Hello Everyone! I'm Claudia and I blog over at Justalittleblush.com. It is such a pleasure to be blogging here today! As soon as Danielle posted that she was looking for some guest posts, I jumped at the chance. Her weekly confessions link up is always the best part of my Thursday. Be warned, when I link up, most of my confessions involve something I ate or something I brought.
I am a self-declared beauty junkie and spend an embarrassingly large amount of my spare time researching & buying makeup. I consider it research and development costs for my blog ;)
So, to get something out of all those hours, I want to share with you all my top five beauty items at the drugstore.
This was tough to narrow down! I started with 18 items and slowly, but surely, narrowed it down to just 5. Although I have a TON of drugstore favorites, I really cut down to those favorites that I prefer over any of my high end products. I asked myself: if the drugstore were to disappear, what five products would I want to keep? These are all products I use regularly and many of them I've repurchased over and over.
One
Bottom to top: Mac Cosmo, Wet N Wild Bare it All, Too Faced Chihuahu & Charlotte Tilbury Nude Kate
Wet N Wild Megalast Lip Color in Bare It All - $2.29
The megalast
lipsticks are actually the first lipsticks I bought when I was just starting to get into lipsticks. I didn't want to spend a lot of money when I was first experimenting with colors and I can find these for $1.99 at some drugstores. Who knew I started with the best. These lipsticks are pigmented, creamy and stay on forever. Although the actual lipstick itself may seem a little stiff, I don't have any issues gliding them over my lips. Plus, they are all matte but are not drying at all!
I recently purchased a $32 lipstick and honestly it doesn't even compare to the Wet N Wild ones.
Although I have over 10 shades of this formula, my absolute favorite is Bare it All. It's a nude shade with just a hint of peach & brown so it doesn't make me look like I'm sick (which can happen with nude lips). Think Jennifer Lopez at award shows. You can see a swatch above compared to some higher end products.
A coupe of other favorite shares are Just Peachy and Cherry Picking.
Two
Jordana Best Lash Mascara - $3.99
I recently raved about this mascara on my blog (readhere). the formula isn't too liquid or too dry. It lengthens, defines and volumizes with one coat. It doesn't flake or run and basically looks amazing. This mascara is better than any drugstore or high end mascara I have ever tried. It's the most comparable to the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara that everyone loves, but for a fraction of the price.
If you look at the brush, it doesn't seem like anything special, but somehow it always seems to pick up the perfect amount of product to prevent any clumping.
I will never be without it.
Three
Image Via
L'Oreal Lumi Foundation - $10.99
This is hands down one of the best foundations I have ever tried. The formula is pigmented, blendable and dries to a very natural looking luminous finish. Even though the coverage is medium, you can build it up to full coverage without looking cakey. It has a little SPF and there is a huge range of shades. As a plus, this comes in a plastic bottle with a pump.
I have combination to oily skin so usually I stay far, far away from anything labeled dewy or luminous. But by some miracle, this foundation works great and I do not end up looking like I rubbed baby oil on my face by the end of the day. I just set my T zone with a tiny bit of powder. The most comparable product to this is my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk foundation. And that is a $64 foundation!
Four
Milani Eyeshadow Primer - $5.99
Talk about underrated products at the drugstore. This little tube of goodness is just as good as the hyped up Urban Decay Primer Potion or Too Faced Insurance Primer for 1/4 of the cost. The formula is creamy/silicone-y consistence just like the UD Primer Potion. A tiny amount is enough as it spreads really easily.
If you don't use eye shadow primer you need to go out and get this asap. It makes such a difference in how eye shadow applies, looks and lasts. I'm talking about extending your eye shadow for hours! Trust me, take an extra 10 seconds of your life and apply this primer.
Five
Wet N Wild Color Icon Blush in Mellow Wine - $2.99
As soon as I started thinking about this post I knew this blush would make the list. I don't even understand how they can price this at $2.99 when it's just as good as my $38 blushes. The formula is ultra-pigmented and long lasting. This color in particular is my absolute favorite. It is like a wine/deep watermelon color that is prefect for the Fall.
There is quite a lot of fall out with this blush so make sure to very gently tap your brush into the pan and then tap out the excess. The tiniest amount goes a LONG WAY with this so be careful to avoid clown face.
Honorable Mention
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I know I said just five, but I felt so guilty for leaving this out that I wanted to give it an honorable mention. My second favorite drugstore lipsticks are the Milani Color Statement Lipsticks. unlike the Wet N Wild lipsticks, the creamy shades of these have a satin finish so they are a little more moisturizing. They also smell delicious. My favorite shade is Cabernet Blend, a deep burgundy color that I tend to wear on repeat in the fall and winter.
Alight friends, there you have it! I hope you'll enjoy these products as much as I do. And let us all hope there is never a true life situation that would require I only pick five products from the drugstore ;) If you want more beauty favorites, reviews and general life posts, come say hi to me at Just a Little Blush.
Thanks to Danielle for letting me post on here today!
Have a great day!
Thank you for guest posting Claudia. I learned so much from your post. I am in desperate need of UD Primer and now I am going to opt and try the Milani Eye Shadow Primer. Especially if I can save so much money. And as soon as I need mascara, I am definitely buying the Jordana one. I feel like I can pick up most of this stuff and it would cost the same as one makeup item I purchase. I love a good drugstore find and you nailed it with this post. So thank you so much.
Be sure to pop over to Claudia's blog and follow her.
Oh what an awesome post! Thanks so much for all the recommendations, I will for sure try some out!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lizzie! hope you love them as much as I do!
DeleteI love this! I'm a makeup fail, so I never know what to buy! I'll definitely try the megalast lipsticks for my sister's wedding this weekend because I didn't know where to look until now!
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa, I love those lipsticks. Plus they are so affordable that you could buy several of them for the same price as some higher end lipsticks.
DeleteHey Claudia!! I'm so glad that we connected... I was excited to see a post from you here on Danielle's blog today! I love all of these choices... I have been wanting to try that Loreal True Match foundation... I'm currently using Maybelline Dream Liquid Mousse foundation, and while I like it, it's a little too heavy, especially for the summer. I think I'll try the Loreal foundation next! I'm glad to hear that you like it!
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsay! Me too! I can't get enough of this foundation. I keep buying really expensive ones only to come back to this one. One light layer will definitely be more much more lightweight than the Liquid Mousse Foundation. And I also think it's easier to find your shade since the bottle is see through!
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