Celebrity Chemist Buys

We always assume celebrities have an unshakable penchant for those unaffordable high-end designer brands, whether it be in skin care or cosmetics. The reality however is that the majority of our favourite names love those little bargain buys and rely on them so much more than their designer cousins. In fact, you might find yourself quite surprised to learn which budget products take pride of place on the bathroom shelves of some of the world’s best-known celebrities. Here on The Claregalway Hotel website, we have compiled the top budget brands favoured by our favourites!

**All products featured are available from Boots on Shop Street in Galway.

Maybelline Mascara

For long thick lashes, actress Kate Beckinsale relies on the worldwide phenomenon, Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. When asked about her beauty buys, Kate once told an interviewer, “A lot of fancy mascaras flake and get cakey. Maybelline Great Lash mascara is really cheap and you can get it anywhere.”
Davina McCall, Alexa Chung, Britney Spears and Rachel Bilson are also said to be huge fans of the product. Alex Gerrard meanwhile prefers Maybelline’s Colossal Mascara. She once stated in her magazine beauty column, “I’ve bought about five different mascaras recently. My best one is the Maybelline Colossal mascara. It gives you tons of volume, but it doesn’t feel like you have lots on.”

Bio Oil

Abbey Crouch’s amazing complexion is largely thanks to the chemist beauty, Bio Oil. She once tweeted, “Covered my face in Bio Oil last night my skin feels amazing this morning.”

Her fellow WAG Claudine Keane is another fan of the brand having used it to successfully ward off any potential stretch marks during her pregnancy.

Baby Oil

Actress Jessica Alba, singer Beyonce Knowles and WAG Victoria Beckham are just three of the many celebrities that adore Johnson’s Baby Oil. While Victoria and Beyonce like to use it as an everyday moisturiser to maintain their smooth skin, Jessica once told a magazine that she prefers to mix a pea-sized amount of the oil with her usual moisturiser to create a subtle skin shimmer.

L’Oreal / E45 Cream

Cheryl Cole was a firm L’Oreal fan long before she was signed up to be their official spokeswoman. Her mascara of choice is L’Oreal’s Volume Shocking Mascara, while her lips are usually coated in L’Oreal’s Glam Shine Reflection lip Gloss (Sheer Cassis). By her own admission, True Match Roll-On is a staple item of her make up bag. She once told Glamour Magazine, “Its just so quick, its really clever. There’s a lot of times when I’m running late, I’m just looking a bit rubbish because its early, I haven’t got time or I cant function enough to sit down and put my make up on – so I find that fantastic. It’s the simplicity”

When it comes to skincare, Cheryl opts for L’Oreal Pure Zone Step 1. To moisturise however, she swears by E45 cream. She was once quoted as saying, “My skin can get very dry so I use E45 moisturiser. You don’t have to use mega-expensive products, you just need to find the right products for your skin type.”
Ponds Cold Cream

Who would have guessed that good old Ponds Cold Cream would be among Kylie’s skin care moisturising must-haves? She once said, “if there’s one must-buy product then Pond’s Cold Cream Cleanser is it.”
Of course the only thing better than a bargain buy is a multi-functional bargain buy. Again, Ponds Cold Cream fits the bill as it also works as a make-up remover and deep cleanser.

While Kylie has admitted to having Botox injections in the past, she says she now relies only on Pond’s when it comes to helping her skin defy the years. Apparently the singer first began using the product following the advice of her mother, Carol, whose own skin is enviably youthful. Kylie now uses the cream every day, and even once raved, “It has really changed my skin. It’s all I use to look after my skin. It’s such an old classic. My mum uses it and it really does work. It’s made such a difference.”

Sales of Ponds increased by 120 per cent in the days following Kylie’s praise!

Optrex Eye Drops

Despite her phenomenal wealth, Victoria Beckham still enjoys the inexpensive offerings of her local pharmacy. In fact, one item you will always find in her handbag are Optrex Eye Drops, which she uses to keep her peeps bright and camera ready. Other bargain favourites of Victoria’s include Nivea Dry Deo Compact Deodorant and Johnson’s baby wipes, which she uses to clean away any residual white deodorant marks on her clothes!

