As a teen, you could spend hours trolling the drugstore aisles with your friends, getting giddy over sparkly nail polish, colorful tubes of Bonne Bell Lip Smackers, and exotic (European!) Vitabath shower gelée. Now that you’re an adult, some of your tastes may have changed (like that obsession with bubble gum–flavored lip balm), but Real Simple readers know that good drugstore beauty products are still worth trolling for.

This Month’s Winner

The Chameleon
Despite occasional mishaps (like the time the brown dye turned my hair purple), hair color is by far my favorite drugstore beauty product. When I was living abroad, I saw how hair color changed people’s views of me. Blond meant I must be from California. Black made me look like a New Yorker; brown, like a Brit. And red, of course, meant Irish. My current favorite shade is Black Leather by Feria. It helps me feel fierce and ready to take on the world.
Genevieve Valiot
Mount Clemens, Michigan
Genevieve will receive a copy of Real Simple Celebrations.

The Eyes Have It

False eyelashes! I love experimenting with different lengths for different occasions. Even when I wear them to casual gatherings, they give my eyes that extra-special pop and make me feel glamorous.
Megan Watkins
Phoenix, Arizona

My favorite beauty product is Revlon Great Lash Blackest Black mascara. It doesn’t matter how awful I feel or what makeup I forgot to put on — as long as I apply some of that magic mascara, I look and feel sexy all day long.
Misty Grubbs
Allen Park, Michigan

CoverGirl clear mascara tames my eyebrows and brightens my eyes — and a little dab helps rein in the flyaway hairs on my head.
Heather Dunning
Kirkland, Washington