Dept. of Home Economics: Retro Beauty with Pond's

Okay, so it's not on a par with worrying over global warming, but I've been having a tough time lately finding an eyemakeup remover. The problem is that I wear waterproof mascara every day. I live on the coast in Rhode Island where mist, fog, and rain happen -- sometimes all in one day -- so unless I wear waterproof mascara it gets all Rocky Horror Picture Show up in here. There is really only one liquid makeup remover in my price range (cheap) that works on waterproof mascara, and I've been having trouble finding it. What's a bargain shopper to do?

Well, the last time I was in the skin care section of Ye Olde Walmarte, I spotted a jar of Pond's Cold Cream. I thought if it worked for the pancake makeup classic Hollywood beauties wore in the movies, it will probably work on waterproof mascara. Sure enough, it says it does right on the label. And since a 6.5-ounce jar costs under $5, I what did I have to lose?

Pond's Cold Cream removed my eyemakeup (including waterproof mascara) like a charm. I wiped it off with a cotton square and then followed up with my usual skin cleanser. Using it as a makeup remover only, I've probably got a year's supply in the jar, so it's a cheaper than the $30 or so per year my previous product cost.

Cold Cream is a little too thick for me to use as a facial cleanser this time of year, but I'll definitely try it in place of my usual cleanser during the winter when my skin is dry. I might even be able to skip applying night cream (which I use in the winter) and that would be an even bigger savings.

Fun fact: Betty Grable used Pond's Cold Cream on her legs to get them photo-ready. Or at least she did in this vintage ad that probably made every man in America want to kill photographer Walter Sanders who is applying the cream to her legs. It's not for nothing that 20th Century Fox insured those legs for a million dollars.

Pond's Cold Cream: after 97 years, it's still a great product and it's still a bargain.