I have been in the beauty industry for over 15 years and am a self-described makeup snob. I used to do makeup for events, so I justified having a very large collection, and a lot of my fun-money funded it. Since my husband and I got married, and since I don’t do makeup for events any more, it became a necessity to lower my makeup budget.
I started experimenting with some *gasp* drug store makeup items, and found a lot of duds, but have actually found a few favorites that are as good as, or even better than the higher end makeup that I love! Here are 5 of my favorites:
1. Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation – This is by far my favorite foundation, be it low-end, high-end, or other. It is smooth, creamy, and has great coverage without being cakey. I have freckles that I try to blend or even cover, and this does the trick while still looking somewhat natural. I tried the regular Colorstay formula and didn’t like it, it has to be whipped. I had gotten some gift cards for Christmas so I went back to my regular department store foundation, since I wasn’t using my own cash for it. I can’t WAIT to run out of it so I can go back to the Revlon, I can’t believe how much better I like the Colorstay! I have always been able to find this for about $13, less than half of what I was paying for a high-end foundation.
2. Maybelline New York Cover Stick Concealer – This is another product that I like better than any high-end counterpart I have tried. I have allergies and dark circles are just hereditary in my family anyway, and anyone who has the same issue knows how hard it is to find a concealer that even remotely covers the circles. I was using a $45 concealer pallet that did an ok job, but I was blown away when this less-than-$5 concealer covered them flawlessly. I rub the concealer on the back of my hand and warm it with my fingers a bit before applying, and it goes on creamy, and opaque. I have a few little lines under my eyes and I have no issues with this settling or creasing. I have actually been asked before how I get the skin around my eyes to look so smooth lol.
3. LA Colors Jumbo Eye Pencils – I got a couple of these for my daughter at the dollar store for just a little over $1, and ended up stealing them back! These have great pigmentation, and most of the colors go on really smoothly! The black is my go-to for lining my waterline. They come in a lot of fun colors, and with that price point, you really can’t go wrong!
4. NYX HD Studio Photogenic Finishing Powder – I like powder to set my makeup, but I don’t really battle oiliness or shine, so for a lot of years I just skipped it or used some corn starch. I had a few expensive powders floating around in the bottom of my kit, but they felt heavy and made my foundation look caked on. I picked this NYX HD powder up on a whim and wow – this makes my skin look flawless! I love how fine the translucent powder is so its virtually weightless on your skin. For around $8 this is a great tool to finish your look.
5. Wet And Wild Eyeshadow Palletes – I remember using Wet and Wild cosmetics when I was in middle school because, well, they were cheap! I wouldn’t have given their pallets another look, except that there were a lot of people in the makeup-sphere raving about them. I picked one up for less than $5, and for the price, I was really impressed! They are fairly pigmented, and although the color fades pretty quickly on me other people tout their longevity. I find the texture to be a little chalky, but not bad at all. I mostly use mine for setting liners. Its definitely worth picking one up and seeing what you think!
Do you have a favorite drug store makeup item? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
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