Two things that college girls struggle with are how to keep their skin clear and budgeting. These two come together in T.J.Maxx and Marshalls; I’ve always been curious of the products the stores carried and their quality. Their skincare products have always had aesthetically pleasing packaging, as well as a selection of products with odd yet luxurious ingredients, like clay from I-don’t-know-where and extracts from I-don’t-know-what.
Because of the exceptionally low prices that T.J.Maxx offers, I wanted to test the quality of these products and compare them with high-end products that I routinely use. I’m picky about what I put on my face, and I have a very strict daily skincare regimen, so this was my attempt at being riskier with the products I put on my face. I was careful, though, when picking out the products to test out. I looked at the ingredient list and made an informed decision on whether it was a good product from a trustworthy brand or not.
For this, I just steered clear of products that had too many chemicals; products with organic ingredients in the list seemed to promise better skin than others. I wanted to pick one item for each skincare product, for example: makeup wipes, facial masks, and eye masks. I was aiming to get pore strips, too, but there weren’t any.
I tested the product with one day in between, so I could see the effects it had on my skin the morning after its application.
First was the makeup wipe. I picked Alba Botanica Hawaiian Detox Towelettes for its volcanic clay and anti-pollution properties. It successfully removed the makeup that had sat on my face all day long, and after rinsing with water, my skin looked radiant and clear. Not bad for $3.99. The product also multitasks for you and tones the skin with lotus flower and ginger!
My skin did not cope with the amount of stress I was experiencing in lieu of the upcoming statistics exam I was going to have the next day. A hydrating and revitalizing mask was a must during the days when I’m most stressed out and this Red Wine Mask for $4.99 promised just that. I’m a very busy girl, so I had to keep studying and couldn’t afford to pause for ten minutes while my skin absorbed the mask’s nutrients. Luckily, the mask stuck to my face the whole time I was looking down at my review, which was a huge plus. Rather than leaving the mask resting for 10 minutes, I forgot about it and took it off when my skin absorbed all the fluids in the mask. My skin looked refreshed, even-toned and rosy, since redness from blemishes lessened.
At 4 a.m., I decided to use the last of my recently purchased products, the eye mask, while finishing some school work. I bought Lemon Eye masks to rejuvenate tired eyes, whether it was because of staying up late or being in front of a computer for too long (I did both). My eye bags were horrendously dark, and I wasn’t going to go to sleep until later. The downside is that if you must be busy, this is not the product to use. The product had to be put on top of closed eyes while lying down, so I decided to put the eye masks on as I napped to regain energy. After taking them off, the difference was not immediate. So, after working on school for a while and sleeping for two hours, the fine lines under my eyes diminished, and there were no under-eye circles. Too good.
So, you don’t need to break the bank to get effective skin care products. T.J.Maxx and Marshalls are good stores to get these excellent products that come in super cute packaging! Happy shopping, collegiettes!
Photo credit: Kimberly Ramirez, unsplash.com