3 DRUGSTORE MAKEUP BRANDS TO TRY

There are so many great products in the drugstore, however with so many, it can be hard to distinguish between the cheaper products and those that are genuinely good products at an affordable price. A large amount of my makeup consists of drugstore products, some of which are even dupes for some higher end products and I’ve tried my fair share of products from the drugstore and know which brands and in particular, products are worth a try.

MAYBELLINE

In my opinion, a stand out product from Maybelline is the Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser Primerr (review). If you have oily skin you most likely won’t like this product as it is silicon based, but I like how lightweight this is as it doesn’t feel like I’ve added another layer of product, but it still prepares my skin for my foundation and in turn, prolongs the longevity of my makeup. One of my all-time favourite foundations, just so happens to come from Maybelline. The Fit Me Matte and Poreless foundation (review) is definitely one of my go-to foundations. Despite saying ‘matte’ in the name, it has more of a satin finish, which I personally like as it means that I can go either way with it, simply by using a highlighter or illuminating primer for a dewy finish or powder it for a matte look. The shade range is pretty good, especially for a drugstore base product, however the best thing about this foundation is that it’s now available in the UK! Another great product from the Fit Me Range is the Fit Me Concealer (review), which has been compared to the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (comparison here). I love how workable and easy it is to blend. It is also really good at concealing blemishes and under eye circles and when I set my concealer, it doesn’t crease on me either.

The Brow Drama is a brow gel that I have used for about two years now. The tint is great for when you want a natural look, or want something quick and easy to pop through my brows or to finish off your eyebrow routine. This is one of only two brow gels that actually keep my brows tamed and in place throughout the entire day. The Maybelline The Nudespalette (review) is one of my absolute favourite neutral palettes that consists of both matte and shimmer eyeshadows. These eyeshadows are so easy to blend and there are so many different eyeshadow looks that can be created from this one palette. It’s particularly great if you’re new to makeup and want something affordable and constructed in a way to provide you with as many combinations as possible. The Colour Tattoo (review) is a great versatile product that can be used either on it’s own as a nice wash of colour on the lid or as a base for other eyeshadows as there are a range of colours and finishes and I find that it doesn’t crease on me. Maybelline is my go-to when it comes to getting a great drugstore mascara, my two favourites are The Rocket, which is great for both volume and length, and the Lash Sensational, which I love for long fluttery lashes.

When it comes to lips, I can’t get enough of the Lip Velvet pencil (review). I have the shade Berry Much, which is a lovely plummy shade, however despite being a jumbo lip pencil, it doesn’t leave my lips dry or chapped. Sometimes when I just want a hint of tint, I lightly apply this to my lips, however when I want a bold lip, I just apply it straight from the bullet.

BOURJOIS

I tend to get more base products from Bourjois, which is odd since their foundations and concealers only come in fair shades. However, particularly in the summer, I love using the BB Bronzing Cream (review) which I like using to mix in with other foundations that may be too light for me or just on it’s own when I want the tiniest bit of pigmentation. If you have relatively fair skin, this could work by adding a bit of a tan to the face as a base for foundation. I use the Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer when I’ve gone a bit overboard with my contour as it helps to reduce the harshness. I could only imagine how nice this would look on fairer skin tones as it appears to be a lovely shade with the smallest bit of shimmer! The Java Rice Powder is another versatile product that can be used in various ways, such as applying a small amount over the face to set my makeup or applying a more liberal amount of product in the areas in which you want to highlight for a subtle finish. The Colour Edition Eyeshadows (review) in the shade Petale De Glace is a product that I have used both on my eyelids as a base for other eyeshadow as well as a highlighter on the brow bone and as an inner corner highlight too, as this shade in particular has a nice sheen to it. The ShineEdition lipstick is one of those lipsticks that give a sheer wash of colour on the lips and a more natural and subtle look.

L’OREAL

When it comes to foundations from L’Oreal, I love their vast range of shades to cater to lots of different skin tones. The Infallible Pro Matte foundation is a nice matte foundation with a medium coverage, and I like how long it lasts as it stayed put when I spent all day shopping in New York. I particularly like using this foundation on nights out or when I really need it to stay in place for a long period of time. The LeBlush Peach Blusher is one of my go to blushers as it’s not too evident on the cheeks and the shade peach is universal and works really well for many different makeup looks, whether you’ve got a smokey eye or a deep, bold lip. I’m not really into shimmer and this blusher is purely matte and looks well on so many different skin tones.

La Palette Nude Rose Palette (review) is another lovely neutral palette, which consists of 12 eyeshadows with both matte, and shimmer finishes. They are really pigmented and easy to blend and despite the palette having a pinky undertone, it is still neutral and is an easy way on injecting more colours your eyeshadow looks. I love using the Colour Infallible Eyeshadow (review) in Sahara Treasure for makeup looks for nights out. I often apply this to the centre of my lids for more dimension or for a more golden, inner corner highlight. This product can be used both wet and dry, when used wet it increases the pigmentation and intensity of the product. The L’ombre Pure Eyeshadow is one that tends to get neglected in my stash, despite being a really good product. In my opinion, it rivals its higher end counterparts as it is extremely pigmented and is probably one of the most pigmented eyeshadows throughout the entire drugstore easy to work with. The entire L’ombre pure collection has 24 different shades with several finishes.

What are your favourite products from the drugstore?