These are tricky times. Yes we are slowly getting back on track, but lots of us had to cut corners. Women spend an absurd amount of money on beauty products, things we tell ourselves "we can't live without", myself included. In order to make ends meet without compromising my makeup bag I rampaged my local CVS. After conducting comparing experiments for all my staples, I concluded that although some things are irreplaceable, others are most definitely able to be cast aside for their drug store counterparts. 

Lets start with brushes. I am personally partial to my professional ones. They really do make all the difference with make up application, rendering it smooth, even, and pigmented. However, I did find a close second place in the brand ECO Tools. You can purchase these individually or in sets at most drug stores or here on Amazon. I find the best ones are the super soft powder, blush, concealer, and eyeliner brushes. The eyeshadow brushes work well enough but do not pack on the color like the pros. If you are light in hand anyway then you shouldn't notice much of a difference. These also boost eco friendly bamboo handles and recycled packaging. With the $10-$15 price tag for the sets, it's a win-win situation.

When you think of inexpensive mascaras the infamous Pink and Green tube probably comes to mind. Mabelline Great Lash has been rattling around in purses since the beginning of time . To be quite honest I never really got on that bandwagon-until now. They release a BIG version with a fat, thick, and fabulous wand applicator a la Benefit BadGal or Dior Show. This equals more lash, less clumping, and great building potential.

Other favs are Mabelline XXL Extensions mascara. This is one of those dual ended products. You apply the white micro fiber coat first and then the colored coat. It really lengthens. It works like that $25 Blink mascara from Sephora where it coats each lash with a "tube" which then slides right off the lash with warm water. So I could essentially wear this all day and night, go to bed, and wake up with the same great lashes! No smears or flakes. Uhhh, not that I would really do that, you know, go to sleep with my makeup on...

And lastly MaxFactor Lash Perfection mascara. This is just a great all around mascara that doesn't smear, clump, flake, or hurt the eyes. It gives a bit of everything-volume, length, separation, you name it. Plus it comes in tons of colors, black, brown, blue, auburn...

When I see Wet n' Wild I think of being a pre-teen buying forbidden black eyeliner for 99 cents. Well they have come a long way since then! I found amazing liquid liners from them. The first one I tried was Megaliner. It has a thin brush tip applicator, comes in great colors (love the plum and gunmetal), doesn't smudge, and goes on smooth and fine. You can make that perfect winged out look with this. The only thing is if it gets wet, like if you are prone to eye tearing, it will come off. So next I tried the H20 proof liquid liner and let me tell you-it will NOT come off for anything but a serious makeup remover. You could essentially go swimming or take a shower and it would be good as new. It is still sitting on my hand as I am typing this 3 days later. It has a felt tip applicator and comes in all the same cool colors and will only run you 2 bucks.

I also picked up the Mabelline Define-a-Brow pencil. It is a skinny twist up that is almost identical to MAC's twist up eyebrow pencils. There is an eyebrow comb at the end as a bonus...Love it!

Moving on to Lips baby. I love love love the Cover Girl Outlast Lipstain. Beware because some of the brighter colors are a bit outrageous, but sometimes that is fun. It has a felt tip like a marker. I bought the Coy Coral, Flirty Nude and Teasing Blush. All are beautiful, the coral is the one with serious pop! They last a long time, even after eating, and look gorgeous under anything. I like to wear it with just some chapstick or a clear gloss but it is fun to mix it with other colors to create a new fresh hue. It doesn't dry out your lips and smells and tastes like subtle yummy vanilla.

I also picked up the new Color of Hope Lipstick by Loreal. I'm a sucker for a good cause and proceeds go Ovarian Cancer Research. But regardless they are lovely colors, one is a shimmery berry plum and the other a perfect lip tone pink/nude that will look great on everyone. The texture is rich, smooth, and moisturizing plus it has a pleasant smell and taste, unlike so many other lipsticks. About $8-it is not available on Amazon, whatevs!

I pretty much always have the Burt's Bees lip shimmers in my purse. My fav color is Fig-a perfect, slightly bold, warm berry color. There are so many colors to choose from. They have a bit of a minty tingle and give you everything a regular chapstick would-plus color! The thin tube is genius so that you don't smear color all over your face.

One of the things I must have after the shower is Neutrogena's Triple Moisture Healing Shine Treatment. I load my hair up mainly on the bottom half and it makes it suuuuper soft, shiny, and lookin' good but does not make it greasy or weighed down. I always use it before I blow dry or straighten. It makes a huge difference. I actually prefer this one to the way overpriced salon versions. I like to mix it with a little of the Organix Coconut Milk products, either the Anti-Breakage Serum or the Leave-In Nourishing Milk. That stuff is worth it for the smell alone!

Well, that's the end of my Drug Store Gem Hunt. I was surprised that I really like everything I bought. Most of the stores are open late or 24 hrs which is half the fun...going in there at midnight and coming out with all sort of goodies to play with when you get home! Something that I will probably never be satisfied with from a drug store is eyeshadow. You cannot beat the condensed color of a pro shadow. If any of you find one that is comparable, let me know!