Everyone wants that Hollywood beauty look but often can’t afford the price. Contrary to what a lot of people say, drugstore makeup can give just as much bang for your buck as the high-end products. L’oreal Paris, Maybelline and NYX are just a few of the brands that can have you saying, “I woke up like this!” Below, I’ve listed the top two beauty products for every category from concealers to lipsticks for you.
Foundation
Starting with a strong foundation, L’oreal Paris and Revlon offer the best-reviewed products on the drugstore market. L’oreal Paris’ True Match Super Blendable Makeup is non-cakey, oil-free and comes in 33 colors. It’s good for every skin tone and offers light to medium coverage which is perfect for any season. Now Revlon has an equally out-of-this-world foundation. Colorstay is long wearing, stays put and comes in 12 colors. Be careful though, this product comes in two versions, one for dry skin and another for combination or oily skin.
Powder
A good base for your face is important, but powders are equally so. A good one is needed to keep your face in place throughout the day. Once again, L’oreal Paris has one of the best. The True Match Powder is non-cakey, oil-free and comes in 33 colors just like the foundation, but Rimmel London gives them a run for their money with their Stay Matte Pressed Powder. For all my oily girls, this product will keep your shine under control for five hours and minimizes pores. It comes in seven colors, one of which is transparent if you’re just looking for a fix up without the color.
Concealer
Last but not least in the face department is concealers. Sometimes there are some issues that foundations can’t hide away and these products are great for that. This time NYX and L.A. Girl are the ones on top. NYX offers the Concealer Jar which has full, long-lasting coverage. They come in 12 colors, four of which are correcting shades. These shades are used to color correct any tone differences in the face. Another option is L.A. Girl Cosmetics’ Pro Conceal. These handy-dandy concealers have recently blown up and are receiving rave reviews. They’re crease resistant, opaque, long-wearing and come in 18 color choices. A little tip, they can also be worn as foundations.
Blush
It’s going to be a blushing good time! Blush is a subtle yet adorable addition to any beauty look.
Milani and NYX offer some superb cheek colors. Milani’s Baked Blush and NYX’s Powder Blush are just as pigmented, radiant and luminous as the other. When it comes to selection, though, NYX reigns supreme with 24 colors while Milani only has nine.
Eyes
The eyes frame the face so they need a whole lot of love. Eye shadows, eyeliners and mascaras (oh my!) give you the dramatic flair or subdued elegance you’re looking for. For eye shadows, L’oreal Paris and Milani get the job done. L’oreal Paris’ Infallible 24 Hr Eye Shadow is highly pigmented with a velvety smooth texture. Twenty-four color intense choices are available in this line. Milani’s new Bella Eye Gel Powder Eye Shadow is just as pigmented but easier for blending. The shadow goes on as a gel then transforms into a pure color powder eye shadow. Believe it or not, they come in 32 incredible color choices. Now eyeliners have upgraded from the basic pencil, but if you like to keep it classic check out Rimmel London’s Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal. A creamy formula that’s everything from waterproof to heatproof that’s available in 10 dynamic options. So keep the technique classic but make the color pop. One the other hand, Maybelline’s Eye Studio Long Lasting Gel Eyeliner is just as waterproof and smudge proof with an intense long lasting flare. This product only comes in four choices but when it comes to gel eyeliner, blackest black is the way to go. Lastly, the most important product when it comes to eyes, mascara. Making an appearance for the fourth time in this round-up, L’oreal Paris has one of the best mascaras. The Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara is praised to heaven and back. It separates, adds volume and gives you those bold black lashes everyone dreams of. Not one to be outdone though, Maybelline brings the Great Lash Mascara to the table. This product is known as the perfect everyday mascara. It conditions as it thickens and gives a nice subtle lift to your lashes.
Lips
Finishing off the list of drugstore must-haves are lips. There are so many choices when it comes to keeping them colored and beautiful, but I’ve managed to narrow it down to the best lipstick, gloss, balm and liner. Milani takes home the trophy for best drugstore lipstick with their Color Statement Lipstick. One swipe to full color perfection, they are hydrating and come in 39 choices, one of which is a to-die-for gold adorably called D’Oro. L.A. Girl has the best gloss on the market. Their Glazed Lip Paint is being called a dupe for Too Face’s Melted Lipstick with a $17 difference. Opaque and hyper-glossy are just two features of this product, but their greatest claim to lip gloss fame is how non-sticky they are (and for a gloss, this is important). The company recently released new colors so there are now 18 wonderful choices. Revlon’s Colorstay balm line is fantastic. You can find a balm stain, a matte balm and a lacquer balm in this line. All are hydrating, give a nice pop of color and have 10 choices in each line. It just depends on the finish and pigmentation you’re looking for. Finally, NYX has the lip liners you need to border your lip colors. Their Slim Lip Pencil is a buttery formula that resists bleeding and is long-wearing. This produce has the biggest selection with 52 lip lining shades.
When all these products are put together, magic happens. These items are the crème de la crème of the drugstore beauty world. They will have you looking fan-tabulous and won’t break the bank. After all, the most expensive thing on this list is $11.
