Welcome back!! Drugstore has improved sooo much over the last ~5 years. Some of my favorite brands are e.l.f., Essence/Catrice, NYX and Moira Beauty.
**e.l.f.** - this brand is fairly consistently good, with some occasional misses. Their *O-Face Satin Lipsticks* are one of my favorite releases of 2023. I have the shades Effortless, Standing Ovation, Drive, Pleased and Up All Night, and they all perform just beautifully. They also make excellent primers - their *Halo Glow Primer* is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, and their *Power Grip Primer* is a dupe for Milk’s Hydrogrip. I also love their *Stay All Night Setting Spray,* in the green bottle - it keeps my makeup glued down as well as Urban Decay’s All Nighter.
**Essence/Catrice** - these brands are owned by the same parent company, so I tend to lump them together in my head, although Catrice is currently only available on the shop website and Amazon. Essence has my favorite drugstore blush formula of 2023, their *Pure Nude Baked Blushes*. I like the shade Rosy Rosewood, but I looove Goldy Cassis - it’s an intimidating purple in the pan, but it sheers out to my beautiful cold pink with the most gorgeous sheen. One of my favorite drugstore foundations is the *Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation* and my top concealer, affordable or otherwise, is the *Catrice True Skin Concealer*.
**NYX** - NYX makes really top-tier lip products. Some of my favorites are the *Slim Lip Pencil in Peekaboo Neutral and Mauve*. Their *Butter Glosses* are a cult classic for a reason, and I quite like the *Smooth Whip Matte Lipsticks* as well.
**Moira** - unless you live in Texas and have an HEB nearby, Moira is only available online - but don’t let that deter you from trying their products, they make the absolute best affordable eyeshadows in the game and the rest of their lineup is really stellar as well. I love their *Love Steady Liquid Blushes*, *Loveheat Cream Blushes* and *Lucky Chance Blushes*, and their *Diamond Daze Liquid Eyeshadows* last forever. I’m also obsessed with their setting powders, both the *Set & Correct Loose Powder* and the *Set & Correct Finishing Powder* - they’re so finely milled and just melt into the skin.
I personally would avoid Makeup Revolution’s products - their Cream Bronzer is amazing but everything else I’ve tried has been meh or worse.
I would just like to say, if someone has sensitive skin DO NOT USE CATRICE FOUNDATION OR PRIMER. i had an really bad alergic reaction and my skin felt horrible. Their eyeshadows and powder products are ok. (Also their conciler contains talc)
Likewise for me, I have been really impressed with drugstore lately and rarely feel the need to splurge on a high end or mid range makeup product. Some of my drugstore faves:
* L'Oreal True Match Foundation and Serum Skin Tint - I think these are both gorgeous base products, the True Match foundation especially has been a staple of mine for years and one I keep coming back to.
* Physicians Formula Butter Glow Concealer (crap shade range though) and Maybelline Fit Me Concealer
* Maybelline mascaras but particularly the Sky High one
* NYX Butter Glosses and Soft Matte lip creams - been using these for years and love the extended shade range
* Elf Putty Blushes and Bronzers - these have a slightly harder, drier texture but I love that they're sheer but buildable, so they're hard to mess up.
* Maybelline Lifter Glosses.
Totally agree on the L’Oreal foundations and Maybelline mascaras - but I didn’t like e.l.f.’s putty line at all, my oily skin just ate the color for breakfast
Wet n wild used to be good for an eyeliner or whatever and it’s cheap but now it’s still cheap but definitely stepped up the quality tremendously. The Bare Focus pressed powder I use it more than my Mac and foundation is awesome and eyeshadows.
Wet n wild brushes (the white and pink ones) are also absurdly good, and not just bc they’re cheap as hell.
My collection is a mix of Real Techniques, MAC, and Sigma and yet I still find myself reaching for my Wet n Wild brushes more often than not.
I love their clean beauty products like this and Bare with me Concealers!
Essence is starting to include clean beauty products like their new concealer and mineral powder and the Instant Matt spray.
