Cheap Treats

In an effort to find good beauty products that cost less than a gallon of gas, your intrepid webmistress discovered it wasn’t so easy, after all. Even in drugstores or chains, many products still hover around the $12-$20 price point. You may do better online (sites like www.drugstore.com, a Rite Aid partner, offer discounts on discounts.) I've also found these prices are quite variable, store-to-store, and sometimes day-to-day. Still, wherever you like to shop, there are everyday items that can offer a feeling of pampering, actually do what they’re supposed to do, and make you feel like you’ve gotten a good deal. Here are just a few.

Blistex Silk & Shine $3.49

The little blister-pack card promised “Satiny Smooth Lips and a Light Glossy Shine.” I think I missed the word “light.” Somehow, I thought this cute plastic tube would give me the high-bounce gleam of lipgloss, and it didn’t. Yet, it said it was formulated with silk extracts and vitamins A, B5, and E, so how bad can that be? Not bad at all. It glides on smoothly, and, yes, it does give a nice, natural shine to the lips. You could go out like this, if all you wanted was a soft rosy glow. Best of all, it kept my lips smooth all day. Maybe a little sticky, but still smooth. I felt like I was doing something good for my lips, and turns out, I was. Because Silk & Shine also provides PABA-free SPF 15 protection.

Maybelline Ultra Brow $5.98

I’ve gotta tell the truth. I use this all the time, and I love it. It’s a brush-on powder color for your brows, all contained with a nice, firm, slant-angled brush. So you can “place” the product right where you want on your brows, filling in here and there, or defining a new shape. I like it because it looks very natural, never pencil-y. All you have to do is use small, feather-like strokes. I chose light brown, and it comes off a little taupey, which is perfect. OK, so a gallon of gas isn’t quite this high. Yet.

N.Y.C. Liquid Lipshine $1.99

Do you hear that? $1.99! N.Y.C. stands for New York Color, and, yes, it delivers! A nice, could-be-high-priced-lipgloss shine. It’s a little sticky, but aren’t they all? Also has a very nice sponge-tip applicator, and a good color selection. I chose a soft mid-pink, with a little golden dazzle to it. It’s fine worn alone, and looks very nice layered over a brighter color. Has nice staying-power, too. I can’t believe it’s not butter, but they’ve won me over from the high-priced spreads.

Goody Velcro Rollers $4.29 in store, $2.99 online

Remember how we said you might want 4 or so to finish off a blow-dry or flat-iron styling session? I bought four pink rollers for this price. Because putting pink in your hair is just prettier, and because they were the right size – about an inch and a half. Goody’s got a grip on well-priced velcros!

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara $5.99

You know it; you’ve probably used it. It’s the pink and green one that’s been with us for, uh, centuries? Because it is truly great. Has won all kinds of beauty mag awards, and is always the mascara makeup artists at shoots like to use. I once asked one why. Seems it’s all in the brush. It separates the lashes easily, you can work it vertically or horizontally, and it’s very easy to apply without getting clumps. If you haven’t re-visited this in awhile, go stock up.

Max Factor No Color Mascara $4.99

I would have recommended Maybelline’s Clear Define-A-Brow Gel, but they’ve discontinued this product. Still, a clear gel is wonderful for using on your brows, after you’ve applied your color. Or even instead of applying color. It really helps brows hold their line, shape, and definition. Oh, Max Factor calls it “mascara” – you can use it on lashes, if you like. But I never have and never will see the sense in that.

L’Oréal Paris Pro Manicure Nail Polish $4.99

I picked up a great summery shade called Satin Sheets – very pale, very pearly – and loved the brush, loved the coverage, loved the way it lasted as long as most manicures. But I especially loved not spending $25 on nail enamel!

Max Factor Erace Secret Cover Up $3.99

Remember when all we had was Erace? It was easy to use as lipstick -- you just rolled it up and rolled it over your dark shadows. Life was simpler. It’s still pretty creamy, still provides good matte coverage. Only now that we all know better, we should take a concealer brush to it, lightly re-touching our little “dark places.” Otherwise, it’s back to the days of raccoon eyes. Comes in the original 3 shades, Fair, Medium and Natural. (They've added white, but forget it.)

Burt’s Bees Doctor Burt’s Res-Q Ointment $5.69

I just fell in love with the little tin. Seemed so girl-scouty. But figured you should probably have this in the house for summer. Because you never know when you’re going to get stung, get an itchy bite, or burn yourself lighting tiki torches. All of which this promises to soothe away. Formulated with lavender oil, olive oil, Vitamin E and Cocoa butter, it’s too good-for-you to resist.

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Lotion $3.99

My tan is cracking already! It’s not actually flaking off, but my legs look like a mosaic. I needed some rescue, and Vaseline is always good for that. This lotion claims to triple our moisture reservoir. Gee, that sounds like expensive skincare talk. But it works on the same principle by providing instant moisture, then “binding” it in through an occlusive barrier. So this was nice, light, and absorbed quickly enough. But then I spotted their lotion made from aloe and cucumber. Was it my imagination, or did it seem cooling, refreshing? I liked it as well as some of the more expensive “botanical” lotions, and I felt as delicious as a summer salad. About $4.49.

Be just beachy in a flash!

A light, sheer gel is really the coolest way going to give your skin a sunny outlook. Much more natural looking than bronzing blushers of old, they’re transparent enough to let your skin show through, and never look dry and dusty. The bonus: you have total control so you can build up to a “tan” the same way you would on a 10-day vacation. Go sheerly at first, layer later. Don't expect them to cover a multitude of sins (freckles, tiny veins, "age" spots, or wrinkles), they won't. But you can always mix them with your foundation if you want more coverage. They do give you a nice sunkissed glow, and sometimes, in the summer, that's enough!

