Cost-Per-Use

That Time Again – 2017 Favorites

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I sat down to write about my 2017 Favorites and ended up laughing at myself. I went back and checked the previous year’s favorites to make sure I wasn’t inadvertently writing the same post and … wow, I definitely almost did! I still love and use everything from that list a year later. I even still use the now-discontinued Gimme Brow; I’m on my last tube, sadly. Maybe next year will feature a new brow product. Maybe I’m set in my ways.

Rather than repeating myself, check out what I had to say on these items last time:

2017 Favorites

Drunk Elephant C-Firma Day SerumDrunk Elephant C-Firma Day Serum, $80

Buying an $80 consumable skincare item even at 20% off was a huge risk for me. I enjoy prestige makeup, but I was worried that I was:

  • losing my mind
  • buying into hype
  • going to hate it or be unimpressed and have wasted money
  • going to love it WAY too much but not find it a sustainable purchase
  • losing my mind

Although I was obviously hoping I’d like it, I was shocked by how much good it has done for my skin. It is my single largest beauty expense, but I am gladly forking over the money twice a year.

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Laughing Out Loud: Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes

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Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes – Sublime (not pictured: Subversive and Subliminal)

Pat McGrath may as well be a cosmetics wizard. Over the decades of her career, she has undoubtedly earned such monikers as Most Influential Make-Up Artist in the World (Vogue).

A few years ago, Pat started her own line; self-funded at first (pretty damn amazing), the first product was a single golden pigment with a mixing medium that went for $40. A higher price makes more sense when it hails from a limited, 1000 piece run funded by a single solitary individual. Now, there are investors on board. This means Pat’s brand can place larger orders, making the price-per-unit lower. Later, there were lip products and other intriguing things that were entirely unlike what many of us have seen at a counter.

The Pat McGrath Mothership Palettes are HOW Much?

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Tan Talk: Ocean Potion Everglow Gradual Sunless Tanner

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Ocean Potion Everglow - Front of Bottle

Ocean Potion Everglow, under $5

Ocean Potion Everglow had been on my sunless tanning radar for years. It had, in fact, occupied a space on my drugstore.com list for quite some time (before drugstore.com became defunct; RIP). Somehow, though, I always found something more interesting to try that stepped in line ahead of it. It wasn’t until after drugstore.com shuttered, however, that I decided to pick it up from my local Wal-Mart earlier this year.

Color

Because Ocean Potion Everglow does not deposit color and uses DHA to stimulate melanin production, this isn’t an instant gratification product. Unlike other self-tanners that are DHA-only, too, this is, like the title suggests, a gradual sunless tanner. You don’t apply and have noticeable color in 6-8 hours. You will develop subtle color after a few days. For me, it took about 4-5 days of daily use to notice a difference. When I did, I found the difference to be good – my tan looked natural. Not orange, not streaky.

Application

Since this is a gradual tanner, I skip the tanning mitt when I apply. After using my normal body lotion as a barrier on my feet, knees, and elbows, I apply it like any other lotion. After application, I wash my hands thoroughly – and that’s about it. A slow-to-develop product like this requires less precision and attention to application detail. I never noticed any awkward streaks or splotches.

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Mountain Rose Herbs Argan Oil

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For a few years now, I’ve been shelling out for Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil from Sephora. I’ve only ever purchased the 0.5 fl oz bottles – and that amount does last a decent period of time. That said, I can’t pretend I’m happy with the cost-per-ounce…and the rationing I require of myself as a result of that cost.

I started researching sources of reliable argan oil. After the Elma&Sana incident, I had no intention of buying some seedy, third-party Amazon seller special. Two sources of repute came up – Garden of Wisdom and Mountain Rose Herbs. Reviews skewed in favor of the latter, so that’s who I went with.

Dotcom

The Mountain Rose Herbs site is relatively low-frills, but comparatively far more modern than GoW’s. That much doesn’t matter to me; the important thing is that it is secure and easily navigable. Regrettably, they do not accept payment via PayPal, but they do accept all major cards and, interestingly enough, checks. I’m not sure who would be ordering things on the internet via check in 2017, but…hey.

In addition to what I came to find, Mountain Rose Herbs has a smorgasbord of herbs, spices, teas, aromatherapy items, and natural ingredients for your own natural DIY beauty adventures. I’m not in the market for those items at this time, so I didn’t do much exploring.

The Goods

Mountain Rose Herbs’ Argan Oil comes in four sizes; the smallest of which (4oz) is the most expensive at Sephora.

Mountain Rose Herbs Argan OilMountain Rose Herbs Argan Oil

4oz – $26.50
8oz – $46
16oz – $80
1 gal (128oz) – $544.00

This puts the smallest bottle at roughly $6.60 per ounce – which is quite easy to swallow in contrast with Josie Maran’s $24 per ounce for the same size bottle (or $34 per ounce for their 0.5 oz bottles).

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Simple Micellar Wipes

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Simple Micellar WipesSimple Micellar Wipes

I haven’t forsaken the Kirkland Makeup Wipes I’ve been buying from Costco, but I’ve seen some positive chatter about the new Simple Micellar Wipes ($6 for 25). Since I enjoyed the previous Simple Makeup Wipes I had, I decided to take advantage of a coupon, Target Cartwheel offer, and an iBotta rebate and try them for science.

I like them – and I like them better than the original ones I had tried from Simple!

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Kirkland Signature Makeup Wipes

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Kirkland Signature makeup wipesKirkland Signature makeup wipes

A few months ago I shared that I bought a gigantic pack of Kirkland Signature makeup wipes. I’m a good way into the pack by now and feel like I’ve used them enough to speak to them.

First, the packaging. The thickness of the Kirkland Signature makeup wipes’ packaging isn’t quite as substantial as some other wipe brands, but that doesn’t bother me – it still retains moisture in the wipes. It is slightly more convenient to open and close the full sized packs (as compared to the Ponds and Simple wipes I used previously) because it has a hard plastic lid.

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