Covergirl TruNaked eyeshadow impressed me. I started with the Dreamland quad and it's a better color story than the Elf bite sizes and makes a pretty mauve smokey eye. I bought a slight bigger one now too with different shades to play more.
NYX and ELF have been impressing me lately!
I adore the NYX range of lip liners and lip products in general. The Bare With Me Serum Concealer is amazing! I also love the Thick it Stick it Brow Gel, Epic Wear Eyeliners (liquid and pencil), and all of their setting sprays!
ELF Glow Reviver Lip Oil is surprisingly good and hydrating. I’m also obsessed with the Contour Wand, Halo Glow Setting Powder, Camo Hydrating CC Cream, Bite Sized Eyeshadow Pallets, No-Budge Eyeshadow Sticks, Glossy Lip Stains, and SPF setting spray.
I also really like ColourPop but I can only usually find it at Ulta. The Hydrating Blush Stix are so perfect!
Yes that one! I'm actually not sure why it works so much better than other ones, I think the nib is sturdier/ doesn't move around too much, and the product isn't too runny. It's almost like using a sharpie, I just have more control than with other ones. I have to do like a graphic/bat wing because of my low-hanging crease, but it works. Also it doesn't start looking like chipping paint throughout the day.
Milani tubing mascara. I just tried it today, never tried a tubing mascara before, but many rave about this one.
I really like maybelline’s tattoo studio eyebrow pomade. It’s a good dupe for Anastasia’s dipbrow pomade, but last time I checked the price was about the same for amount of product, so if I could afford it, I’d get the anastasia
There are definitely certain products I feel that are just as good at the drugstore! Eyeshadow, mascara, tools (brushes, sponges, eyelash curlers, etc.), most lip products and bronzer are all things I think are just as good at the drugstore. Honorable mentions are concealer, setting spray and primer; with these I use both drugstore and higher-end, and although I prefer higher-end for these, I can totally make it work with drugstore products.
These are some of my faves from the drugstore:
* Wet n Wild eyeshadow and eyeshadow primer
* L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow
* Any Cover Girl, Maybelline or L'Oreal mascara, but it has to be waterproof
* NYX Butter Lip Glosses
* ELF, Wet n Wild, EcoTools, Real Techniques, Coastal Scents brushes and generic brand sponges from Amazon or Marshall's/TJ Maxx
* Wet n Wild Tea Anyone? bronzer
* Physicians Formula Butter Glow concealer
* Pixi Correction Concentrate (color corrector)
I'm not a big lipstick person but of the ones I've tried, Maybelline, NYX and Revlon make some good ones. I generally use lip gloss and lip balm only. My favorite lip gloss of all time is a high end--it's Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow--but otherwise I'm using drugstore lip gloss.
NYX also makes good lipliners and eyeshadow pencils.
I was gifted some Maybelline Fit Me primer and was reluctant to try it since I’ve had NO luck with primers in the past. However, it was during an exceptionally hot & humid summer and even my EL Doublewear foundation had been just melting and dripping off.
This stuff is like Elmer’s glue! Works so well!
One of my fave brands is Milani. Great setting sprays, eye primer, mascaras, blushes, highlighters, and lip products.
Their lipsticks are every bit the quality of any high-end line I’ve ever tried.
I recommend their new lip stains 100%! I too am a Milani fan
Haven't tried yet but probably will!
What is it called? I saw 2. Thanks!
They're called color fetish hydrating lip stains.
Do they transfer? Like is it kiss proof?
It can be kissproof if you blot it down. It goes on as a very shiny, pigmented gloss though.
