One of the best perks of living in Southeast Housing is living right across the street from Walgreens, and I cannot count how many times I went to this store throughout the semester. Not only does it have every little thing you need, but also it has a great beauty department with major brands. Seriously, it “is the destination for on-campus beauty.”
Since it’s almost time to head back to school, Walgreens is holding a sweepstakes now until August 25. If you purchase 3 of 5 products, you will be entered to win some awesome swag! Recently, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to try some of these items out myself! I entered the store like I was walking into my best friend’s house, because I knew exactly where to find everything; not to mention the staff is extraordinarily friendly. The beauty department is set up so nicely, separated by brand and organized neatly by type.
Now comes the fun part: trying my new products! I was most excited for the Essie nail polish and I selected the sandy beige, Sand Tropez color. I should mention that I am horrendous when it comes to painting nails, so much so that people have asked if young children painted my nails for me. However, I was shocked when the finished product didn’t look too bad. I also didn’t have to do twenty-or-so coats to get a thick, well-polished look. It literally took one coat! I have never been so impressed with nail polish, or so clean. You hardly even need a top coat with this color because it’s so shiny and fresh looking on its own. Not to mention, Walgreens has a very wide variety of colors and the color you see is really the color you get.
The next product I was in most anticipation for was Maybelline’s new Dream Fresh BB Cream. At first, I was pretty skeptical of this product, I mean how great can a concealer get? Well, this is just no ordinary concealer; it’s an 8-1 skin perfecting cream that actually does everything it says it should. I couldn’t believe how light it felt on my face and then how well it blended into my skin. This doesn’t just cover up a blemish, it really blurs the mark but keeps the soft texture of your skin. I have freckles, and I put it over a not-so-flattering zit, but still saw my freckly skin sans zit! I honestly gasped out loud to myself in my bathroom. This cream is so light that you could use it as a foundation. Even better for pale girls like me, it has 30 SPF in it. I was worried about the color I chose, because I didn’t go with the lightest option, but it matched my skin perfectly even though it looked a little darker in the tube. This was one of the first products I found while shopping in Walgreens, which is great that they feature their new and exciting products.
There’s one thing you have to know about me: I am a big mascara lover! I’ve been spoiled with expensive brands, but always found Maybelline to be my favorite. Walgreens has continually been my go to place for having the best prices on Maybelline mascara and for carrying each type they make. So, I was pretty thrilled to try their new Volum’ Express Mega Plush and wow, were my eyelashes actually mega plush! This mascara features a one of a kind gel-mousse formula and when you put it on, your eyelashes are instantly softer and less flaky then any other mascara I’ve ever tried. My eyelashes looked healthy, numerous, and pretty voluminous. You only need one coat on the bottom, and a probably about four or so on the top for the perfect look. Also, the brush looks pretty cool too.
Lastly, I tried Colgate’s new Optic White Toothpaste. I have sensitive teeth, so I have always struggled to find whitening toothpaste that doesn’t irritate my teeth. Genuinely, I believe I have found my answer. This toothpaste, within two uses, made my smile noticeably whiter, and I didn’t have any sensitive teeth issues. It uses the same gel used in whitening strips, but without waiting 30 minutes as you would for the strips. Walgreens has a great selection for any of your teeth needs, and for people with sensitive teeth, too!
I was just so impressed with the outcome of this trial. I already knew Walgreens was the best place for any beauty guru with a college budget, but I didn’t know how wonderful these new products were. Walgreens is convenient, close, and right around the corner for most UW-Madison students. Take advantage of this great shopping experience next time you need your top beauty essentials.
“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Walgreens via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Walgreens.”