Beauty Loot: Drugstore Haul 08.26.13

I haven't gone shopping for makeup and beauty stuff in a long time, but I finally did yesterday! I've been on major frugal mode and I've only been surviving on my makeup stash. After all, I've built up quite the collection and I haven't even used up half of it. Good makeup should never go to waste, so I've been pretty good at that for a while. However, I have been needing a few things lately, so my always supportive husband took me shopping. He patiently waited for me while I stared at products and swatched stuff. I got drugstore everything (frugal mode, remember) and I got a lot of bang for my buck!

My first stop was ELF (Eyes Lips Face), which I've never tried before. It's a brand that comes highly recommended by beauty gurus, but for some reason I have never purchased anything ELF until now. I surprisingly ended up getting a bunch of stuff! I was happy to find out that the brand is so affordable, yet the products have great quality.

Afterwards, I did the rounds of the Revlon, Maybelline, and L'Oreal counters, and got some things from them too. I made a random buy at Clean & Clear as well. I had a few more things on my shopping list, but Robinson's Galleria Department Store (where we went) didn't have the products I was looking for, though I'm glad I was able to find most of the things I needed. [Note: I use the the app Wunderlist for shopping and to-do lists and it's wonderful.] On to the haul!

• Clean and Clear Deep Action Cleanser - I haven't found a facial cleanser that works for me, but because cleanser is a product I use a lot, I just can't bring myself to splurge on more expensive brands. I've been using Neutrogena but it hasn't done me any favors, so I decided to go back to a favorite from my college days -- Clean & Clear. I used their Foaming Facial Wash before and liked it but I read somewhere that foaming cleansers are bad for the skin, so I went with their Deep Action Cleanser this time. I'll see how it goes. If this doesn't work, I'll have to check out other brands again.
• ELF Bronzing Brush - Full disclosure: I haven't invested in proper makeup brushes yet! All I've been using are mini makeup brushes from Forever 21. I need an angled brush, so I thought I'd try this ELF brush first to hold me over until I make that important leap to professional makeup brushes. It was so cheap, I couldn't believe it! I heard that it's not as soft as the proper, expensive ones, but it does the job and that's good enough for me for the moment.
• ELF Eyelid Primer - My NYX HD Studio Eyelid Primer has dried out, so I needed a new one. I've heard okay things about this primer, so I thought I'd give it a try. I like that ELF products are so easy to buy because they're so cheap that I wouldn't feel bad if I tried them and didn't like them.
• L'Oreal Smooth Intense Caring Shampoo and Conditioner - I just wanted to try a new shampoo and conditioner combo, and that's about it, heh. I still love my Lush Rehab and Clairol Hello Hydration and None of your Frizzness, but it has been said that hair fares better when it gets a rotation of products, so I'm giving L'Oreal a try. 
• Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake - I recently discovered that even though I have a ton of lipsticks, I didn't have any in regular shades. I love strong lip color, so I have too many loud orange and reds or edgy pinks and nudes, but no normal, everyday, girly girl shades. That's ridiculous, so I picked up a nice pink lipstick when I saw that Revlon's lip stuff were on sale at 50% off. 
• ELF Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder - YouTube beauty gurus have been raving about this, Tanya Burr in particular. I got St. Lucia, the most popular compact. It's said to be similar to the NARS Laguna bronzer and Orgasm blush, but it's not a dupe. It's the closest drugstore equivalent though, which is enough for me to want to try it. Besides, I need a break from my NYX stick blushes, which are all I've been using.
• Maybelline Make Up Remover Eye & Lip - I've been using this for years and just ran out so I picked up a new bottle. It just gets makeup off instantly, and is super gentle on skin.
• ELF Mechanical Eyelash Curler - Okay I need to be honest: I hate messing with my eyelashes. I don't like how messy mascara is, and I just think it's a hassle to curl my eyelashes every time I put makeup on. However, there are days when I really want a full, polished makeup look, which I can only achieve with mascara and curled lashes. So I finally gave in. I got ELF because I didn't want to splurge on a curler. Like the primer, I heard it does the job.

That's about it! I'm set for now. I just need to get concealer and I'm pretty much all good on the makeup front (at least for everyday looks). I'll be doing reviews of these products in the coming days.

For past beauty hauls, check this tag: Beauty Loot.