10 All-Time Best Drugstore Beauty Products
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If you were hanging out with me on Instagram Stories this weekend, you probably saw the ridiculous state my makeup vanity was in on Friday night. The term “hot mess” has never been more accurately used then when referring to what it looked like. I spent the whole night going through every drawer in my vanity, throwing out all the old makeup, organizing all my good makeup, and finding surprising little treasures, like a half-eaten piece of chocolate and some command hook strips. You know, cause clearly my makeup vanity is the best place to store those kinds of things (insert eye-rolling emoji here.)
I rediscovered a lot of products that I forgot I had and a lot of products that I forgot I loved as I emptied out every drawer. As someone who is a self-proclaimed beauty junkie and who wants to help every-day girls find the best products out there, I’m always buying the newest products to try out and to share. It’s kind of like Pokemon - gotta catch them all (as in eyeshadow palettes.) But, I’m making it a goal to go the rest of the month of August without buying any new makeup and just playing with what I have - cause I have a lot.
As I was sorting through all my products, I decided to pull out my favorite drugstore products to share here. I love high-end products, but I know that my budget (and your budget) doesn’t always allow for high-end products. That’s TOTALLY okay because there ARE some good finds at the drugstore that perform just as well as high-end products. Here are my personal 10 favorite ones:
10 All-Time Best Drugstore Beauty Products
L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Glo Foundation - I’m constantly trying out drugstore foundations and typically always go back to my high-end foundation at the end of the day. However, this is one of the only drugstore foundations that I continuously reach for throughout the year. The coverage is buildable and the finish is beautiful - it’s glowy without looky greasy or slick (although if you are oily, I’d recommend going with the Covergirl Trublend Matte Made foundation, which is just as good.) The shade range lacks a little, but I find if I mix it with my NYX Total Control foundation drops when I’m pale, I can get a shade that matches perfectly. Overall, this foundation has great stay power, a beautiful finish and it’s very affordable.
Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer - I know everyone and their dog talks about this bronzer, but that’s because it truly is the best at the drugstore. Besides smelling insanely good (like a pina-colada mixed with sunscreen) it performs beautifully. It blends out like a dream and is pigmented, but buildable. I love how it melts into foundation and that it doesn’t look powdery or cakey at all. This bronzer comes in four finishes and I have the Light Bronzer, Bronze, and Sun-Kissed shades. The Light is great for the winter when I am pale and the bronze is perfect for the Spring and Winter. The Sun-Kissed is V. pigmented and warm, so it’s perfect for those days in the summer when I just want to look warm and glowy.
Physician’s Formula Butter Blush - Like the Butter Bronzer, this blush is one of the best at the drugstore. It has a really beautiful sheen to it that makes the skin look alive. It’s not glittery or sparkly at all, but not flat either (if that makes any sense.) I really love the shade Natural Glow (pictured here) because it does exactly what its name says: gives you a subtle natural glow. This blush would be perfect for someone who is just getting into blush or who wants to add a little natural color to their face without using a super pigmented blush.
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Sleek MakeUP Highlighting Palette in Solstice - Walgreens and Ulta just started carrying Sleek Cosmetics and I am so so glad because this highlighting palette is EVERYTHING. It comes with 3 powder shades and one cream shade. Each powder shade is beautiful on its own, but they also mix really well together, so you can get a variety of shades and intensities. Warning - This is a HIGHLIGHT palette, so it’s very pigmented and will give you a super awesome glow (and not a subtle one.) So, if you don’t want the people in space to see you, I would probably steer you in the direction of the Essence Pure Nude highlight in shade 10 because that one is more subtle (but still beautiful and under 5 bucks.)
Wet ‘n Wild meglow Contour Palette - I know, I’ve been talking about this palette for literally years, but it’s really that good (especially for the price point.) I have mine in the shade Duce De Leche and even though it looks a little yellow in the palette, it works perfectly for me and my skin tone. These powders are SO fine and they blend out on the skin really beautifully. I love the brightening powder to set my concealer and to add some brightness to the center of my face. This contour color is one of my go-tos - it’s that perfect combo of not being too warm and not being ashy. It’s also REALLY pigmented, so be sure to apply with a light hand and build.
L’oreal Silkissime Eyeliner - I feel like no one ever talks about this eyeliner and I don’t know why because it’s super good! I currently have the shade charcoal, which I’ve really liked because it’s a softer black. It’s SO creamy and pigmented and I feel like it’s lasted me a long time (I’ve had this one for almost 8 months and I use it at least 2-3 times a week to tight line my upper lash line.) Out of all the drugstore kohl liners I’ve tried, this is the one that I reach for the most and the one that I trust to do its job!
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara - Another cult classic, if you will, but for good reason. This mascara is a really affordable dupe for the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, which was my holy grail mascara for years and years. It really makes eyelashes look thick and voluminous and fluffy without being clumpy or heavy. I also love pairing it with the L’Oreal primer to get a little extra length and thickness and find that they work together super well. This is my favorite mascara at the drugstore (although there are a few others that are really good as well) and the first one I recommend to anyone who asks me.
Maybelline Super-Stay Ink Lipsticks - These. Lipsticks. Are. BULLETPROOF. I have never been so impressed with the staying power of a lipstick in my life (and yes, I think they are better then lipsense because they don’t burn when you put them on.) These last all day, they do not transfer and they don’t smudge. They aren’t super drying, either. They don’t feel sticky or tacky on the lips, just a little…velvety? I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but they are comfortable for me. I recommend the shades Lover and Ruler to start with, especially with fall coming soon!
Covergirl Vitalist Healthy Powder - This powder was sent to me in PR, but I will be repurchasing it as soon as I run out because this is my favorite Drugstore face powder that I’ve ever tried. It’s the perfect powder for setting foundation but it also looks really lovely on the skin on its own. I love using it to set my foundation and I love how airbrushed and healthy it makes my skin look without looking cakey or powdery. Every other powder tends to cake up or makes my foundation separate during the day, but this looks flawless for hours on end.
e.l.f. eyeshadow palettes in Mad for Matte, Nude Rose Gold, and Rose Gold Sunset - These are all variations of the 10 pan eyeshadow palettes that e.l.f. creates and I’m a really huge fan of them. They retail for 10 dollars and I find that they are some of the most blendable eyeshadows at the drugstore. The shimmer shades also are pretty pigmented and they wear very well on the eye. Are these the same quality as Too Faced or Urban Decay? No, but are they really good for the price? Absolutely. If you’re looking into getting a drugstore palette, these would be my number one recommendation.
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Today kicks off our first Makeup Palette Project, where my friends on Instagram picked one eyeshadow palette for me to use for the whole week. I realized that too often I talk about the newest eyeshadow palette without really digging into it and showing the variety of looks you can create with it! Instagram choose the e.l.f. Nude Rose Gold eyeshadow palette for this first week and my first look is live on my IGTV today! I also use all of the other drugstore products I mentioned in this post, so you can see how they all perform in real life! Check it out here!
Have you tried any of these products? Have any best Drugstore products that I need to try? Let me know!
