DermStore Coupon

Want to save a bunch of money? Want to stop wasting your hard-earned cash? Want to get the best value for your dollar?

All together now: Yes!

"We've all bought expensive products that sucked," says Paula Begoun, nicely summing up the lament of every woman who has been seduced by some overpriced miracle beauty product that turned out to be a dud.

Begoun authored "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me." It's a 1,167-page exhaustive brand-name evaluation of thousands of beauty products that, like the title says, she wants you to take with you when you go to the store.

But when I went shopping, I didn't take the book. I took Paula.

Begoun's mission is to stop you from spending more than you need to on makeup and skin care.

In case you're wondering, she says she buys only drugstore products or her own line, Paula's Choice. (I pulled a surprise raid on her makeup bag. It's true.)

Anyhow, when the "Cosmetics Cop" came to town on her tour to pitch the seventh edition of the book, I snagged her to go shopping -- at the drugstore, natch -- for everything you need for beauty and skin care at reasonable and sometimes deliciously cheap prices.

"We're looking for the best of the best -- that are the least expensive," she said. Amen, sister.

Tip No. 1: "Price is not indicative of quality in the cosmetics industry."

With me racing after her -- she talks fast and moves faster -- in seven minutes Begoun had speed-shopped the Walgreens cosmetics department. She located foundation ("gorgeous"), mascara ("absolutely one of the best we've ever rated, and we've rated hundreds) and powder with sunscreen.

Tip No. 2: Any body part exposed to sun should be covered in sunscreen. Face, hands, neck, you name it.

It was a shriek of sheer joy when Begoun found a four-pack of matte eye shadow that she declared "in some regards better" than Bobbi Brown and a third of the cost.

Tip No. 3: Shiny or sparkly eye shadow emphasizes wrinkles.

It's tough to choose the perfect shade of lipstick at a drugstore because there are no testers. So, some drugstores, including Walgreens, let you try all makeup on at home and return it for a full refund.

Begoun is a believer in a lip liner to cut down on lipstick bleeding.

Tip No. 4: Don't be afraid of a cheap lip liner. You're covering it with lipstick anyhow.

She says lipstick "feathers" into lines around your mouth because you have lines. Spending more on the lipstick won't change that.

Tip No. 5: "It's hard to buy a bad lipstick. It's about the color." Matte bleeds less than shiny. Less pigmented colors stay put better and stay on longer.

While the cashier added up the makeup, Begoun advised, "Just because we're women doesn't mean we were born with a lipstick in one hand and a blush in the other and we intuitively know how to put it on. We don't." No way in hell!

Tip No. 6: Get somebody -- a pro, a friend, a cosmetics counter employee -- to teach you how to apply your makeup.

Tip No. 7: "You can't believe anything they say! Oh my God! There isn't a word on a makeup or skin-care product that has any meaning other than the price, the weight and the ingredient label."

On to the skin-care aisle...

Begoun is obsessed with protecting "naked" skin from the sun, preferring products with at least SPF 15. (For more detail, see her free Web site, cosmeticscop.com, or the more extensive by-subscription site, beautypedia.com.)

To clean the face, forget soap. A water-soluble cleanser can be cheap and gentle even if the label doesn't say so.

T ip No. 8: "So many times, a product says its gentle and it contains irritants."

Tip No. 9 If you need to exfoliate, don't waste money on a special scrub. Use a washcloth.

Tip No. 10: Sunscreens contain irritants. Night moisturizer shouldn't have them.

Tip No. 11: Lip plumpers don't work. Special eye creams are a waste of money. Makeup "primers" are totally unnecessary.

shopellen@tribune.com

Begoun's makeup choices

(I tested them and liked them all, especially the foundation, powder, eye shadow and liner, which were fabulous.)

Foundation: L'Oreal True Match, SPF 17, $10.99

Powder: Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Powder Foundation, SPF 20, $13.99 on sale for $8.39

Mascara: Maybelline Volum' Express Colossal, $6.99 on sale for $3.49

Concealer/Highlighter: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector, $8.99 (She says it's better and vastly cheaper than the hugely popular $40 Yves St. Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch.)

Blush: Rimmel Powder Blush, $3.79

Lip liner: Rimmel Exaggerate, $6.29

Lipstick: Revlon matte, $7.99

Eyeliner: L'Oreal HIP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner, $11.99

Eye shadow: Physicians Formula Matte Collection Quad, $6.99

TOTAL: $68.91

Begoun's skin-care choices

(All passed my tryout too):

Daytime face moisturizer: Olay Anti-Wrinkle Nutrients Lotion, SPF 15, 3.4 oz., $14.49

Daytime hand, neck, body lotion: Eucerin Sensitive Skin Everyday Protection Face Lotion, 4 oz., SPF 30, $9.99

Cleanser: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser, 12 oz., $12.49

Eye makeup remover: Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, 5.5 oz., $8.29

Night moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion, 12 oz., $12.99