As much as we’d like to say we love affordable drugstore
beauty products more than spendier finds from Sephora,
Violet
Grey, and Dermstore,
ehhhh that would definitely be a lie. Unfortunately (for our
wallets, at least), my fellow WWW beauty editor Courtney Higgs and
I have rather expensive taste in beauty products. (Remember that
time I realized my makeup
routine totaled a whopping $436?!)

But, there is a but. Since it’s part of the job, we’ve
definitely tried our fair share of drugstore beauty products. Over
the years, we’ve amassed a collection of budget-friendly finds
we’re actually more obsessed with than their luxe,
investment-worthy counterparts. Sure, I might have a drawer of
lovely
mascaras from Chanel, Dior, Too Faced, Lancôme, and more, but
running short on my beloved neon-orange tube from Covergirl is what
sends me into a cataclysmic panic. And there’s more where that came
from!

Below, Courtney and I are sharing the best drugstore beauty
products we use on a regular basis and mix with or sub for even the
most spendy of beauty formulas. They’re not necessarily new or
particularly exciting, but they’re the ones we truly can’t live
without and haven’t felt the need to replace with higher-end
options—even years later. Keep scrolling!

Let
me just start by saying this ointment was originally formulated to
soothe chapped cow udders. It’s not at all glamorous, but it’s
seriously the best ointment. I see instant relief from severe
dryness, peeling, irritation, and any other skin woe with just a
dab of this miracle product. I have at least four tins at home and
one on my desk at work so I’m never without it. 

This
is one of those black-girl staples we all swear by. It’s the best
gel in the world, and you can quote me on that. It’s the only one
I’ve ever used that helps me achieve slick styles without turning
my hair into a gross hard hat. The best part is that it’s so
inexpensive that I can use it quite liberally without any
guilt.

Foundation
is one of those products I vividly remember watching my mom apply
as a child, so as soon as I was old enough to experiment, I was all
over it. That said, I’ve tried a lot of foundations. This one by
L’Oréal holds its own against some of the most beloved, expensive
formulas out there. It was actually recommended to me by a makeup
artist friend who always keeps it in her kit. It’s soft and dewy
and leaves my face utterly flawless but still looking like skin.
The only drawback is that my perfect shade doesn’t exist; I have to
mix two together.

I’ve
never tried a professional dermaplaning tool, but I don’t really
feel the need to because these handy little razors get the job done
just fine. Maybe I’m naive, but I’m okay with that!

This
cleanser from French drugstore brand La Roche-Posay recently saved
my life while traveling. That’s dramatic, but after accidentally
packing a pint-sized cleanser that had some comedogenic junk in it
(which my skin immediately rejected in the form of whiteheads and
zits galore), I found this at a nearby drugstore. After just a
couple of uses, this exfoliating, salicylic acid–spiked cleanser
almost completely cleared and settled my skin. It’s amazing, and
I’ve been committed to it even since coming back home to my old
favorites.

This
is one of the first mascaras I ever used, and as long as CoverGirl
continues to make it, I swear I’ll be swiping it until my dying
day. I naturally have long, dark lashes, so I can’t stand heavy,
clumpy formulas (or huge brushes!) that weigh them down or turn
them into a sad, droopy mess. Remarkably, this is one of the only
wands that doesn’t do the above. It’s great for curl, volume,
length, and separation, and I always come back to it. I know they
have multiple LashBlash formulas now, but the O.G. orange will
always be my forever favorite. 

I
discovered this dry shampoo pre–night out at a friend’s house (a
fellow beauty editor for another publication, actually!) and have
purchased multiple cans since. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to say
this, but in my eyes, it’s a more affordable dupe to my fave dry
shampoo from DryBar, and I love using it as both a dry shampoo for
greasy roots and a texturizer if I need some volume. It smells
amazing (I always get compliments if someone goes in for a hug),
and it’s one of the few products I use on freshly washed strands
and dirty strands, alike. 

