Inexpensive Beauty Secrets

I find the internet to be such a contradiction...such potential for benefit and detriment, encouragement and danger.  I had fun participating in Kelly's beauty link-up last week, and I was looking forward to what she'd ask us to share this week, but when I saw that she asked us to share our alma maters, I was torn.  It was a bit more specific than I felt comfortable sharing, so I thought I'd do a Part II to last week's sharing.

I spend money very carefully, and I'd rather have a precious few things of high quality than lots and lots of stuff.  But, my motto is "use what works," and I especially like it when I make a discovery that proves quality can come with an inexpensive price tag. 

Three of my favorite beauty staples come from Avon.  A friend of mine sells Avon and she once gave me one of those booklets that turn an ordinary woman into a shopping addict.  Body cream, three for 9.99!  Bubble bath, two for 6.99!  Fragrances, buy one get one free!   Oh, the loot you could acquire for a twenty dollar bill!   My favorite product is Avon Wash-Off Waterproof mascara.  Now, I had always hated masara.  My eyelashes were long enough and dark enough, and anytime I tried mascara, they clumped together and I could never completely remove it from under my eyes, so I stopped even trying.   Then I gave birth to a child with the longest eyelashes I, or anyone in the grocery store, Target, or the doctor's office, had ever seen.  They were, and are, a sight to behold.  So when, on two occasions, two separate thoughtless people asked me, "So where did he get those eyelashes from?"  I swallowed my pride and my urge to correct their grammar, and I realized it was time to revisit the mascara question. Wash-Off Waterproof mascara, which you can currently buy for two for five dollars, is fabulous.   It does not clump, it does not over-thicken or over-lengthen,  it just provides the lightest, smoothest bit of natural definition to your eyelashes.  It is indeed waterproof, and it does indeed come off as you are washing your face.  I have terribly sensitive eyes, and this does not bother them.  Plus, it is so affordable that you can make sure you always have absolutely fresh mascara.  It rivals or surpasses the various Clinique, Bare Escentuals, Mary Kay, and Almay mascaras I've tried and tossed.

Avon also sells wonderful eyeliners called Glimmersticks which never misbehave on my eyes.  I am not a fan of eye pencils that need to be sharpened, so  I like that they always have a delicate point so that you can use them very subtly at the lash line.  These rival or surpass Clinique and Mary Kay eyeliners and are a fraction of the price, and I am so happy to have found them.  I believe the original formula is on sale for $2.99 right now.  They also offer waterproof and shimmering versions. 

My favorite lip balm is from Avon, too, Moisture Therapy Lip Treatment Ointment. It heals lips overnight, is not waxy, and sinks into lips rather than coating them and gathering in cracks.  I use this alone or under lipstick or lipgloss, and it layers beautifully because the consistency is so thin, yet effective.  Also, it has no smell and provides SPF 15.  Note that they also offer a balm in a tube which has an almost identical name, and this is a good balm, but I prefer the ointment.  $2.00!  And you can often get it on sale for less!

Okay, that's the end of my Avon rave.  They are having a President's Day event right now where you can get free shipping on orders over $10, too.  Surely you know a stay-at-home mom who is also an Avon lady who would appreciate your business.

One more thing:

I have always loved a good bar of soap.  I love how it is so luxurious and simple at the same time. One of my favorite soaps is Seignadou Soap in Milk and Honey, which is under five dollars for a four-ounce bar.  It smells delicate and is a pleasure to bathe with.  Most significant of all, however, is that these soaps, which are available in a bounty of other scents, from Vanilla Bean to Basil Citrus, are hand-crafted by cloistered Dominican nuns who hold the world up in prayer day and night.   Seignadou means sign of God, and the nuns produce these soaps to support themselves.  I have a special degree of devotion and gratitude toward the Order of Preachers, as our campus ministry in college was staffed entirely by Dominican priests and sisters, and their unique and prayerful spirit helped to strengthen my faith during those years.  Hmm!  So I guess this circled back to my alma mater, after all!