Schwarzkopf Yoghurt & Coconut Shampoo

Nothing goes unnoticed on television, so in order to keep her hair looking in top condition, M&S covergirl, Lisa Snowdon, uses Schwarzkopf Yoghurt & Coconut shampoo. This product can also be found in Sienna Miller’s bathroom cupboard!

Sudocrem

Girls Aloud singer Kimberley Walsh depends on Sudocrem whenever a spot break-out threatens. While the product is usually associated with nappy rashes, Kimberley (and sometimes Cheryl!) reportedly use the cream to help dry out spots overnight.

Veet In Shower Hair Removal Cream

Part of the WAG uniform is mandatory hair-free legs, and Wayne Bridge’s girlfriend, Frankie Sandford, knows this only too well. The Saturday’s singer relies on Veet In Shower Hair Removal Cream to keep her legs clean and smooth, and cites it as being the “one product she cannot live without.” She once told an interviewer, “it works in just three minutes, keeps my legs smooth for weeks and contains a moisturising complex to keep them soft”

Barry M Cosmetics

Singer Christina Aguilera is definitely not one celebrity you would normally associate with bargain buys, however it seems the starlet is a massive fan of the budget cosmetic company Barry M. She once told an interviewer, “Barry M cosmetics are fabulous, they’re the only way to glam up an outfit!”
While former Spice Girl, Mel B, favours their black glitter eye crayon, FHM’s newly crowned ‘worlds sexiest woman’, X-Factor judge, Tulisa, adores their 147 lipstick. She once said, “it’s a beautiful peach shade and is very matte, which I really like. It looks great with a smoky grey or brown eye”

Alexa Chung likewise followed suit, raving, “I love Barry M nail paint in red glitter…it looks like Dorothy’s shoes.”

While there’s no doubting the star calibre of Barry M’s following, its place in the vanity case of every celebrity was firmly secured when Rhianna’s make-up artist revealed that his client “loves Barry M lip and eye colours”.

The eternally quirky Paloma Faith is also a die-hard Barry fan. She once said, “Barry M have just sent me their green lipstick! This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Barry M have the most exciting range of colours and glitters ever. I cant live without my new number 52 lipstick. Its so joyful!”

Garnier Ambre Solaire

With all the sun holidays she enjoys, Alex Gerrard needs a good quality SPF to keep her skin well protected. She chooses Garnier’s Ambre Solaire Clear Protect, because, “it’s clear, so it doesn’t leave marks on my clothes, which drives me crazy!”

Dove

Lorraine Kelly’s face just fails to age. If anything, it looks better now than ever before. Her secret is generous amounts of Dove’s Pro-age Nourishment Body Butter. The best time to apply such products is right after a shower when your skin’s pores are open and able to fully absorb the product.

Batiste Dry Shampoo

TV beauty Holly Willoughy has often cited Batiste Dry Shampoo as her number one beauty item. Whether you want to inject some volume into the roots, or salvage another day between shampoo’s, this product is definitely the go-to item on every girl’s dressing table. It is available in a large range of scents, as well as different shades to suit different hair colours.

Bourjois

Victoria Beckham has long favoured make-up brand Bourjois for their high pigmented pearlised eye-shadows. Likewise her fellow WAG, Coleen Rooney, loves using Bourjois’s Rose Dior blusher to help her achieve a more subtle natural look. Singers Jessica Simpson and Dannii Minogue are also said to be firm fans of the Bourjois brand, in particular, the eye-shadows, while Paris Hilton loves their kohl eye pencils.

L’Oreal’s Elnett Hair Spray

With countless paparazzi lenses trained on her every move, Scarlett Johansson relies on L’Oreal’s Elnett Hair Spray to keep her tresses in place. Other celebrity fans of the hairspray include Kim Kardashian, and stylist Rachel Zoe.

Rimmel Eye Liner

While Kate Moss is often photographed without foundation, its rare that you will see her without at least some eyeliner or mascara. Her favourite product is the Kohl Eyeliner pencil from Rimmel.