I buy it at the laundromat, I mean, the drugstore: Beauty & Hygiene from Duane Reade.

I was just cat-sitting at someone else's apt and was struck by all her high-end beauty products. I vaguely remember when I used to cruise Sephora and spend a lot on Swiss face creams and Shiseido, but it's been so long...everything at my house comes from the same place as my toothpaste now.

What are your favorite commonly available drugstore items and/or substitutes?

Basis soap
Witch hazel
This SPF-ed version of this face lotion, although I buy it at Whole Foods so maybe it doesn't count?
Burt's Bees eye cream
Neutrogena pressed powder - I think it is the minerals kind?
Super El Cheapo Cover Girl blush
Whatever body lotion smells good and gives me the impression of All Natural Goodness
Clairol Natural Instincts in a variety of colors because I always forget what I bought the last time, or I remember and they are sold out.

Most of my other make up is Benefit (realized a couple of days ago that I am actually a Benefit stan) and then I buy solid shampoo from Lush and use some hair stuff that Jeff gets from the salon, and that is about it.

I am hoping somebody suggests http://www.99perfume.com/image/JEAN_NATE_30_W.jpg.

Aveeno regular unscented body lotion, use everywhere that I don't use the highly drying anti-acne stuff, incl dry parts of face and around eyes
L'Oreal Infallible foundation w SPF 20 -- good opacity of coverage
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara
L'Oreal Lineur Intense liquid eyeliner
Lots of hydrogen peroxide

I just bought the Aveeno "waterproof" 50 SPF for facial use and/or sensitive skin, and even though I applied it twice, I got crispy on the beach last wkend. Plus it goes on white and takes time to soak in. So I can't recommend it unless you're going to stay dry.

alba green line (sea mineral?) face cleanser, moisturizer, etc = a good substitute for the mario badescu seaweed and/or enzyme products.

also i've recently found that bed bath and beyond sells these cheaper than the drug store!

I don't like Aveeno's face skin care line, generally (their body lotion/oatmeal stuff is fine, though), because it's all very intrusively scented.

i'm using the aveeno calming moisturizer lately bc my skin was freaking out and some people recommended it. not sure it did any calming but now i'm still using it bc i'm too poor to buy anything else til i run out. it does seem a bit heavy and v v scenty.

aw :-( I think it smells great. Sorry you didn't like.

Used to use the Aveeno Positively Radiant soy-containing, "skin tone-evening" facial moisturizer. Don't remember how it smelled. Too heavy for summer, tho.

Is the Alba stuff good generally?? I think of it as a fancy nuts-and-twigs health-store thing cos the only place I could find it for ages was The Garden in Greenpoint. But if it's at Bloodbath & Beyond, then obviously they have achieved market saturation.

yeah, it's at whole foods, too. generally good prices there. better than duane reade.

i've been really happy w/ the alba products.

i haven't used anything but the green ones though.

aveeno makes me feel so good but it also makes me breakout.

i buy most of my stuff at the drugstore, and i hope it's not ruining my skin :/

I just bought hairspray!! Srsly for the first time in so long that I don't remember ever owning hairspray since high school maybe. Maybe not even then.

I bought it at the drugstore and I hot-rolled and set my hair this AM and despite the crappy humidity, I have a bouncy flip. Someone in the elevator even noticed!

This could be a whole new lifestyle.

Ooo I bet that is cute.

What kind of hairspray did you buy?

Um. Something not too fancy that promised to be for "styling" and be brushable. Um brand is "Salon Grafix" -- very y'know, drugstore.

OK it's not as bouncy as it was this morning. I think I have to practice my use of products to make it shiny and smooth and as not-frizzy as possible. But I'm willing to try.

Hot rolling is totally the shit. Roll it up in 5mins, get dressed and put on yr make-up, pack your lunch, then take hair out, spray, and brush. Never blow-dry!

Are you hot rolling your hair when it's still wet?

No, I shower at night and it dries while I sleep. Also, I only wash it ever few days, so most of the time I'm starting w dry hair anyway.

Oh, okay, that makes sense. I used to have a set of hot rollers but my hair will not hold curl, whatever I do to it, so I hardly ever used them. I wasn't sure if there was some new developments in hot roller techniques that I had missed. (I only wash my hair twice a week or so, too, but I wet it in the shower because it's short and I wake up with crazy hilarious rooster-ish untameable bed head.)

i have considered hot rollers, but i don't want to pay for them. also i'm probably way too lazy to use them on the regular.

some of the alba face stuff is good. body butter is decent. (i hate the term "body butter".) the body lotion is completely useless to me and smells like old-lady. i love their coconut lip balm--not because it works that well, but it smells and tastes great.

it's overpriced at the drugstore tho--i've always bought it at discount stores online.

Steve Shasta joined the group I'm Boycotting the Bedford Ave. Duane Reade/Walgreens.