MY TOP 5 DRUGSTORE BRANDS | BEAUTY

Holy smokes, it's been too long since I last posted! I'm back, so I'm just going to jump right into things:

If you're like me, the drugstore is where your search for makeup began. I greatly appreciate high-end makeup, but it's a rarity for me to buy it regularly because it's expensive. In no particular rank, I'll be talking about my top 5 drugstore brands, why I love them, and what my favorite products are.

1. MAYBELLINE

Maybelline is iconic – it's hard not to picture the lime green and bubblegum pink packaging of their Great Lash mascara that hit the market almost 50 years ago. They're pretty consistent with the quality of their products, and are generally affordable, considering that drugstore brands have hiked up their prices in the past couple years. Maybelline's Fit Me! line has a faithful following, and their lipsticks are the reason I seldom purchase high-end alternatives.

Here are some of my favorites from Maybelline:

- COLOR SENSATIONAL LIPSTICK (MATTE + SATIN FINISHES)

- FIT ME! LOOSE POWDER 

- FIT ME! FOUNDATION (MATTE + PORELESS)

- SUPERSTAY FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION

- GREAT LASH MASCARA

- LASH SENSATIONAL MASCARA

- FACESTUDIO MASTER CHROME METALLIC HIGHLIGHTER

2. WET N WILD

Before the rise of the Beauty Guru era, not many people talked about Wet N Wild; I think this brand was pushed to the side because people were skeptical. Their products were cheap, and sometimes cheap can leave people wondering whether a product is mediocre. In the past couple years, however, WNW has proven that low cost doesn't need to sacrifice quality. They've put out some incredible products, and still managed to keep their items extremely affordable. 

Here are some of my favorites from Wet N Wild:

- PHOTO FOCUS FACE PRIMER

- COLOR ICON EYESHADOW PALETTE (10 PAN PALETTE)

- MEGAGLO CONTOURING PALETTE 

3. NYX COSMETICS

NYX is one of the bolder, more modern-feeling brands at the drugstore. They've always delivered affordable, on-trend products to beauty enthusiasts, and they truly value their fanbase. They're innovative, too – I have yet to hear about a monotonous release from NYX. Even their most basic products, such as their butter glosses, feel contemporary. 

Here are some of my (many!) favorites from NYX:

- WARM NEUTRALS EYESHADOW PALETTE

- PRISMATIC EYESHADOW

- BUTTER GLOSS

- TURNT UP! LIPSTICK

- SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM

- SLIM LIP PENCIL

- HD BLUSH

- BAKED BLUSH

- HD EYESHADOW BASE

4. MAKEUP REVOLUTION

Makeup Revolution has gained much of its following for being penned a "dupe brand", but who's complaining? While I''d love to see more original ideas from this brand, I do appreciate that their products are super affordable alternatives for high-end makeup. Makeup Revolution is a solid brand to experiment with if you're new to makeup, because the quality of the stuff I've tried is very promising. 

Here are some of my favorites from Makeup Revolution:

- LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER

- CONCEAL & DEFINE FULL COVERAGE CONCEAL & CONTOUR

- RELOADED EYESHADOW PALETTE

- ICONIC ELEMENTS EYESHADOW PALETTE

5. L'OREAL

L'Oreal is another classic drugstore brand that has been developing tried-and-true products for decades (the company is only a few years older than Maybelline). While L'Oreal does make skincare and haircare, I think where they shine the most is in their cosmetics. Their collections seem to be well thought out and their formulas feel luxe. 

Here are some of my favorites from L'Oreal:

- INFALLIBLE PRO-MATTE 24HR FOUNDATION

- TRUE MATCH SUPER BLENDABLE FOUNDATION

- TRUE MATCH LUMI GLOTION 

- TRUE MATCH SUPER BLENDABLE BLUSH

- COLOUR RICHE LIPCOLOUR 

- COLOUR RICHE COLLECTION EXCLUSIVE RED LIPCOLOUR

- COLOUR RICHE MATTE LIPCOLOUR 

- VOLUMINOUS LASH PARADISE MASCARA 

- TELESCOPIC MASCARA   

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DISCLAIMER: This post is not sponsored by any brands mentioned above. I bought all products mentioned with my own money.

My (Kind Of) Everyday Makeup | DRUGSTORE + HIGH-END

I'll admit this: I'm not a BB Cream, one-step makeup routine person (if you are, that's honestly great!). Even if I'm not going anywhere, I tend to wear a full face of makeup every day. I actually enjoy the time in the morning I get to apply my makeup, because I just feel so much more put together after that. 

I titled this my "kind of" makeup routine, because I don't use the same products every single day. Below, I'll be sharing what is typical for me to use (give or take a few products). Some of them are recent finds; others I've been using for a while. I don't like to cut corners with my makeup, so it's a pretty well-rounded list. 

1. BASE: WET N WILD PHOTO FOCUS MATTE FACE PRIMER | $4.99

After moisturizing my face (I use the CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion) and waiting for roughly five minutes, I prime my face with a pea-sized amount of Wet N Wild's Photo Focus Matte Face Primer. I focus mainly on areas where I get oily throughout the day. 

2. FOUNDATION: BECCA ULTIMATE COVERAGE COMPLEXION CREME IN BAMBOO + MAYBELLINE SUPER STAY FULL COVERAGE FOUNDATION IN SUN BEIGE | $44.00, $11.99

Once my primer has set, I use a mixture of the Becca Ultimate Complexion Crème foundation in Bamboo, and the Maybelline Super Stay Full Coverage foundation in Sun Beige. These are both very full coverage foundations, so I apply them in thin layers and find that I don't need to use a lot. 