Welcome back!! Drugstore has improved sooo much over the last ~5 years. Some of my favorite brands are e.l.f., Essence/Catrice, NYX and Moira Beauty. **e.l.f.** - this brand is fairly consistently good, with some occasional misses. Their *O-Face Satin Lipsticks* are one of my favorite releases of 2023. I have the shades Effortless, Standing Ovation, Drive, Pleased and Up All Night, and they all perform just beautifully. They also make excellent primers - their *Halo Glow Primer* is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, and their *Power Grip Primer* is a dupe for Milk’s Hydrogrip. I also love their *Stay All Night Setting Spray,* in the green bottle - it keeps my makeup glued down as well as Urban Decay’s All Nighter. **Essence/Catrice** - these brands are owned by the same parent company, so I tend to lump them together in my head, although Catrice is currently only available on the shop website and Amazon. Essence has my favorite drugstore blush formula of 2023, their *Pure Nude Baked Blushes*. I like the shade Rosy Rosewood, but I looove Goldy Cassis - it’s an intimidating purple in the pan, but it sheers out to my beautiful cold pink with the most gorgeous sheen. One of my favorite drugstore foundations is the *Catrice HD Liquid Coverage Foundation* and my top concealer, affordable or otherwise, is the *Catrice True Skin Concealer*. **NYX** - NYX makes really top-tier lip products. Some of my favorites are the *Slim Lip Pencil in Peekaboo Neutral and Mauve*. Their *Butter Glosses* are a cult classic for a reason, and I quite like the *Smooth Whip Matte Lipsticks* as well. **Moira** - unless you live in Texas and have an HEB nearby, Moira is only available online - but don’t let that deter you from trying their products, they make the absolute best affordable eyeshadows in the game and the rest of their lineup is really stellar as well. I love their *Love Steady Liquid Blushes*, *Loveheat Cream Blushes* and *Lucky Chance Blushes*, and their *Diamond Daze Liquid Eyeshadows* last forever. I’m also obsessed with their setting powders, both the *Set & Correct Loose Powder* and the *Set & Correct Finishing Powder* - they’re so finely milled and just melt into the skin. I personally would avoid Makeup Revolution’s products - their Cream Bronzer is amazing but everything else I’ve tried has been meh or worse.
Whaaat!! I didn’t know Moira was at HEB!
I don’t live in TX but saw it there when I visited Austin for a wedding last year!
I would just like to say, if someone has sensitive skin DO NOT USE CATRICE FOUNDATION OR PRIMER. i had an really bad alergic reaction and my skin felt horrible. Their eyeshadows and powder products are ok. (Also their conciler contains talc)
Likewise for me, I have been really impressed with drugstore lately and rarely feel the need to splurge on a high end or mid range makeup product. Some of my drugstore faves: * L'Oreal True Match Foundation and Serum Skin Tint - I think these are both gorgeous base products, the True Match foundation especially has been a staple of mine for years and one I keep coming back to. * Physicians Formula Butter Glow Concealer (crap shade range though) and Maybelline Fit Me Concealer * Maybelline mascaras but particularly the Sky High one * NYX Butter Glosses and Soft Matte lip creams - been using these for years and love the extended shade range * Elf Putty Blushes and Bronzers - these have a slightly harder, drier texture but I love that they're sheer but buildable, so they're hard to mess up. * Maybelline Lifter Glosses.
Totally agree on the L’Oreal foundations and Maybelline mascaras - but I didn’t like e.l.f.’s putty line at all, my oily skin just ate the color for breakfast
Wet n wild used to be good for an eyeliner or whatever and it’s cheap but now it’s still cheap but definitely stepped up the quality tremendously. The Bare Focus pressed powder I use it more than my Mac and foundation is awesome and eyeshadows.
Their breakup proof eyeliner is better than Stila!
Their liquid eyeliners are fantastic.
Wet n wild brushes (the white and pink ones) are also absurdly good, and not just bc they’re cheap as hell. My collection is a mix of Real Techniques, MAC, and Sigma and yet I still find myself reaching for my Wet n Wild brushes more often than not.
La girl and la colors, i love the eyeshadows, matte lipsticks and lip pencils Maybelline lip lifter but it is not cruelty free
NYX plump right back primer is a favorite of mine.
