As a stay-at-home mama of three, my beauty budget is more drugstore than Dior. I love shops like Sephora – and splurge occasionally – but buying high-end makeup products on a regular basis just isn’t an option at the moment. Fortunately, a decent amount of drugstore beauty products are pretty comparable dupes for their pricier counterparts and I’ve found a few that are tried-and-true. From the initial application to midday touch-ups, these products provide gorgeous results for a fraction of what you’d pay for more glamorous brands. Here are five of my drugstore beauty faves…
1 | L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara
Because I’ve never mastered the fine art of applying false lashes, a great mascara is high on my makeup product priority list. Lash Paradise earned its spot as my favorite drugstore mascara by providing the perfect combo of length + volume and, with its price-to-quality ratio, it even sits above many more expensive mascaras in my opinion.
2 | L’Oreal Pro-Matte Foundation
As much as I love a good glow up, a matte finish is a must for me when it comes to my foundation. L’Oreal’s Pro-Matte has been my go-to for my shine-prone skin for years now and no other foundation (save for my beloved Estee Lauder Double Wear) has tempted me to stray. To set my most oily areas, I use the next product on this list atop this foundation and any concealer I apply…
3 | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
Super affordable and super effective, Rimmel’s shine-vanquishing powder has been a favorite of mine for quite some time. Whether I use it over a full face of foundation, to set only my concealer or to simply touch up specific shiny spots, it consistently does its job of eliminating excess oil. This pressed powder is available in several shades but I always purchase it in transparent!
4 | Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
No offense to the original, but I definitely prefer drugstore foundation sponges like this one to the Beauty Blender when it comes to cost. This Real Techniques sponge – like the L’Oreal version I previously reviewed – blends my foundation quickly and easily making it a must-have in my makeup bag!
5 | Elf Contouring Blush + Bronzing Powder in Fiji
When I first tried a sample size of Benefit’s Hoola Matte Bronzer in a Play! By Sephora box, I completely fell in love but I haven’t been willing to sacrifice $30 for the full-size product. Luckily, Elf makes blush + bronzer kits with a pretty great color payoff for a fraction of the price! Side Note: The other shades have a shimmer to them but Fiji is matte!!
BONUS: I’ve also been loving Trader Joe’s Ultra Hydrating Gel Moisturizer! It does an AMAZING job of keeping my foundation from breaking up during the day, it’s said to be comparable to Clinique’s Moisture Surge and it’s under $10!
Those are five of my faves!! Please drop one – or a few – of yours below so we can expand this list of dependable drugstore products!
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