Drugstores can be a little overwhelming to browse through. There are so many displays of new items and rows and rows of countless selections. Admittedly, not all the products can compare to the quality of higher end makeup items, but there are definitely some that come quite close or even surpass their more expensive counterparts. Below I have listed items for your entire face that I have tested and loved. They are my holy grail and I use many of them on a daily basis.
- Primer – Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser
This silicone based primer will make your skin velvety soft and smooth to the touch. Although it has no claims to extend the wear-time of your makeup, I find the oil-free formula helps my foundation last longer than it typically does.
- Foundation – L’Oréal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation
This product is raved about on YouTube and beauty blogs, and for good reason. It leaves a matte but not flat appearance and has incredible wear-time, even for oily skin types. It doesn’t cling onto dry patches or settle into fine lines. All in all it just makes your skin look BOMB.
- Eyebrows – Elf Eyebrow Kit
This wax and powder duo has literally changed my eyebrow game. The tinted wax helps those stubborn hairs stay in place while adding some color, and the powder allows you to fill in any bald spots with ease. This product allows for natural looking brows, so the pigmentation is just dark enough for that effect. For only $4 at Old Navy (yes, Elf sells in Canada) how can you say no?
- Powder – Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
I’ve been using this powder for as long as I can remember, and it has never let me down. It goes on transparent so you don’t have to worry about color matching and gives your foundation an airbrushed appearance. It’s also great for touch ups because it doesn’t cake up!
- Blush – Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso
Nars Orgasm is just about the most popular blush shade ever, and this product is a perfect dupe! The peachy pink color with a golden sheen matches any look and is perfect for an everyday flush.
- Bronzer – NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny
Able to double as a contour, this perfectly neutral shade looks great for everyday casual looks. The powder goes on smooth and is easily blendable giving the face a healthy wash of color.
- Highlight – Physicians Formula Shimmer Strip in Miami
Although this product is on the more expensive side of drugstore items, this powder gives a super strong glow to really make your face look “strobed.” You can also use this item on your eyelids as eyeshadow or even use the darker colors as a shimmery bronzer to help you look sun-kissed.
- Eyeshadow – Wet n Wild Eyeshadow Palette in Comfort Zone
I remember when I first picked up this palette and the pigmentation and blendability absolutely blew me away. It has a nice blend of neutral and colorful shades, perfect for any beginner or makeup expert to play with. The duochrome shade on the right bottom hand corner is especially gorgeous!
- Eyeliner – Essence Gel Liner in Black
For only $3, this liner has amazing staying power and never smudges (on my eyelids anyways)! The formula is creamy and comparable to many high-end eyeliners. I even tried out some of the other colors such as navy and forest green. The formula is consistent and the rich colors can really enhance your natural eye-color. You know what they say, your eyes are the window to the soul, and this eyeliner can help frame them.
- Mascara – Covergirl Supersizer Mascara
Covergirl has always made BOMB mascaras (the Lashblast line is great in general) but this one really blew me away. It’s able to hold a curl with ease and gives great length and volume. The formula allows for both natural everyday and dramatic night-life looks. For a product that you’re only supposed to use for three months, this mascara is a great budget friendly option.
- Lipstick – Covergirl Colorlicious Lipstick in Sultry Sienna
This color is a perfect everyday nude pink that applies opaque and smooth. Although you will need to touch up if you’re going to be eating oily foods, the staying power is pretty good. If you have dry lips, you might want to add a lip balm underneath to help your lips contain their moisture.
That concludes my list of top shelf, reach for everyday, holy grail drugstore makeup products. Can you tell I’m a bit of a makeup junkie? By no means am I saying you have to buy all the aforementioned products to complete your makeup look, but if you’re looking for options those are some great ones. Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a pro, I hope you find success in these products as I did. Go conquer the world beautiful girl!
Featured image via Anderson Cavalera on Pexels
