You might be a bona fide beauty junkie, but a serious beauty habit doesn’t have to put you in the poor house. A good beauty splurge is ok every once and a while, but these high-performing, yet affordable beauty finds are available at your favorite drugstore or website…no splurge required. Here are 13 drugstore beauty products to add to your list of items to try.
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Matte-Matic Liner
This pencil glides on so easily and, unlike other long-wear pencils, you have plenty of time to buff it out, if you so choose. Once it sets, it stays put all day. It’s mechanical and has a sharpener in the bottom to keep the tip sharp. I have the Charcoal, but I may have to run out and get the other 3 colors. ($8.99 at CVS.com)
Black Opal True Color Perfecting Primer
Black Opal’s new primer is the perfect combo of a BB and a CC cream, providing hydration, perfecting and color correction. Apply a drop after moisturizing to give skin a smooth, glowy look. Leave as is or use it as a primer to your concealer and foundation. Available in 5 shades: Fair, Light, Medium, Deep & Dark (I’m a Light in winter, Medium in summer). ($14.95 at drugstores or Blackopal.com)
Enlite Hot Rock Renewal Polishing Pumice Body Scrub
I don’t typically get great results from body scrubs with small, sandy grains, but this pumice scrub exfoliates like the best of them. With fine pumice grains, argan oil, antioxidants, algae and refreshing eucalyptus, it’s a true home spa experience. ($16.99 at CVS)
Sheet masks are one of the hottest Korean beauty trends. These masks from Miss Skin are sulfate-, paraben- and fragrance-free and start at $3 per treatment. There are a variety of options, like brightening, detox and hydrating. Perfect for travel! ($2.99 at Target)
Sebamed Moisturizing Face Cream
If you have sensitive skin and are looking for an intense, vitamin-rich hydrator that does not have potentially irritating bells and whistles, like acids and retinols, this is a great cream for you. ($12.59 at Walgreens)
JĀSÖN Gentle Basics Facial Cleanser
Another good one for sensitive skin, this unscented, hypoallergenic cleanser thoroughly cleans the skin and remove makeup without stripping. It contains Borage Oil, a hydrating fatty acid, and none of the stuff you don’t want, including petrolatum, sodium lauryl sulfate or laureth sulfate. ($7.69 at Target)
L’Oréal Paris Age Perfect Hydra-Nutrition Facial Oil with SPF 30
I love face oils (see below), but I’ve never tried a face oil with SPF – except some Banana Boat-ish oil with an SPF of 2, back when we thought it was ok to bake in the sun – so I was very interested to give this a shot. This SPF 30 treatment contains 8 essential oils to hydrate and soften the skin and give it a healthy glow. Surprisingly, it leaves no oily residue so it works wonderfully under makeup. ($17.09 at Target)
Avalon Organics Intense Defense Antioxidant Oil
Avalon Organics has another winner on their hands! This luxurious-feeling oil contains high levels of vitamin C, white tea and lemon bioflavonoids, which protect the skin from environmental stressors. The oil also smells amazing, thanks to apricot and raspberry oils, and it absorbs quickly enough to use under makeup. ($14.99 at Walgreens)
CIRCA Brush Assortment
Good makeup brushes can cost a pretty penny, but these brushes, which are part of the collection by Eva Mendes-led CIRCA, are washable, long-lasting and feature hand-cut synthetic bristles. ($8 to $13 at Walgreens)
L’Oréal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Gloss
For a long-wearing lip product, this gloss is shockingly comfortable to wear. It feels very creamy going on, drying down to a matte finish that has a pleasant, powdery slip to it. Available in 10 shades. ($7.99 at Walmart)
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Duo Pack
I am already a huge fan of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, but their new spring “Voyager†shades have me head over heels all over again! These no-cure gel polishes wear longer than any other store bought polish I’ve tried and you will love the new range that includes two beautiful beiges, a rusty red, a royal blue and a vibrant aqua. Each shade comes in a pack with the gel top coat. ($15.99 at CVS)
Dial Soothing Care Body Wash
I have to admit, this body wash really surprised me. It’s under $5, pH-balanced and keeps my skin as clean and moisturized as products at 5 times the price, thanks to collagen and citric acid. Try it, you won’t regret it! ($3.99 at Target)
Jergens Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Moisturizer
My can get very dry if I don’t take excellent care of it. This rich, lightly scented lotion does just that. The pure African shea butter nourishes and keeps my skin soft. And bonus! Jergens’ HydraLucence blend also makes it look more luminous. ($5.99 at Drugstore.com)