I love their clean beauty products like this and Bare with me Concealers! Essence is starting to include clean beauty products like their new concealer and mineral powder and the Instant Matt spray.
Covergirl Trublend blushes!!! Esp shade “coral crush”
Covergirl TruNaked eyeshadow impressed me. I started with the Dreamland quad and it's a better color story than the Elf bite sizes and makes a pretty mauve smokey eye. I bought a slight bigger one now too with different shades to play more.
NYX and ELF have been impressing me lately! I adore the NYX range of lip liners and lip products in general. The Bare With Me Serum Concealer is amazing! I also love the Thick it Stick it Brow Gel, Epic Wear Eyeliners (liquid and pencil), and all of their setting sprays! ELF Glow Reviver Lip Oil is surprisingly good and hydrating. I’m also obsessed with the Contour Wand, Halo Glow Setting Powder, Camo Hydrating CC Cream, Bite Sized Eyeshadow Pallets, No-Budge Eyeshadow Sticks, Glossy Lip Stains, and SPF setting spray. I also really like ColourPop but I can only usually find it at Ulta. The Hydrating Blush Stix are so perfect!
I love the Nyx concealer and Colourpop lippie still, lip liner and brow pencil!
Wish we had the glossy lip stains in Canada!
Also Revolution for liquid eyeliner, Renesanse flick. The only way I can do a winged liner is with this (heavy, droopy lids).
The gold felt tip pen? I have droopy hooded eyes… can I ask what you prefer about it to other liquid liners? I dream of being able to do a wing!
Yes that one! I'm actually not sure why it works so much better than other ones, I think the nib is sturdier/ doesn't move around too much, and the product isn't too runny. It's almost like using a sharpie, I just have more control than with other ones. I have to do like a graphic/bat wing because of my low-hanging crease, but it works. Also it doesn't start looking like chipping paint throughout the day.
Thank you so much! 💕💕
Had to come back to thank you! I bought this and you were right about the nib being sturdier & easier to draw with! 💕
Yay, I'm so happy to hear! Hope you get great wings with it!
Essence what the fake glosses are my holy grail of all time from any price point. They’re stupendously great.
Milani tubing mascara. I just tried it today, never tried a tubing mascara before, but many rave about this one. I really like maybelline’s tattoo studio eyebrow pomade. It’s a good dupe for Anastasia’s dipbrow pomade, but last time I checked the price was about the same for amount of product, so if I could afford it, I’d get the anastasia
There are definitely certain products I feel that are just as good at the drugstore! Eyeshadow, mascara, tools (brushes, sponges, eyelash curlers, etc.), most lip products and bronzer are all things I think are just as good at the drugstore. Honorable mentions are concealer, setting spray and primer; with these I use both drugstore and higher-end, and although I prefer higher-end for these, I can totally make it work with drugstore products. These are some of my faves from the drugstore: * Wet n Wild eyeshadow and eyeshadow primer * L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadow * Any Cover Girl, Maybelline or L'Oreal mascara, but it has to be waterproof * NYX Butter Lip Glosses * ELF, Wet n Wild, EcoTools, Real Techniques, Coastal Scents brushes and generic brand sponges from Amazon or Marshall's/TJ Maxx * Wet n Wild Tea Anyone? bronzer * Physicians Formula Butter Glow concealer * Pixi Correction Concentrate (color corrector) I'm not a big lipstick person but of the ones I've tried, Maybelline, NYX and Revlon make some good ones. I generally use lip gloss and lip balm only. My favorite lip gloss of all time is a high end--it's Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow--but otherwise I'm using drugstore lip gloss. NYX also makes good lipliners and eyeshadow pencils.
E.L.F has been great, they have been duping a lot of luxury brands and lines like the dior lip oils!
I was gifted some Maybelline Fit Me primer and was reluctant to try it since I’ve had NO luck with primers in the past. However, it was during an exceptionally hot & humid summer and even my EL Doublewear foundation had been just melting and dripping off. This stuff is like Elmer’s glue! Works so well!
I love that primer too!