Building your makeup collection; drugstore edition

For those of you who maybe have been too intimidated to shop for makeup, or have found yourself buying the same things over and over, I've put together a list of what I think are some of the most important products to have in your collection. I thought I would start with some budget-friendly, drugstore items that are must haves in my life. 

Face
Foundation is the key to achieving a healthy, even glow to the skin.  Picking a foundation can be very daunting, but I've found that you don't have to spend lots of money to find something great. One that I really love is Neutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup.  This gives medium coverage, and does not feel heavy on the skin.  For those who are dry, this will give a bit of a dewy finish.  This is also known for being a 'dupe' (duplicate) for Nars Sheer Glow foundation, which retails for $44. There are several shades to choose from, and you can find this in your local drugstore for around $12

 

 

 

 

Highlighting and countouring have really become an important part of makeup over the past couple years (mostly thanks to the Kardashians), and although I knew nothing about either of these techniques until recently, I've grown to really love the effect they give.  Highlighting should be a subtle glow on top of the cheekbones, or right above the lips.  Picking a highlighter that is not too gold, and not too pink is very important.  My favorite drugstore highlighter is by Hard Candy. It's actually marketed as a baked bronzer in the shade tiki. It's a beautiful in between shade, and is said to be a dupe for Mac's soft and gentle. This shade looks great on almost any skin tone, and retails for around $10.

Eyes
Eyeshadows are most definitely my weakness.  I've tried so many brands, from high end Urban Decay Palettes, to $1 E.l.f shadows.  The one drugstore brand that I believe stands above the rest is Wet n' Wild .  I know most of you are probably thinking I'm insane, but I'm telling you, Wet n' Wild shadows are incredible! They are so pigmented, and so soft.  Many of the shadows from Wet n Wild are exact dupes for Mac shadows.   My favorite palette in the Wet n' Wild collection is called 'vanity'.  It's the perfect neutral palette for fall (or really any season, for that matter).  I find myself reaching for this often when I want to create a bronzy, smokey look. The colors in this palette really make blue eyes pop, but would look great on any eye color! This palette retails for around $5, and can be found at almost any drugstore. 

I've recently started using gel eyeliner, and I love it!  It definitely takes some practice, but it is so long-wearing.  There are nights when I'm a bad girl, and don't wash my makeup off before I go to sleep, and when I wake up the next morning, my gel eyeliner is still in place. My favorite gel liner is by Maybelline.  I use the liner in blackest black, and it is just that, VERY black.  It really adds drama when I'm going for a smokey eye. This liner comes with a brush, and retails for around $8. 

I know that I said in one of my previous blog posts that I would never buy another mascara after using Mary Kay's lash love, but, I lied! I was at Walgreen's one day, and I saw a new mascara with really cute packaging, and it got me!  Turns out, the packaging wasn't the only thing to love about it.  The mascara I'm talking about is Revlon lash Potion.  The formula is great, and it really adds both length and volume to my lashes.  The brush is a bit large, but all in all, it's a great product.  This retails for around $8, and comes in a regular and waterproof formula.

 

 

Lips
I've only recently started buying lip products, because in past years, I've been too afraid to try anything out of the box, a.k.a. anything that wasn't a pale pink lip gloss. Now that I've started to test the waters, there are a few drugstore lip goodies that I love.  My favorite right now are the colorburst lip butters by Revlon.  They are so conditioning, and give a great amount of color.  It seems like when I use actual 'lipsticks' from the drugstore, they dry out my lips, and make them look gross. These feel more like using a lip balm, but with the added benefit of color.  I've got several shades, but lollipop and cupcake are two of my favorites.  These retail for around $7.

 

I could go on and on about all the great makeup you can find in the drugstore, but this blog would be ten pages long, so, for now, I hope this has been helpful.  If you have any questions, I'm always glad to (try) to answer them!  Have a beautiful day!

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