It was a cycle: Applications of heavy makeup, required various cleansing products, which dried out my skin, which demanded an army of moisturizers, which led to periodic acne, requiring more makeup as a cover-up and so on....
And the constant concern about my looks created additional worry lines and creases. So I stocked up on anti-aging products. What's more, I was shrinking my pores and my wallet. But I had a wake-up call when I realized that my mom (age 70) has great wrinkle-free skin and she uses only water and very few products.
Older and wiser, I use only a few, effective but cheap products on my skin with great results.
Here's the overview of my previous personal care spending. The estimates are conservative:
Step One: Application of undereye concealers, foundation, eye makeup and powder.
Estimated cost: $100 annually
Step Two: Evening cleansers (makeup removal, soaps, foams, clays and toners).
Estimated cost: $90 annually
Step Three: Dry skin treatments day/night moisturizers for eyes, neck and face.
Estimated cost: $120
Misc. products: Anti-aging potions, pore-shrinkers, pimple and blackhead treatment products. Estimated cost: $80
Total: $390.
That total represents a low-ball figure because my estimates are based on drugstore products. The numbers could easily double or triple if expensive department or boutique personal care products are factored into the mix.
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The Frugal Duchess Booktique
The Frugal Duchess of Beauty Store
Book Shop of Fear
The Poetry & Drama Queen
Frugal Jazz & Blues
Frugal Comic Book Connection
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3 comments:
what sorts of products are you using now? inquiring minds want to know?
and i have to agree with you. i recently switched to mineral makeup, and it has made a difference on my skin. i stopped using fancy face washes, and just my soap. and my skin cleared up. lots of water. day cream with spf and good to go!
Isn't it amazing how much they pull us women into this idea of the perfect face, by using all these products. When in reality, we all have the beauty and skin tone that we need.
I associated all those products with medications. They give you one for one issue. Then that product actually creates another issues, so you buy another product. And on and on and on.
Great post.
By the way, your skin looks perfect!
My grandmother always advised me to do what she'd always done: Clean her face every night with Pond's cold cream; wipe it off with a tissue; then follow with a damp washcloth. She had hardly any wrinkles even into her 90's.
(BTW, in my 20's I went to see a pricey NYC dermatologist who gave me the exact same advice.)
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