Spring to me is all about a fresh face.  Most weekends are reserved for care-free hair and a “no makeup” makeup.  When the weather gets warmer I typically keep it easy on my face and will just apply a BB cream, a little liner, some mascara, and a lip balm.

Although I do have a thing for department store products, there are some essentials that I must have on-hand that I pick up at the drugstore.  I typically will either shop at Wal-Mart or Superstore for my cosmetic needs as they have the best prices.

For a perfect fresh face, the essentials I would say are a good cleanser and moisturizer, a mascara to open up those eyes, and a lip balm to keep your lips moisturized (preferably tinted to add some colour).  After a long day, have some makeup-removing wipes on hand to wash it all off.

If you are on a budget, a perfect cleanser would be the Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Cleanser, which will not only wash your face but remove your makeup (trust me, after a long night out, the last thing you want to do is clean all your makeup off.  This product is the perfect two in one). The product comes in a pump bottle that dispenses foam product and lathers up perfectly on your face.  I typically use a Clarisonic at night, but if I am in a rush, this is the perfect cleanser for getting the job done. To follow up, try Olay’s new Fresh Effects Satin Finish moisturizer, which is an oil-free moisturizer that leaves your skin looking smooth (plus, I love the fun spring packaging, I’m a sucker for branding).

To add some oomph to your face, apply a black eyeliner, like Physician’s Formula Eye Definer in black, which is retractable, hence there is no need for a sharpener, and then layer on some coats of mascara, like Almay’s One Coat Triple Effect mascara (this is a really great drugstore mascara – review coming soon!).  Lastly, keep those lips moisturized with Burt Bee’s Tinted Lip Balm that comes in a variety of different shades, so not only will your lips feel fresh, but they will also look good too.

My last essential would be makeup-removing wipes, which really come in handy.  Mascara on your lids?  Made a mistake with your eyeliner?  Get rid of any mistakes with some cleansing towelettes, like the Equate ones from Wal-Mart.  I have tried a number of different makeup wipes and although these aren’t my favourite (I found the towelettes to be a bit dry), they are at an affordable price and they do get the job done.

Spring beauty doesn’t have to be about a full-done face.  Start with your skin and then enhance what you already have.  It also doesn’t have to be expensive.  As I try out more drugstore products I have really been finding that I have been loving what is out there and that sometimes a less expensive product can be just as good as one triple its price.

What are your spring beauty essentials?

All of the above mentioned products can be found at Wal-Mart Canada.  Please note, I was sent these products for review, all opinions are my own.

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