Classic Drugstore Make-up

Who doesn't like a budget friendly make-up purchase? These days of high-end make-up company competitions, I'm still a drugstore girl at heart. My first make-up purchases were bought at Eckerd Drug Store in Lawrenceville, Georgia when I was 12 years old and they were purchased after poring over Young Miss and Teen Magazines and seeing what was the 'best' to try at the time. Well, magazines and the Clarion Makeup computer. I would change my answers over and over to see what the results would be. Like a mad makeup scientist, I needed to know why this eye shadow was best for that skin color and eye color and why cool tones and warm tones mattered. Clarion is one I remember best. Aziza, too, but that one can still be found in Dollar Tree occasionally. The 1980's were a great year to get into makeup. The trends were soft (in the mainstream- we aren't discussing the Madonna and punk styles.) and natural and at 12, I was not allowed out of the house looking like a street walker.

Back to classic drug store picks! These product photos here are my own products, photographed by me, on an iphone 6S. Nothing fancy, but I did want to make sure you see that I'm actually a fan and have these products in my collection and they are still used quite frequently. 

Beginning with SPF- I'm 44, but I'm told I don't look it. I attribute this (I've said this many times before) to the fact that I've been using an SPF for years. It's our first defense against wrinkles. Genes do play a large role, but that SPF does A LOT. If you've ever seen a person that worshipped the sun most of their life, how their skin is quite leathery and dry looking, that's what not using an SPF and sunbathing will do to you. Not a cute look, in my book. 

I use Olay Regenerist Broad Spectrum 50 before I put on my foundation. $18.00- $22.00 at various retailers. This is a pricey item for drugstore, but seriously, well worth it. This gives me the protection I need to guard my skin from the sun's damaging rays and plays well under any makeup I use over it. The key is to let it sink in for a few minutes. You can't apply this and go RIGHT to your foundation. Let this absorb for about 10 minutes before you apply makeup. I have a routine- right out of the shower, while the towel (or shower cap) is still on my head, I take care of my skin care items, put my hair products in, then get dressed and in this time, my SPF has time to sink in. 

Next we have foundation. I've included two options here. One is Revlon Color Stay foundation. This one retails for around $10 and is a nice drugstore option to Estee Lauder Double Wear, in my opinion. I have used the Double Wear and I didn't like the application at all. Revlon applies much easier for me, using a dampened Real Techniques beauty sponge. I was disappointed to learn that this foundation doesn't have an SPF in it anymore, but with my Olay application, it's not a total loss. 

The other foundation pick is by Rimmel- the Lasting Finish Foundation. This one retails for around $7.00, so it's even less expensive than the Revlon Colorstay. This Rimmel one does contain an SPF of 20, so if I'm in a HUGE hurry, I won't be naked of protection. According to www.skincancer.org, "Most sunscreens with an SPF of 15 or higher do an excellent job of protecting against UVB."  

Again, a dampened beauty sponge is great to work this into the skin after applying a few dots of it all over my face. 

**A note about foundation- Orange is NOT the new black here...Orange foundation is not flattering for anyone. If you don't know what color you need, you can see how to choose that here. Also- make sure you blend, blend, blend. Especially at the edges of your face and down your neck. If you need to, hold a mirror down under your face, while tipping your chin up slightly to see if you detect a line. If you do- blend, blend, blend! Makeup is okay to be detectable, but foundation is one that you don't want an obvious line to show. It gives a mask appearance. We want to enhance and accentuate our skin and features, not lay out survey and map lines. 

Who gets the suggested amount of sleep and has a flawless, blemish free face? Yeah, me neither! This is why concealer is such a neat little invention! This one by Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 is great for around $5.00. I find it applies beautifully with an e.l.f. flawless concealer brush ($3). This one doesn't crease on me at all, and I might like it better then the beloved Fit Me concealer from Maybelline ($5). My preferred under eye setting powder is next.

This under eye setting powder pick came recommended by Jessica Braun on YouTube. The highlighter side of this Wet N Wild Color Icon Contour Palette in Dulce de Leche is perfect to apply under my eyes where my concealer may crease. It's amazing magic that prevents that annoying line of demarcation is a steal at under $4! It's also a 2 in 1 product, with the darker side being perfect contour to chisel out cheekbones and do some shadow tricks on my nose and forehead. 

Eye Shadow Primer is something that is so personal and tricky with skin types. At least it is with my acne prone, oily, fine lined skin. But this Wet n Wild primer is a winner every time at approximately $4.00. (Can you see that I love items from WnW?) I cannot tell you how many eye primers I've tried SINCE finding this one. Everything from Urban Decay to Tarte.  I've tried other drug store versions, high end samples, and I always, always come back to this one. This new packaging and new name (Photo Focus) use to be from the Fergie line in a black tube with silver writing, called Take on the Day Primer. This is exactly the same product with a different package. I was totally bummed when the Fergie line was discontinued. I hadn't heard anything about this product in the white tube, but I tried it anyway and I'm glad I did!  Why try another one if the inexpensive one is perfect already? Well, that, girls is the question that is never going to be answered when it comes to make-up. I no longer hoard make-up like I use to, I have decluttered and shared so much of what I've purged that now I only replace what I need or buy something I really would like to try. But I have a one in/ one out rule. For every new thing I bring in, I have to purge one old item. This keeps my collection manageable. 

