How NOT To Be All Dried Up

Tip For The Day: Product review of Dove’s Cream Oil Body Wash, and store review of Ulta.

Tip For This Weekend: To laud my day of birth, I declare Sunday, January 27th, the (Unofficial) Official Day Of Cheapness. Appropriate activities include: shopping the clearance racks at your favorite mall (or Target, for maximum cheapness), digging for treasure at your nearest thrift store, and buying/selling books at Half Price Books. Celebratory foods are, of course, Cheese Totino Party Pizzas and PBR in the can. East, drink and be cheap, y’all!

Further Elucidation Of My Cheap Deal: One of my favorite lines from Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV show, not movie) is (and I paraphrase here), “I spent all my allowance on this cream rinse, and it is neither creamy nor rinse-y.” Aside from the fact that no 16-year-old girl in the late 90’s would have EVER uttered the words ‘cream rinse,’ the sentiment is dead on.

We all spend tons of money on products that are supposed to make our collective hides soft, and BY GOD, they better work. That’s why, with great relief, I am able to announce that Dove’s Cream Oil Body Wash is, in fact, both creamy and rinse-y.

I bought the Ultra Rich, Rosewood and Cocoa Butter Scent stuff when it was on sale for about $5. This is a GREAT DEAL OF MONEY for me to spend on what amounts to super-fancy soap.

What I was looking for was a product that wouldn’t dry out my skin, wouldn’t have too strong of a scent, and would actually leave my skin a bit soft. Just a bit, I wasn’t asking for much.

I set the bar low for body wash’s skin softening abilities. A. You rinse it off, so not much skin softening stuff remains on your body. B. Soap is soap is soap and they all (to a degree) strip the natural oils from your skin. Hopefully, the soap then takes the nasty crud that is adhering to the oil with it down the drain.

The Cream Oil works on all accounts. The smell is light and lovely, the product smooshes up into the thickest lather I’ve seen, and when I finish rinsing, the slightest trace of skin softening stuff remains.

However, that remaining skin stuff is a bit sticky. Now, I prefer to feel sticky (as opposed to slippery, which I find icky) post-product-use, so this wasn’t a problem for me. But it does make shaving with the Cream Oil a bit dicey. Your razor may skip on your skin, so be careful if you use this stuff to shave your legs.

Also, the Cream Oil will leave a sticky residue in your tub or shower. Once again, this doesn’t bother me, as I am perpetually afraid of falling down in the shower, and appreciate the extra traction.

What would become of me if I did fall? I live alone – who would find me? And then I’d die wet, naked and alone. Not cute.

Product of the Day: Dove’s Cream Oil Body Wash. You can find it at most drug stores, and it runs between $5-6.

Store Review: If you never have been to an Ulta, here is what you’re missing: a big ole store, dedicated to make-up, hair stuff, perfume, and every lotion and potion you can think of. They have an in-store salon, too.

If you are of the sort who buys a ton of products, you can save at Ulta if you join their “The Club Of Ulta” deal. When you sign up, you receive a little scan-y card thing. Then, every time you buy something, they scan the card, and your purchase earns you free stuff. You have to spend a minimum of $50 per quarter (that’s three whole months) to get anything, but still. FREE STUFF. That is best, you know.

Ulta also has coupons in the newspaper and online. Right now, they have $3.50 off your purchase of $10 or more. Couponing makes me happy. And they run their coupons ALL THE TIME, which makes it even better and more happy-making.

If you’re not finding what you need at the make-up counter or drug store, check out Ulta. Just don’t go overboard when you find yourself surrounded by aisles of products, as far as the eye can see. Lovely.