Drugstore Beauty Standouts

Ever find yourself standing in the cosmetics section of the drugstore completely overwhelmed by the variety of products? How do you know what will work and what won’t? And whether you’re a student or not it still isn’t ideal to waste your money on products that aren’t that great. Lucky for you and your wallets, I have lived a life of financial debauchery and have tried a significant amount of drugstore beauty products and can give a general overview of the standout hits and misses within each brand.

Milani:

Milani is a brand typically carried at Walmart and Superstore. Their baked blushes are awesome especially the shades Luminoso and Rose d’Oro but they’re all great. Their lipsticks and lipliners are also very good quality but they don’t last for an overly long amount of time on the lip. Their individual eyeshadows and recently released eyeshadow palettes are also very good in terms of pigmentation and colour selection. For foundation and face products though, I would opt for a different brand.

Flower:

Flower cosmetics are sold exclusively at Walmart. The line’s packaging is particularly eye-catching with a sort of white with gold accent theme that is loved by les basiques and of course I had to try out some of their stuff. The matte lipsticks are stunning and build up beautifully especially the shades Get to the Poinsettia and Tender Tuberose. The shiny formula of the lipsticks isn’t as good because they are so creamy that they can get really messy quick. Other standouts are their crème eyeshadows and lip balms. I tried their loose powder in the lightest shade and it was still too dark for me so if you have more of medium skin tone with yellow/neutral undertones then it might work for you. Their crème blush was just okay.

Revlon:

Revlon is a classic drugstore staple and it’s for good reason. Their lipsticks are also really nice especially Plum Velour and Black Cherry. Their original Colour Stay Foundation is nice and their powders are okay. I rub my eyes a ridiculous amount and their 24Hour black eyeliner tube is amazing and will stay on all day without smudging.

Pictured are the Flower lipsticks in both the creamy and matte varieties, the L’Oreal limited edition Blake Lively red lipstick, Milani’s Teddy Bare lipstick, the Colour Whisper from Maybelline and NYX eyelash glue | Photo by Zana El-Youssef

Covergirl:

I used to be obsessed with the OG Lash Blast in the orange tube and it is still a good option. I also used their cover up (with the blue cap packaging) for years. They don’t make it anymore but their Ready Set Gorgeous concealer comes in the same packaging but just with a pink cap and it’s very similar. Their lipsticks and lip glosses are also pretty good but I tend to reach for other brands when it comes to those types of products.

L’Oreal:

L’Oreal is bomb. I love their original True Match foundation and the Luminous version as well. Their eyeshadows are all really great, their lipsticks are nice even though they’re a tad over fragranced. I use their setting spray because I just can’t justify the price of more luxury setting sprays and I also recently discovered their Brow Stylist Definer (around $10) and it is an extremely close dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz which runs around a cool $30. Their Voluminous Butterfly Mascara is my current ride or die, it’s awesome. Their Infallible Silkissime eyeliner is also super smooth and nice. Their Colour Riche lipliners are very long lasting.

Annabelle:

My favourite bronzer from the drugstore is definitely the Perfect Bronzer from Annabelle. It comes in matte and shimmery shades and is beautiful for the price. For how much I use bronzer it makes sense to spend less. I didn’t like their individual eyeshadows that I tried and I found their eyeliner a little hard to apply.

Rimmel:

Rimmel has some great matte lipsticks called the Lasting Finish Matte by Kate Moss line and their Stay Matte pressed face powder is my continued go to pressed powder to set my makeup. Their lip glosses are all really great and their Scandaleyes Water Proof Kohl Kajal eyeliners are awesome quality for the price.

Pictured are the FitMe concealers in shades 10 Light and 20 Sand and the FitMe foundations in shades 110 Porcelain and 120 Classic Ivory. The black sponge is a dupe for the Beauty Blender from the Joe Fresh Brand and the other brush is a foundation brush from Real Techniques | Photo by Zana El-Youssef

Wet n Wild:

Wet n Wild is arguably the most affordable line at the drug store and it is a hidden gem. Their eyeshadows are super pigmented, their blushes are beautiful and their MegaLast lipsticks are great for an inexpensive option. I also recently tried their MegaLast Liquid Lip Color and the colour was beautiful, it felt a little heavy on the lips but it lasted an eight hour serving shift. I was impressed.

Maybelline:

The FitMe concealer is amazing from Maybelline as well as their FitMe foundation. I always get compliments that I have beautiful skin, not makeup when I wear the combo of the two so I would definitely recommend it. The pressed powder from the FitMe range is also really nice. The lipstick selection from Maybelline is also phenomenal. I would pass on their eyeshadow palettes, the pigmentation isn’t that great and they’re hard to blend. Their Colour Whisper lipsticks are also really great. Their Instant Age Rewind® Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer is also really good for the under eye.

So there you have it, that’s a run down of some stand out drugstore beauty products tried out by yours truly. Go forth and save your money so you can have some cash to do something fun.