Benefit Talk to the Tan

A sunfree bronzer that delivers a silky smooth finish. Sheer and streak-free, it gives you instant tan gratification. Blend evenly, apply a second time if you want to go deeper. When I first put it in the palm of my hand, it looked a little yellow-y. But once I applied it, yeah, there was that nice, sunkissed look. $26

Cargo Multi Mix Bronzer

Ultra-sheer with skin-nourishing ingredients, this gel is great to use bare-face or mix with foundations, moisturizers, even your daily sunscreen. You can customize your own shade because it’s all in the mix! Gotta say, the color of this just seems to “go” with my skintone perfectly. Loved the way it looked, loved the way it glided on. $28.

Guerlain Terracotta Fresh Bronzing Gel

Guerlain adds some bells and whistles to its Terracotta Fresh Bronzing Gel for the Face, most notably SPF 8, and micro particles of mother-of-pearl to give you that beach glow. Lightweight and sheer, it comes in one natural shade, and leaves a transparent veil of sunkissed color on your face. Yes, this is a bit more expensive than most, but don’t forget the SPF! It’s nice to have protection while you’re out in the sun. $42

Stilla Sun Gel

Stila’s Sun Gel glides on sheerly, delivering just another day at the beach. It comes out of the tube a little bit thicker gel than the others, and the “tint” appears more red. But not on your face. It’s just as sheer and blendable as all of them. $24

Clinique True Bronze Bronzing Gel For Face

One of the originals, and an all-time great! Compliments all skin tones, whether you sweep on a little or a lot. Oil-free and light as a feather, it can be mixed with foundation. . . or not. This was my get-a-glow “staple” before all the others were born and it’s still on my favorites list. $18.50

Mystic Tan Face Bronzing Shimmer Cream

Formulated with vitamins and a subtle blend of gold, silver and bronze pigments added to a moisturizing cream base. Says it gives skin a a subtle shimmer, but I have to say I was shocked when I put it in my palm. Subtle? The gleam was almost metallic-looking. I thought I had struck gold. However, when I put it on my face, it was maybe just a bit more "radiant" than the other bronzers, but the closest thing yet to a true beach tan glow. In broad daylight, my skin looked luminous. All day long. I think it will be a fabulous "booster" once I do have a summer tan. $26

Nars Mini Monoi Body Glow and Body Glow ll

Let's not forget the whole body. These yummy confections smell like vanilla and chocolate, and give your skin a nice, after-beach lift. Said to contain a deeply hydrating Tahitian elixer, Monoi de Tahiti oil, gleaned from soaking the native Tiare flower in refined coconut extract. On the surface of things, you’ll get a soft, healthy golden glow. Nothing too dark, nothing to hide tan lines. Maybe just soften the contrast a little. So what good is it? It feels good. It makes your shoulders glow. And it does soothe your skin if you've overdone it. Monoi Body Glow II is nice to use as a daily moisturizer or massage oil. You might be surprised at the size of the bottles (a little too small), but as far as a great, after-sun feeling, nothing beats it. $35 for the pair at Sephora.

Super Smoothers

Did you know a network of fine lines can cause your face to appear luster-less, and, well, even gray? It’s like adding shadows. Enter the idea of “priming” your face – like a painter primes a canvas, or prepares your walls for color. What these products essentially do is fill in those fine lines, so light can reflect off a smoother surface. It’s not as dramatic as going in for needles (don’t think you’re going to fill in the big wrinks), but it is pain-free (and a whole lot cheaper). Here are some to try.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Always innovative, Smashbox manages to mix a great color collection with little “insider” tricks that bring out the best in skin. They started the whole glow thing going years ago with products like Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion, which added a very sheer gleam to your makeup in shades like Luminous Pearl and Luminous Bronze. Photo Finish, their under-foundation primer, formulated with Vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea, is equally light and transparent, yet works to optically reduce the appearance of fine lines and pores and give skin a velvety finish. And now, for Spring, they’re combining the best of both worlds in Hybrid 2 in 1 Luminizing Primer. It combines light-diffusing Artificial Light and skin-smoothing Photo Finish Foundation Primer in a kind of double tube that dispenses both. Sounds crazy, but let there be light! Both can be worn with or without makeup. Photo Finish $36 Hybrid 2 in 1 Luminizing Primer $32

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch

This pink-y, almost clay-looking base actually glides on your skin like silk. You don’t see it, but you feel it instantly softening and smoothing the areas you choose to smooth. It’s formulated with Acacia Micro-Pearls, too tiny to notice, that find their way into creases and act like sponges, absorbing moisture released by the skin. As they expand, they fill in lines and wrinkles, and act like a little moisture reservoir for your skin, helping to balance hydration. Plus the Soft Focus pigment gives you optical advantages, minimizing shadowy areas, enlarged pores, and fine lines. Put it on after your daytime moisturizer but before foundation, and you’ll notice a huge difference in the way your makeup glides on. $28.

Freeze 24-7 Freeze & Go

So cute it looks like a cell phone, this palm-sized perk-up goes over or under makeup. Formulated with eight optical ingredients, and ushered to the skin with silicones, it evaporates on contact, refining enlarged pores, softening fine lines and furrows, and boosting overall glow. Of course, it costs as much as some cell phones! $65.

Laura Geller Spackle Under Makeup Primer

Yup, she actually called it Spackle! And it was one of the first line primers out there. Formulated with non-toxic silicone to fill in fine lines and natural botanicals to nourish skin, it creates a smoother “canvas” for your makeup.

And now she’s come out with a new formula in an air-pump applicator. This one is enriched with white tea and centella asiatica to help skin retain moisture, feel softer. Original Spackle $25, New Spackle $30.