walmart

We’ve had some wild and crazy weather here in Central Ohio lately… The Fourth of July weekend brought crazy cool temperatures in the 60’s, only to be followed up by blazing hot high temps and humidity that makes your makeup melt and hair wilt as soon as you step outside the door…

This kind of unpredictability calls for changes in my usual beauty regime, which means I’ve been trying out some new products lately. I thought it would be fun to share the best of the best with you all, especially since these four faves can all be picked up at Walmart — meaning they’re very budget friendly!

Eucerin In-Shower Moisturizer Body Lotion, $9.39

If you try just one new product this summer, make it this Eucerin In-Shower Moisturizer Body Lotion! I’ve tried other in-shower moisturizers in the past with underwhelming success. Either the scent was overpowering or they left my skin feeling slightly sticky and tacky for too long after showering.

So when I recently received a sample of this Eucerin product, I almost tossed it my box of samples to give away… In fact, I did drop it in there. But then a few days ago, after getting frustrated with trying to pull on summer shorts over my legs after just applying moisturizer, I decided to dig it back out and try it. Just one use and I was hooked!

P.S. Looks for bottles with a $2 peelie coupon on them in Walmart stores.

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel SPF 15, $16.17

This Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel SPF 15 was kind of a spur-of-the-moment purchase. Normally I use the regular Hydro Boost Water Gel, but the one complaint I have about it I don’t like having to scoop it out of a jar. I always feel like I’m contaminating the entire container — and it’s just messy.

So when I saw this new product with SPF 15 that comes in a tube with a pump, I figured I’d give it a try. Normally I can’t wear sunscreen on my face because my skin is on the sensitive side, but I was hoping I could tolerate this since the regular product is pretty mild. I’m happy to report that I can actually use this without breaking out! It does have a bit of a sunscreen scent to it when you first apply it, but it quickly disappears. I’m very happy that I gave this a shot!

Simple Micellar Cleansing Water, $5.37

I mentioned this Simple Micellar Cleansing Water a few months ago when I saw a good sale on it, but I feel like it’s worth of another mention. I’m lazy about washing my face at night, but this stuff makes it super simple to remove dirt, grime and makeup with just a swipe — while still being gentle enough to remove my eye makeup, mascara and all!

I caught my girls using it, so I bought them each a bottle of their own. It’s never too early to start teaching good skincare habits!

Batiste Clean & Classic Original Dry Shampoo, $5.94

To be perfectly honest, my FAVORITE favorite dry shampoo is Living Proof — but who can afford to use it as often as I need to during the summer? I’m pretty sure that Batiste Clean & Classic Original Dry Shampoo has been around in the UK for awhile, but it’s new to me and I adore it, so I’m including it.

Previously I shared that Schwarzkopf Styliste Ultime Dry Shampoo was the best drugstore dry shampoo I’ve tried, but my store never has it in stock anymore. So I’ve been forced to branch out once again… I recently tried the Dove Dry Shampoo and was not impressed. I have to admit, I was a little put off by the retro look of the Batiste brand, but I grabbed a bottle on a whim — and I LOVE it! The fresh, clean scent is great, and I prefer the rice starch used in it to the usual talc that so many brands use. Definitely a keeper!

Now it’s YOUR turn… What new beauty products have you tried lately that you LOVE?

As I’ve mentioned in years past, Easter is a pretty low-key holiday for our family. My kids know the true reason for the celebration, but even so, we do like to treat them to a little something special. We typically keep it very budget-friendly, usually centered around some sort of theme. We did an outdoor activity basket one year and a Peeps taste test basket last year (HUGE hit! But typically we avoid so much candy).

This year, after perusing the wide assortment of Easter goodies at Walmart, I decided that I could budget $10 per child and still put together a pretty cute Easter basket filled with useful items. After all, who cares if something is inexpensive if it’s junk that will never get used? It’s the whole cheap versus frugal conundrum…

Anyhow, I was particularly happy with the basket I put together for my preteen daughter. She’s 11, and that age is just SO hard to buy for! I know she’s going to love it, so let me show you what I came up with for under $10.

In addition to the cute stuffed bunny rabbit ($0.98) and Reese’s Pieces carrot ($1) pictured at the top of this post, I also picked up a colorful foam-covered notebook ($0.98), a dozen pencils ($0.98), and a sheet of pretty foiled butterfly stickers ($0.97). My girl loves to draw and write notes, so I know she’ll appreciate these items.

This bunny tic-tac-toe set ($0.98) is really cute, and as long as we can manage to keep all of the pieces together, I suspect it will get a lot use on road trips. The bunny rabbit chalk ($0.98) should be a hit, as well, because drawing!

And finally, I tossed in a package of classic Peeps ($1), because even though they gross me out, my kids love them!

After picking up a plastic Easter basket and package of Easter grass (both $0.98 ea.), my grand total came to $9.83. Not bad, huh?! I’m so excited to see what she thinks about it on Easter morning.

What are you stuffing in your Easter basket(s) this year?