3. CONCEALER: MAYBELLINE FIT ME! CONCEALER IN MEDIUM | $6.99

So, it turns out I forgot to include this in the picture! As stated above, the foundations I use are both full coverage, so they can sometimes make my face look pretty flat. I like to use concealer to highlight areas which need brightening. 

4. SETTING POWDER: MAYBELLINE FIT ME! LOOSE FINISHING POWDER IN LIGHT MEDIUM | $7.99

To set my foundation and concealer, I use a damp blending sponge to press the powder into areas of my face where I'm most likely to get oily. 

5. BLUSH: NYX BAKED BLUSH IN IGNITE | $6.99

This blush has a subtle gold shimmer, so I like to sweep this over my cheeks and towards my temples. The nice thing about this blush is that even though it has shimmer, it's so understated that you can also use a highlighter with it.

6. HIGHLIGHTER: BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR POURED IN PROSECCO POP | $38.00

I use this on high points of the face: my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and sometimes my cupid's bow. It also works well as a brow highlight. 

7. EYESHADOW: NYX NUDE MATTE EYESHADOW SINGLE IN BLAME IT ON MIDNIGHT | $4.99

This eyeshadow single from NYX is one that I love using in my crease to give my eyes some depth. You can use it as a way to contour yours eyes, which is what I do every day. Sometimes I'll highlight my brow bone with a matte eyeshadow in a vanilla type shade. 

8. EYEBROWS: ESSENCE LASH & BROW GEL MASCARA & ELF EYEBROW KIT IN DARK | $2.99, $3.00

I comb the Essence Lash & Brow Gel Mascara through my eyebrows to hold them in place before defining them a little more with my Elf Eyebrow Kit. I already have dark eyebrows which don't need a ton of filling in, so I don't go to town with this stuff. It's just nice to have a little more definition in my eyebrows because they frame my face better that way. 

9. LASHES: ESSENCE GET BIG LASHES! VOLUME CURL MASCARA | $3.99

I use two coats of this on my upper lashes and then a gentle coat on my lower lashes. For an everyday look, I don't do any dramatic eye looks, so I love my lashes to be full and curled. 

10. LIPS: NYX SUEDE MATTE LIP LINER  IN LEON & NYX SOFT MATTE LIP CREAM IN LEON | $3.99, $6.49

I'm a huge fan of NYX's soft matte lip creams paired with their lip liners! I use either this combination or their SMLC in Rome with their lip pencil in Mahogany. The SMLCs aren't long lasting, but they're so comfortable to wear and they smell like cupcakes. :) 

The finished look! Using many products does not equate to an "overdone" face.

My Highlighter Collection (Drugstore + One High-End)

Two years ago, I purchased my first highlighter. My skin is pretty oily, so I initially wasn't keen on adding anything "glowy" to my face. I'm so glad I did, though. If you're anything like me and prefer foundation with a matte finish, you'll know that it can easily appear to be too "makeup-y" and two-dimensional. I love highlighter because it has the ability to add dimension to your face, and make your skin look fresh and naturally radiant. 

While I don't care too much for the blinding highlight that's popular with a ton of beauty bloggers, highlighters have snuck their way into my everyday makeup routine – even the makeup bag I have in my purse. 

The picture above is of my entire highlighter collection. It isn't much, but they are all different brands and different textures. I'll discuss them, clockwise:

MAYBELLINE FACESTUDIO MASTER CHROME METALLIC HIGHLIGHER IN MOLTEN GOLD | $9.99

This is a gorgeous, highly pigmented peachy gold powder highlighter; definitely a well-loved product in my small collection. I have reached for this many-a-day in my makeup routine. I find the feel and texture to be comparable to high-end brands because it's super smooth and buttery to the touch. I like to apply it with either a brush or my fingers onto my cheekbones and on the bridge of my nose. 


BECCA SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR POURED IN PROSECCO POP | $38 

My first high-end highlighter! I purchased this off of a sale on HauteLook about a month ago, and I've been using it pretty much every day since it came in the mail. The poured version of Prosecco Pop is a rich champagne shade. This has the most natural looking finish of all the highlighters I own because it has no glitter in it. This highlighter works really well for a subtle lit-from-within glow. I use my fingers to apply this to my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and my brow bone. 


NYX AWAY WE GLOW LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER IN DAYTIME HALO | $6.99

Also a subtle highlighter, Daytime Halo by NYX is a pale gold shade that I bought at Ulta a couple months ago. While it's called a liquid highlighter, the formula kind of reminds me of a lip gloss in the way that it's a tad bit goopy (also could be the packaging and doe foot applicator). The finish is a pretty glimmer on the skin, and is best applied using fingers. 

*MAKEUP REVOLUTION LIQUID HIGHLIGHTER IN LUMINOUS GOLD | $9.00

Makeup Revolution's liquid highlighter in Luminous Gold is more of a rose gold shade. This can be applied on top of foundation, but I find it to perform at its best when I mix it with either my primer or foundation. This is great for when it's the dead of winter and your skin needs some life in it. Even if worn under medium to full coverage foundation, the effects of this highlighter are still visible. My only gripe with this product is that it has an oily feel to it, and there are sparkles in it. 

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*The packaging of the Makeup Revolution Liquid Highlighter looks different in the picture above because I accidentally ripped the plastic wrapping off of it. :(