When I was in Boston, a place that I would frequently go to was CVS. If I was really busy or lazy to travel too far, I would walk across the street and head down to buy the groceries and essentials that I needed (even if it was quite expensive in comparison to Target). However, no matter how long my mental list of things to buy was, I would get distracted whenever I looked at different shelves and sections. Most of the time, I would go out of the store as a happy shopper having bought that item, or took note of the price so that I could come back for it. Sometimes, I would regret buying the items and worry about my budget, but at the same time, I also like to pamper myself in some way. From my trips to the drugstore, here are five of my favorite products that I always include on my shopping list.
1. TRESemmé Hair Mousse
Admittedly, before I came to Emerson I wasn’t the type of person who was too particular with my hairdos. I would only blow-dry my hair or put my hair in a fancy way, like a bun, on special occasions. On a regular day, I chose quick, simple, and easy hairdos such as a half tie, a ponytail (my go-to), or having my hair down. When I knew that I would only have haircuts at home, things changed. I had to look more presentable, and for me that meant blow-drying my hair every day. When I went to San Francisco, out and about with my parents, we passed by a drugstore, and I remember stumbling upon the TRESemmé hair mousse. I didn’t know what it was so I asked my mom, she mentioned that it was for styling the hair and that I should try it. The next day, I tested it out. I put just a bit of the white foamy mousse on my brush and brushed it on. I took out the blow dryer and began to style my hair. The first time it didn’t work, but the second time’s a charm. It worked for me and I loved that I looked a bit neater and that it didn’t look like I had many flyaways. This is definitely a product I fell in love with and one of my favorite finds in the U.S.
2. Nail polish
During my first year at Emerson, usually every two weeks, and mostly on Fridays or the weekends, there was a pastime I would do. If my roommates weren’t in the rooms, I would open up the windows, put on some music, grab tissues, place them on my desk, and take out my colorful collection of nail polishes. Thanks to my friend, Hannah, this became a form of relaxation, a great way to end a stressful week, and a hobby that we bonded over. At one point we even walked to the CVS store on Washington Street, since they had a bigger section than the one nearby, and to see what colors they had in store for us. When I went to CVS, this was a section that I went to, examining all the different colors, and seeing which one would suit me. Sometimes, if I wasn’t so sure about the color or if I was looking for an alternative nail polish color, I would go online and even read the reviews about it. Nail polishes aren’t cheap, but sometimes, maybe by luck or buying nail polishes too often, I would get a coupon for Essie nail polish, which allowed me to splurge. It’s another spend that I didn’t regret and would have to control myself with.
3. Tide to Go Pen
I am a naturally clumsy person. I have the tendency to trip or even spill food or something on my clothes, but I try my very best to avoid this. So far it has worked. However, there are times where I am not so lucky. To solve that problem I made sure that I had a Tide pen in my bag. Whenever I or even my friends made a mess, no problem! I would gently rub it around the area with the Tide pen, and it would look clean and neat as if it never happened. With the Tide to Go pen, it helped save time, since it meant doing less laundry. This was extremely helpful if I had to meet up with friends or was going to class. I made sure that I always had a stock of Tide pens in my room so that I would never be without one. At one point, I realized that I had two to three Tide pens after I had found one that I had misplaced. For me, having a Tide pen in my bag puts me at ease, knowing that if I make a mini-accident I would be prepared and I won’t have to worry or be bothered about the stain or piece of dirt stuck on my shirt. Goodbye stain, you are no match for me.
4. Cerave Moisturizer
When winter comes around and brings its cold winds and freezing low temperatures, moisturizers are essential. During my first winter in Boston, my moisturizer gave up on me and made my skin red and itchy—not my favorite moment. It had never had this effect on me before. I said goodbye to my old moisturizer, throwing it in the trash bin (it was expiring soon). I thought of sticking it out but my friends told me that I should just buy a new one. I looked online for moisturizers and when I went to the store, I decided to get the Cerave moisturizer since it was affordable and seemed like a reputable brand. As someone who has sensitive skin and rashes, I was hoping that this would work and that I wouldn’t have to buy another brand. I squirted out a bit of the white thick cream into my hands and applied it to my skin. No itches or red skin. Once I put it on, my skin felt rejuvenated and refreshed. Most of all, I loved how smooth it felt. When I went out for the entire day, my face was protected from the cold and I would never feel it dry out or crack unless it was too cold then I had to reapply. I even told my mom and aunt about the effects during a FaceTime call, still amazed about how well it worked for me. To top it all off, I even bought myself a Cerave mini-hand cream. If anyone has sensitive skin like me, try this product out, and hopefully, it works for you as it did for me.
5. Chapstick
Another essential during the winter is Chapstick. One day during the winter season, I was going to class and before it started, I realized that I didn’t have my Chapstick in my pocket nor was it inside my bag’s pocket. “It’s okay, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine.” I kept on licking my lips or drinking water just so that I could keep it moist. But no matter how much I tried, it never stopped drying up. Once class was over, I went down the building as fast as I could. As I walked back to the dorms to retrieve my lip balm, I could feel my lips starting to crack and could taste something a bit metallic. It was my blood. In the nick of time, I made it to the building and put on a thick layer of Chapstick on my lips, moisturizing it. I was relieved and comforted by the idea that I prevented my lips from getting anymore chapped. After that, I made a conscious effort to put it in either my pocket or my bag. Similar to my Tide to Go pens, I had Chapstick with me, but even then, sometimes my memory would slip and I would forget where I placed them. If I lost them, I would go back to the store to buy more. This is something that I don’t want to ever be without during the Christmas season; it is my buddy during the cold times.
When I go shopping, I always look forward to it, especially when I know that I can possibly get a new item that I love. It makes me giddy and filled with glee. I think everyone has a favorite item that they love to stock up on and makes their heart leap when they see it on display. What’s yours?