with it–and I’m glad that I’m finally following all of my dermatologist’s orders.

Similarly, wanted to make sure that I was using a heavier night cream before bed every night. I’m a big fan of Neutrogena products, and thus: Neutrogena Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream! It’s reasonably priced, and I feel like it does a nice job of moisturizing my skin without feeling overly greasy.

I’ve been a big fan of Burt’s Bees Facial Cleansing Towelettes for a long time: they’re super easy to travel with, so I always have them in my weekender. They do a great job of getting my makeup off without being overly harsh–and when I’m traveling super light, I lean on them as a makeup remover AND cleanser AND moisturizer. At home, I’ll take them to sweep off my makeup and then cleanse, tone and moisturize separately.

When I’m at home, I like to use Garnier micellar water as a gentle way to take my makeup off. It’s made up of microscopic oil molecules called micelles suspended in soft water that attach to dirt, grime and makeup–but it doesn’t strip your skin of natural oils.

And after watching my face and before I moisturize, I like to use Thayer’s Rose Petal Witch Hazel as a toner. It smells nice, and it’s not overly harsh. I also use Neutrogena On the Spot whenever I get a blemish: I’ve used more expensive versions of this to dry zits out, but I find that this works just as well for a fraction of the price.

I’m a big fan of Toms of Maine stick deodorant: it’s unscented, all-natural and works well . I feel like whenever I use super scented deodorants, then I just end up HATING the smell of the deodorant because it’s so closely tied in my mind to the smell of sweat.

I’m deeply brand loyal to Crest products, and thus: I use nothing but Crest with Scope toothpaste and swear by this Crest Whitening Rinse. I also use Whitestrips about once a year!

Did anyone else have a mom who terrified them that they would absolutely get pink eye if they shared mascara? This middle school fear has stuck with me for a lifetime, and I’m always very concerned about getting some sort of eye disease via mascara. Because of that, I never (ever!) share mascara and I always try to swap out a new mascara at the beginning of every quarter. To make that feasible, I’m a big believer in Cover Girl LashBlast Volume Mascara. It does a great job and costs $6 a pop.

For hair, I’ve recently become obsessed with Pantene Daily Moisture Renewal Duo Shampoo & Conditioner. I felt like I was spending $40 on shampoo and conditioner, and my hair still felt super tangled, dry and full of dandruff. I tried out Pantene because it was significantly cheaper–and because I still love the smell of Pantene–it was always my favorite as a kid! I’ve been surprised by how much I like it and how healthy my hair feels after using it.

I also swear by L’Oreal Elnett Hairspray: it keeps my hair in place without feeling overdone or crinkly. It’s key whenever I curl my hair: I use it before and after I use my curling wand to keep my curls lasting all day.

Although it’s embarrassing to admit, I get back breakouts every once in a while: it’s worse when I’m doing a lot of hot yoga or when it’s especially humid out. I use Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub once a week for some extra exfoliation and to keep my body clear of breakouts. I trade it off with Le Petit Marseillais White Peach & Nectarine Shower Gel and Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap.