Drugstore Beauty Products to Love

Drugstore Beauty Products to Love

The following content contains referral links and or PR/Gifted products (*). Read my disclosure policy for more info.

I think I might be in trouble.

When I started this blog back in 2012, I pretty much lived in drugstores. I would literally grab an energy drink and a protein bar and look for new drugstore beauty products to try. One thing I’ll admit is that I had a lot more free time back then. Now that my days are often fully-packed, I don’t have time to drive around from one drugstore to the other, as I used to. Truth is that everything is a bit out of the way for me.

But, now that RideAid transferred to Walgreens, our local (and very empty + rundown) RideAid now has a new, shiny sign hanging right above the entrance that says “Walgreens.” It’s nearly within a walking distance from our house, which means I might become a frequent visitor.

I definitely use more luxury brand products nowadays, but I still have a lot of love for drugstore beauty products.

Covergirl Trublend Super Stunner Hyper Glow Highlighters* (a bit of a mouthful here) in Gilded Glory (top) and Rose Quartz (bottom). These are very pigmented and it’s so easy to overdo it with the application. When I first used them I thought that they were way too intense and shimmery for me. The second time I used less product and blended it in like I would blush, rather than just swiping it once using a fan brush (which is usually what I do when applying a highlighter), et voilà! A beautiful, delicate glow.

Another Covergirl product on my list is their TruBlend Undercover Concealer. It’s a very pigmented concealer and I think one of the best full-coverage concealers you can find at the drugstore. You need very little product to get nice coverage, it blends nicely and lasts all day. I do, however, have to say that it probably isn’t the best choice for dry skin. My skin changes from combo to dry all the time, and I have to put a little extra effort prepping my skin when it feels dry, to make this concealer work. Other than that, it’s a great drugstore beauty product. Their Lashblast Primer and Mascara are also pretty impressive.

L’Oreal definitely has a few “OG” products that I come back to time and time again. The True Match foundation and Voluminous Lash primer being just two of them. Right now I really like their Colour Riche Plump and Shine Lipstick in Coconut Plump. It wears very comfortably, it’s hydrating, adds sheer color and actually feels more like a tinted lip balm to me. It’s great for everyday use and when going for a minimal makeup look.

I love using a face mist first thing in the morning when my skin is feeling dry. Love them in the summer, too. Elf Glow Dewy Mist is infused with coconut water, hyaluronic acid, and argan oil. It has everything I like in a face mist. The mist is so fine, it feels like walking through a cloud. It’s very refreshing and does actually leave your skin glowing. It has a light, coconut scent but it doesn’t irritate my skin at all, it actually feels quite soothing. There’s no burning or redness either, just a refreshing, cooling, soothing feeling.

I was obsessed with Pixi+ Chloe Morello lip icing in Cake that came out a while back and was so bummed that it wasn’t a part of Pixi’s permanent collection (although Toffee is quite similar). When I opened my recent PR mailer from Pixi and saw that they released three new shades I literally screamed: “Yesss I love these!!” Three new Pixi + Chloe Morello Lip Icing shades are Bonbon, Parfait, and Sorbet*.

The formula of these is really incredible. It feels like a mix of lip oil, lip balm, and lip gloss, with a stunning 3D shimmer. Some lip toppers have a slightly gritty texture and the glitter isn’t very evenly distributed once applied- these Pixi lip icings are completely different. They’re incredibly smooth, infused with rosehip oil and marula oil and can be used on bare lips, or on top of other lip products. The formula is really unique, unlike anything I’ve used before. Absolutely amazing for dry lips. If you’re a lip-product addict, you have to try these.

Another Pixi product I’m loving is the Pixi + From Head to Toe Endless Shade Stick.* This eyeshadow stick is great to use when you’re in a hurry. It’s very pigmented and does not smudge at all throughout the day. You have a few minutes of playtime to apply and blend it. Once it dries, it stays in place. The shade is also beautiful.

Revlon Photoready Rose Glow Hydrating + Illuminating Primer– I can’t say that it’s very hydrating (keep in mind that my skin is currently very dry) but I love the beautiful glow it gives me. The formula is very serum-like, it absorbs quickly and leaves my skin feeling slightly tacky, which I feel helps with my foundation application. It plays nice with all the foundations I’ve used it with so far. My only issue would be with the drop applicator- it does need improvement.

In 2015 I fell in love with Revlon’s Ultra HD Matte Lip Colors. Right now I’m loving their Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish. My most-used shade is Birthday Suit, which is a nude mauve. With the rich and such pigmented formula, it feels like a full-on liquid lipstick, but the finish is very glossy. You get full coverage with just one swipe, but just like the Ultra HD Matte, these do feather out quite a bit. It’s kind of expected from a lip polish, but a lip liner is a good idea with this one. Being a lip polish, it’s not very long-lasting, the formula is so lovely though and wears so comfortably, that I don’t mind.

Then, there’s a fall favorite that I always love using this time of year: Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry. It has a shiny, glossy finish with a very comfortable formula. Once applied it’s not as intimidating or intense as it appears in the bullet.

Yup, another lip product- I now see that I have quite a few lip products here. Other than nail polish, when I walk into a drugstore, I always check out lip products first. I’ve always loved Milani, especially their lip and cheek products. I mean, Luminoso is one of my all-time favorite drugstore beauty products that I’ve been using for many, many years. Milani Keep It Full is a nourishing lip plumper that feels just like a rich gloss. It does have that delicate “tingle” that most “lip plumping” products have. I use one in Pink Quartz, which is a soft pink with just a touch of shimmer. This lip plumper definitely reminds me of Dior’s Addict Lip Maximizer.

Also from Milani: Stay Put Brow Sculpting Micro Pencil in Medium Brown. I haven’t had much luck with drugstore brow products since the good old Elf Eyebrow Kit. I remember everyone on YouTube was using it at one point. This was back in the day when YouTubers filmed their videos on their messy beds with a crappy camera sans perfect hair, makeup + outfit. It was also before the time when everyone went “eyebrow product crazy.” Anyway, this sculpting eyebrow pencil from Milani is one of the first drugstore eyebrow products I really loved. It looks natural, lasts all day and the shade works great for me- kind of a mix between brown and taupe. The angled tip is perfect for creating natural, hair-like strokes. Drugstores seem to carry only three out of the five colors, but you can find them all on Amazon.

Covergirl Trublend Super Stunner Hyper Glow) in Gilded Glory and Rose Quartz, Ultra HD Vinyl Lip Polish in Birthday Suit, Milani Keep It Full Nourishing Lip Plumper in Pink Quartz, Pixi + From Head To Toe Endless Shade Stick, Pixi + Chloe Morello Lip Icings in Bonbon and Parfait, Revlon’s Super Lustrous Lipstick in Black Cherry, Covergirl Trublend Undercover Concealer in Light Ivory, Colour Riche Plump and Shine Lipstick in Coconut, Milani Stay Put Brow Sculpting Micro Pencil in Medium Brown.

I also love Essie nail polishes, especially neutrals, and Maybelline’s Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner and Lash Sensational Mascara. These are many more drugstore beauty products I love, but those are from the skincare department and probably deserve a stand-alone post.

What are your favorite drugstore beauty products?