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5 of the Best Drugstore Makeup Must-Haves

By Ana on April 5, 2017 · Updated January 20, 2021
Frugality· Personal Finance

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure.

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Wondering what is the best drugstore makeup? I’ve done a lot of research and found 5 cheap makeup items that rival designer brands. Read on to find out what they are!

The best drugstore makeup must-haves

Confession – when I was young, single and living in Paris, I had a bit of an obsession with designer makeup. I would happily go without lunch for a few days just so I could buy a $32 YSL mascara or a $47 Chanel Lipstick. Ah, the life of a young, single woman in Paris.

These days, if I’m spending the day at home I don’t wear any makeup at all. When I’m going to be out and about, I have a fairly basic makeup routine which takes me around 5-10 minutes to apply.

When my husband and I decided that we wanted to pay off every last cent of debt we had and live debt-free, spending $80 on two makeup items wasn’t going to help us reach our goal.

So I made it my mission to find more reasonably priced products that could replace my expensive, designer products. I had gotten used to using designer makeup, so I wanted to try and find cheaper alternatives that felt the same.

Was it possible? I wasn’t sure. But after trying out tons of products that didn’t fit the bill, I discovered five cheap makeup items that definitely rival the designer products I was skipping lunch to be able to buy!

(I realize that these cheap makeup items aren’t all-natural, organic, etc. (and neither are the majority of high-end, designer makeup brands.)

While I now try to use as many natural products as I possibly can, these are the products that got me through the “must save money on makeup” period!)

5 of the Best Drugstore Makeup Must-Haves

1) NYX BB Beauty Balm

I tried a lot of different foundations, tinted moisturizers and beauty balms before I stumbled across this NYX BB Beauty Balm. It provides a nice, natural-looking coverage that brightens the skin without feeling heavy.

I would liken the coverage to a cross between a tinted moisturizer and a full foundation. It doesn’t provide the full coverage of a foundation, but if you’re looking for something that gives you a light coverage to even out your skin tone, then this is a great choice.

2) Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Nail Polish

While it’s definitely nice to have a professional manicure sometimes, it can get pretty spendy visiting the salon every couple of weeks.

I have tried a million (ok, maybe closer to a hundred) different nail polishes, ranging in prices from $2 up to $30 and my favorite is definitely Sally Hansen’s Complete Salon Manicure.

It goes on smooth, the colors are very rich, it’s long-lasting and you only need one coat (unlike a lot of the cheap brands, which require 3 coats.)

3) Covergirl The Super-Sizer Mascara

I’ve always been a huge fan of the YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils mascara (and I still use it when I got out on in the evening or for special occasions.)

But for regular day wear, the Covergirl Super-Sizer Mascara does an amazing job at thickening and lengthening my lashes without being clumpy.

covergirl-mascara

4) Essence Say No To Dark Circles Concealer

I think most moms can agree that there are times when the dark circles under your eyes make people confused as to whether they’re talking to a human or raccoon – can I get an amen?

The YSL touche eclat is an amazing option for brightening under the eyes, but it’s around $40, so definitely on the expensive side.

A great, budget-friendly alternative that I’ve enjoyed using is the Essence Say No To Dark Circles concealer.

5) Physicians Formula Eye Booster 4-in-1 Brow Boosting Kit

In a world where everyone is all about thick eyebrows, it can be tough for us “thin-browed” folk.

That’s where the Physicians Formula Eye Booster 4-in-1 Brow Boosting Kit (that’s a mouthful!) comes in.

My favorite part of this kit is the dual-ended eyebrow pencils – the light end is used underneath your brows to give them a lift and the darker end is used to fill in your actual eyebrows.

So there you have it – 5 cheap makeup items that are great budget-friendly alternatives to their designer cousins.

These are all great options for those looking to save some money on makeup, without sacrificing too much on quality.

Do you have any other cheap makeup products that you love?

Frugality, Personal Finance

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Hi, I’m Ana and I am a huge personal finance nerd. In addition to my journey to financial freedom, I also love to live life to the fullest…you know like a millionaire!! Learn more about me and this site…

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