The next drugstore gem is Milani's Baked Blush in Luminoso. This has been favorited as a dupe for Nars Orgasm blush, and I have to say, I was able to try a deluxe sample of the Nars blush and I did NOT like it. Maybe it's shimmer was too much for me, but I much prefer this Milani Luminoso. This particular blush is my third one in this color over the years, it's super affordable at $6- $8. It's much more natural on the skin, especially in the summer time, when I have a bit of a bronze glow happening.  I had another blush to show as well in more of a pinky color from Wet N Wild, but the Fergie Centerstage line has been discontinued and I don't want to share items that you can't get anymore. I do know that the Color Icon Blushes from the Wet N Wild line are as good! This one from the Walgreens site, in Fantastic Plastic Pink is only $1.99! One thing to be mindful of when using the WnW line is to use with a light hand. The blushes tend to be super pigmented, so unless you are into the clown look, go easy! Pretty pink blushes are a great way to just add that healthy flush of color to your cheeks on those days that you want to get out the door quickly. 

Eye shadows...ta-da! More wet n wild! This brand is on their game these days! It's not the colorless chalky stuff that one may expect from a lower cost drugstore brand. The wet n wild brand is actually a beloved eye shadow brand if you search pinterest for 'eye shadow dupes'. This duo, Brulee and Nutty are the perfect pairing for a simple, neutral look or as smokey and dramatic as you want to go! At 3/$2.00 or 1/.79, you cannot beat that! Nutty is the perfect taupe shadow look, too. It's a color that you can apply to your entire movable lid area, then deepen it a bit in the crease. Brulee is a great lid color, but more often I use it most days as my brow bone color or transition color. 

A beautifully neutral drugstore palette pick is Physician's Formula Classic Nudes Palette. These colors are so easy to blend, they are matte which is awesome to use for those of us that are getting a bit of crepiness on the eyelids. Too much shimmer can accentuate my fine lines and crepey skin around my eyes. This palette is available in different shades, some cooler ones for other skin tones. These kind of remind me of the drugstore version of the Urban Decay Naked Basics ($29.00). Of course, not the same, but that's what these remind me of. This is a Basic palette, but a staple in my collection as a safe, works in every situation kind of workhorse at $4.77 right now at Walgreens. Wow, that makes this sound really boring. You're just going to have to trust me on this one. 

Cover Girl's Clump Crusher Mascara, ($8-$9) whether it's the regular or the water resistant, this is a holy grail mascara for me! I ALWAYS have one of each in my stash. There's not much else I can say about it. 

I am not ashamed to say that I just this past year started paying attention to my eyebrows, beyond rubbing them down like a greaser did to his 1950's hair. This NYX Control Freak eyebrow gel is a great affordable brow gel to keep my brows from looking like electrified, static crazed caterpillars. That's not a good look. 

Setting powder. Oh my goodness at around $9.00...This Maybelline Master Fix setting + perfecting loose powder is amazing!! It has been compared to Makeup Forever's HD Microfinish powder. This is one of those powders that make me feel like an evil scientist as I apply it to my large pore cheeks. As I gently tap this on with a medium fluffy brush, I want to tip my head back and laugh that evil scientist laugh, while announcing, "Take THAT you irritating pores! I BANISH you to the under world!!" I might have actually done that once. But seriously, this is one of those products that makes my skin look so pretty and flawless. And I blot less during the day when I use this. ((Blotting is nothing fancy. One ply tissue (not the kind with lotion- also, I've heard that toilet seat covers- CLEAN of course- make great blotting paper.) pressed against oily places on my face to soak up oil. Gross? Meh, a little. But ridding shine is a necessity for us oil slickers.)) Another powder I use occasionally but failed to get a photo of is the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in translucent. It's a bit less expensive at $5.49 at Walgreens. 

Moving on to lips we have the Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipliner in Mauve Shimmer. I love this one because it has such a neat, as the name suggests, shimmer to it that is really hard to explain. I top it with either of Maybelline's Color Sensational Make Me Pink or Born With It. Depending on my mood, either shade is a great shade for everyday and office appropriate. On top of the Rimmel lipliner is divine in staying power! They are super comfortable and wear well for a drugstore lipstick. 

((pardon the overexposure of this photo.))

 Born With It

 Make Me Pink

The last thing I want to add to this small drugstore make-up list of favorites are brushes. I was a sponge applicator that came with the package kind of girl back in the day. And then I discovered brushes. Holy brush strokes! What a difference brushes make. Think of painting a masterpiece on canvas...are you really going to use a sponge brush to do detailed, blended work? NO! You grab a brush and you select the size, density and shape of brush you want for the job and you create a gorgeous work of art. Same for make-up, despite the fact that we are talking paint to powders, it's them same idea. There are some products that are applied better with a sponge applicator- the $6 Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for foundation is a fantastic affordable tool compared to the $20 Beauty Blender from Sephora and Ulta. (Don't mind the rubber bands around my brush handles, that's for another post.) The brushes I have had the best luck with, as far as durability, no shedding, and blend with ease are Real Techniques, Ecotools, and e.l.f. (But not the $1 e.l.f. brushes, only the black handled studio line. I've tried the white ones and they are irritating, prickly, and shed like a wire haired pup in summer.) I can't tell you what brush to use with a product because I use so many different brushes for other uses other than their labels' intent. Like the blue handled angled blush brush in the photo- that's my all over bronzer brush. The pink handle is my blush brush. Or rather one of them, I have a few in rotation. Use what you like for the results you love. It's individual. But it doesn't have to be expensive! 

 I hope you have found something useful in this post, and if you did, I'd love to know what you would add as your own favorites. 

Have a great week!