From Drab to Fab with Allegra

From Drab to Fab.  I’ve probably written 26 posts with that title, all about some piece of thrift store treasure I found and glammed up with some spray paint.  But you know what I’ve been ignoring all that time?

ME.  I’m looking decidedly unfab.

It’s taken me 5 years of getting itchy eyes, red nose, and the sneezes each April and May for me to finally admit the truth–

I. Have. Allergies.

I’ve always been sympathetic with those that have them, my husband included.  Tissue boxes dot our countertops, and I’m quick with a “bless you!” when someone sneezes.  Yet, I refused to admit in my ripe old age of thirty{something} that I, too, am becoming one of the millions labeled “allergy sufferers.”  One day last month I couldn’t hold it back any longer and I knew I had to do something because this seasonal “cold” I got each spring was just not cool.  I’m now a ‘proud’ (ugh) member of the Allergy Club.

What to do?  My eyes are dry and itchy.  My nose color rivals that of a certain famous reindeer.  My lips are chapped thanks to being unable to breathe out of my nose.  Did I paint a pretty enough picture for you?  No?  Here I am, in all my allergy suffering glory (and it takes a huge amount of humility to put this photo out there, I really don’t like pictures of myself, let alone ones of me looking THIS rough!):

I resisted making the pouty ‘before’ photo face you see in most makeover photos. 😉  Even without the pout, you can see I’m not at my best– swollen eyes, chapped lips, and so much more.  It takes putting a photo of yourself like that on the internet to realize I needed to fix myself, STAT.

This called for a trip to my local CVS, my absolute favorite pharmacy for getting great deals.  They always have amazing steals deals so I knew I could gather up some things to turn that trainwreck (me) into something more presentable.  You can check out my shopping trip in this Google+ album, where I break down what I got and how little I paid with some awesome coupon stacking and ECB stalking (plus a funny Kardashian display and a grumpy Bee photo).

First up?  Let’s cut to the chase– I needed Allegra.  I hit the good stuff to try and fix myself from the inside out.

Money Saving Hint:  This May, you can get a 30 count of Allegra for $17.99 with your CVS card.  But don’t forget to stack a coupon to make it an even BETTER deal!  I found one for $5 off in the papers which means $13 for a 30 count of Allegra.  YES!

What I needed was a beauty boost– some things to help my everyday look go above and beyond and get summer-ready.  Here’s what I found to do just that:

After a 3 day test drive of the Allegra, I found I that I not only felt better, but looked better too!  Feeling clear gave me more energy because I was able to sleep better, and while it didn’t erase the bags under my eyes it helped them.  Instead of luggage sized, my bags are now more of the evening clutch variety.

Remember the “BEFORE?”  Allergies, yuck!

The beauty boosts above helped take my drab look to a little more fab.  Without further ado, here’s my new improved ‘beauty boosted’ look (minus a toe polish photo, that wouldn’t be fun to see):

More rested, glowy, and ready to have a Mother’s Day to remember.  On less than 3 hours of sleep, thanks to two sick kiddos.  Whew.

Clearly, Allegra is the not-so-obvious beauty secret.  You can visit The Allergy Makeover Game for a chance to win a $50 gift card.  For more information about Allegra and going from Drab to Fab, follow Allegra and the #ClearBeauty hashtag on Twitter or visit them on Facebook.

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric
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