I
don’t even remember when I started using this concealer stick from
Revlon, but I basically never leave the house without it. I put it
on top of pimples, on top of under-eye circles, as a primer for my
lips and eyelids—everything. I once lent it to a former co-worker
who said she “hated all drugstore products” when she was
desperately seeking concealer post-work, pre-date, and she couldn’t
believe how great it was. I honestly prefer it over Clé de Peau
Beauté’s cult-favorite stick concealer.  

If
I didn’t know any better, I would think this foundation was about
five times the price. The coverage is medium to full but super
buildable, dries to a flattering sating finish (not too matte and
not too dewy), and is infused with a healthy dose of SPF, vitamins,
and other glow-inducing ingredients your skin will love. I have
countless foundations that are way more “iconic” and way more
expensive, and I usually reach for this one. 

I
know people have their feelings about self-tanner, but I’m a
self-professed self-tanning fiend. For years I had been scarred
from my high school days of being perpetually orange and streaky,
and I was on a strictly expensive diet of only the most expensive
mousses and lotions out there. Thus, you can imagine my surprise
when I was visiting my parents in Arizona, picked this mousse up
from the drugstore, and actually loved it more than the majority of
formulas I have stuffed in my cabinet at home. The color develops
into a really natural and believable shade (even on my ghost-white
skin!), it smells better than the majority of formulas I’ve tried,
it lasts, and it also doesn’t feel sticky or overly gross on my
skin post-application. As far as self-tanners go, it doesn’t get
much better than this $12 option. 

I’m
not a hairspray person, but every blue moon I need a quick spritz
for an extra layer of hold security if I know I’m in for a long day
or night. Since my hair is fine in texture and also super-bleached,
I need something that’s lightweight, and won’t turn my fragile
strands into a clumpy sticky mess. And, I definitely don’t want to
feel like I have to wash my hair AGAIN the following day just
because of my hairspray. I’ve been using this fine mist from
TRESemmé ever since celeb colorist Justine Marjan introduced it to
me a couple of years ago after it launched (she also used it
recently here), and I love how soft malleable, and not product-y my
hair feels post-spray. That said, it keeps things in place for
hours and hours. Truly, it’s magic. 

Face
masks are an expensive bracket of beauty product, and I’d be lying
if I said on average, most of my favorites are upward of $50.
However, I discovered this one back when I was in college (when I
just couldn’t swing expensive skincare) and, remarkably, it’s STILL
in my arsenal of acne-fighting formulas. Unlike a lot of clay and
charcoal formulas, it’s not irritating or harsh on the skin, and it
really does alleviate my congested skin almost
instantaneously. 

Not
only do these blushes from Milani look expensive packaging-wise,
but they also give the prettiest punch of color. Every shade is
gorge, and I use my collection just as much as I use my favorite
powder blushes from Nars, Hourglass, and other more expensive
brands. Plus, it’s like a two for one, because the finish is glowy
enough to pass for a subtle fleck of radiance. Essentially, you’re
getting a blush and highlighter for less than $10. It should be
illegal. 

I’m
not sure if I’d normally categorize Essie as a drugstore brand, but
I’m including this epic top coat in this roundup because it’s
available at affordable pit stops like Walmart, Amazon, Target, and
CVS, and at just $11 gives me a long-lasting gel finish that’s way
more budget-friendly than an actual gel manicure. I pretty much
refuse to use any other topcoat at this point and rarely go to the
salon. 

Hair
accessories are having a major moment right now, but up until
Scünci’s latest launch, (entitled the Elite Collection), nothing
that wasn’t expensive struck my fancy. That said, the affordable
brand is now bringing us allllll the gorgeous scrunchies, barettes,
headbands, and clips a girl could as for at the fraction of the
price. And, um, if these butterfly clips don’t give you
*elevated* ’90s nostalgia, I don’t know what will.  Up next: The
7 Most-Wanted Face Creams—and Their Less Expensive Drugstore
Dupes

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