Cult of Pretty

If you’re in an area affected by Sandy, I really recommend you support your local stores if at all possible when your shopping resumes as normal (which I hope is soon) … but that being said, I was really grateful to my local chain drugstores for staying open/being open when so many other things were not!

Since so many of my favorite cult favorites come from around the corner and cost not-so-much, I thought I’d start rounding them up on a monthly basis with a little drugstore story.  Here’s the first edition, which covers some classics from head to toe.

1. Burt’s Bees Baby Oil is a pure and simple multi-use apricot dream ($8.99)

2. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Stick lips, cuticles, elbows, want to eat it ($2.99)

3. VO5 Hot Oil Hair Treatment works with the heat of your shower to teleport you to the 80’s while leaving your hair firmly yet softly in the now ($6.46)

4. St. Ives Apricot Scrub a classic for face and bod, it’s also available in a Salicylic Acid formula for acne-prone skin ($5.79)

5. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque sucks the oil and dirt from your existence while sucking very little from your wallet ($4.71)

All of this adds up to less than $30!

P.S. A surefire way to support hurricane recovery is by making a donation to the Red Cross here.

I have a belief in life that one should have lingerie items.  I don’t mean actual lingerie (that’s great too), I just mean things that make you feel good that are kind of your secret.  

Mine are … mocha lattes, which is a total scam with myself to drink hot chocolate for breakfast … my 3 tiny ear studs which look like I got them at the drugstore but were painstakingly made by my husband and a guy in the diamond district from an old ring (not expensive, just special) … and this crappy but amazing fluorescent pink iridescent glitter lip gloss.  Basically, it’s the hot pink lace thong of makeup.

You may ask how this is subtle and “secret” … Well, it goes on basically clear.  The glitter is like an up-close-and-personal thing only, otherwise you can’t see it.  The pop of color in the tube is so satisfying for some odd reason!  Trust me on this one.

Does this: Lip gloss that’s sheer pale pink on, amazingly cute in the tube
Is this: LASplash Lipgloss in Santa Monica
Get this: Above or at your local Duane Reade
Price: ~$6.99

What are your “lingerie items” - I mean, read above again, I’m not asking you to tell the internets about your underwear, friends.  I guess you can if you want though.

Image via

Let’s start back-to-school off right with a sleepover and some gross secrets.

Whenever I’m gearing up to look good presentable, I turn to this highly underrated friend.  Listen, the uncoolest looking kid in the playground is probably the most interesting and very likely the most dependable - same goes for the drugstore:

I think I discovered Eucerin Calming Creme because a certain someone in my house has a certain dry skin disease … but I co-opted it for myself and have been using it religiously ever since.  It’s a ginormous tube full of one of the best lotion formulas out there - rich, but fast-absorbing and long-lasting.  Feels like the perfect fine line between lotion and body butter. 

I don’t know about you guys, but when I’m in deep beauty prep mode, I plan sleepovers days in advance: hair conditioning, face treatment, body prep.  Body lotion might not be first on your invite list, but this one is so great to slather on heavily a couple days in a row before bed.  It really gets rid of the scalies.  What? I said gross secrets.

Does this: The ultimate drugstore body cream
Is this: Eucerin Calming Creme
Get this: Above or at your local drugstore
Price: $11.99

What are your overnight beauty treatment secrets?

Image: Mario Sorrenti via

Glitter addicts: listen up.  Glitterphobes: you too!  Because OMG … I discovered the best, simplest, most elegantly-designed glitter product everrrr:

It’s literally called OMG! (Over Mascara Glitter & Liner) … so clever!  See how the liner is at the tip of the mascara wand?  Smart!  It’s a very pretty, simple silver color and goes on perfectly - not too much glitter, but not too sparse either.  The mascara wand deposits a beautiful, subtle sparkle on lashes and the integrated liner brush is awesome for painting a line along lashes.

Seriously, where was this thing my whole life?  I found it hidden on a shelf in Duane Reade, and there’s only one color way (which I love).  If you’ve never played with glitter, this is a great place to start.

Does this: Beautiful sparkle for lashes and lining
Is this: Ramy Beauty Therapy - OMG! Over Mascara Glitter
Get this: Above or at Duane Reade Look Boutiques
Price: $24.00

Image via