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I know I’m supposed to be dealing with stress by journaling and taking leisurely baths in a tub spiked with calming essential oils, but my favorite form of relaxation will always be a trip to Walgreens. For an hour, I turn off my phone and aimlessly wander the aisles. I examine brightly colored beauty products. I debate the merits of brow gel. I sing along to ‘90s pop playing softly on the speakers, taking breaks to gossip with the ladies at the counter. I leave totally rejuvenated.
Most of the products I purchase during my drugstore pilgrimages are impulse buys that end up in the bin of tropical-scented bad decisions under my bathroom sink. But sometimes my shopping “me time” turns up a gem. Case in point: this holy grail of illuminating palettes that I picked up in the Wet n Wild section (!) for the ridiculously low price of $4.99.
The magic of this palette is in its versatility. There are four distinct, subtle, shimmery shades: a light pink that I use as a blush, a rose gold that I use as a highlighter, and a bronze and gold that I use to contour. Each color is saturated enough to do the job, but sheer enough to never look clownish.
As someone with super sensitive skin, I tend to stick to natural (and expensive) beauty brands for powders and blushes, and I really don’t know what compelled me to try a product by the same brand that made the $1 teal eyeliner I loved as a teenager, but I’m glad I did. I haven’t had any skin issues since I’ve been using it, but I have received compliments that I look like myself but “better than usual.” For less than five bucks, that’s a solid return on investment.
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