Makeup shopping at the drugstore always reminds me of my teenage days. After I drove to Walgreens to snag the $5 mascara my friends had been raving about, I would fill my arms with all the e.l.f. and Maybelline products I could hold. A lot has changed since those days: I do most of my drugstore shopping on Amazon, and my holy grail Wet n Wild “cushion” foundation has been discontinued. Through it all, though, the drugstore has stayed a mainstay in my routine.
“You can absolutely get a beautiful, polished makeup look using only drugstore products,” makeup educator Rose Siard told InStyle. “The key to shopping drugstore is knowing your skin and doing a tiny bit of homework.” We did all that homework for you—including testing dozens of products and seeking advice from makeup experts like Siard. The result? Thirteen drugstore makeup products that are just as good as their luxury counterparts, all under $20.
Credit: Ulta
Why We Love It: Foundation is one of the most make-or-break products in any makeup routine. Choose a cakey formula, and your whole beat will fall flat; on the other hand, a flawless foundation will get you compliments galore. Don’t splurge on a $50 formula; this $15 L’Oreal foundation is just as good. It’s one of the best liquid foundations we’ve tested, thanks to its skin-like, semi-matte finish and medium coverage. It never creases, cakes, or settles into fine lines.
Worth Noting: The long-wear foundation works well on dry to oily skin, plus it has 40 shades from snow to ebony.
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Michelle, tester with dry skin: “The product gave the most beautiful blurring effect and made my skin look even, soft, and smooth. It didn’t cling to any dry patches, nor did it settle into pores or lines. It didn’t look cakey or heavy and it was easy to find my shade with this foundation.”
Credit: Ulta
Why We Love It: The viral $8 e.l.f. Camo Concealer provides a full-coverage yet skin-like finish on par with the priciest formulas. InStyle tester Wasimah used the concealer under her eyes and found it covered dark circles with ease. It would work just as well on blemishes and discoloration since it didn’t cling to any dry spots or settle into fine lines.
Worth Noting: Since it offers a dewier, skin-like finish, it may not work as well for oilier skin types.
Wasimah, tester: “The concealer feels very smooth and hydrating, and the finish is radiant. Although it’s full coverage, it doesn’t look cakey at all.”
Credit: Amazon
Why We Love It: Delivering instant volume and lift, this CoverGirl mascara only requires one or two coats. InStyle tester Sharon called it “one of the most lightweight mascaras” she has ever tested, so it’s extremely comfortable for extended wear. It’s almost like a waterproof mascara in its longevity, as it doesn’t flake, smudge, or weigh down the lashes; however, it’s super easy to remove. (If you prefer a waterproof mascara, the L’Oreal Paris Lash Paradise Waterproof Mascara is another worthwhile drugstore buy.)
Worth Noting: Those with weak lashes, listen up: This formula is chock-full of conditioning and strengthening ingredients to improve your lash line with consistent use.
Sharon, tester: “From just one coat, the length and lift payoff was great. It did not feel heavy at all on my lashes, and I didn’t see any smudging even in the Florida heat.”
Credit: Amazon
Why We Love It: If you want your makeup to stay all day, setting spray is nonnegotiable—but don’t think you have to invest in a pricey setting spray to lock down your look. This option is just as effective as the $50 sprays we tested. Case in point: InStyle tester Mollie said her makeup didn’t even budge in the rain. It has a dewy finish, thanks in part to the formula’s skin-loving aloe, hyaluronic acid, squalane, and green tea seed oil.
Worth Noting: Thanks to the hydrating ingredients and dewy finish, this setting spray formula works best for normal to dry skin.
Mollie, tester with combination skin: “The finish of this was dewy and highlighting, very complementary to my skin. Once blended, my skin looked very smooth and had a nice, locked-in shine.”
Credit: Amazon
Why We Love It: Your beat is only as good as your skin prep, and Maybelline’s Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser is one of the best primers we’ve tested. It provides an airbrushed, poreless finish and locks in makeup for all-day wear.
Worth Noting: The Baby Skin primer has quite a bit of slip, so it’s not mattifying; those with oily skin should opt for Maybelline’s Prime Blur and Pore Minimizer Primer instead.
Allison, tester: “Beyond locking my makeup in place for the duration of an uncommonly warm fall day, the ultrasmooth formula felt like it was literally paving over my pores, leaving smooth, flawless skin in its wake.”
Why We Love It: If you prefer a brow gel that tints and holds, this one is your best bet. InStyle tester Chelsea achieved full, fluffy brows thanks to this gel, which shapes, tints, and fills in sparse areas. Plus, it stayed put without flaking all day.
Worth Noting: If your brows have sparse areas or fine hairs, this brow gel will supply the TLC they need. However, it won’t cement unruly brows in place, unlike our previous recommendation.
Chelsea, tester: “The hair-like fibers in the product were perfect for filling in sparse areas and the gel provided good definition and shaping.”
Credit: Amazon
Why We Love It: This affordable eyeshadow palette has 10 neutral shades, including five shimmery ones, perfect for creating any day or nighttime look. InStyle tester Jaclyn found it easy to create soft glam, full glam, and everyday looks with the eyeshadow palette. Plus, she was surprised at how long-lasting the shadows were, keeping her look in tact as she danced the night away.
Worth Noting: The shadows couldn’t be easier to apply and blend. The creamy texture is ideal for dry and mature lids, since it didn’t cause any patchiness.
Jaclyn, tester: “I have dry skin and sometimes my makeup can make me look older than I am. This fell nicely on my eye without seeing all the dry spots.”
Credit: NYX
Why We Love It: InStyle tester Alyssa was a powder bronzer skeptic before the Buttermelt Bronzer; after using it on her fair skin, it’s safe to say she’s a convert. It’s highly pigmented but melts into the skin easily, blending well with other makeup products. It gives a natural glow, much like our other favorite bronzers, and it doesn’t cake, crease, or emphasize texture.
Worth Noting: The bronzer is available in ten shades from light to deep. However, the deepest shade, Butta Than U, makes a better blush than bronzer on dark skin.
Alyssa, tester: “I’m happy to report that this powder layered beautifully over top of my other layers and stayed all day.”
Credit: Ulta
Why We Love It: Just a teensy drop of Juvia’s Place Blushed Liquid Blush provides enough pigment to cover your whole cheek, giving a lit-from-within glow. It’s so pigmented that it’s become our go-to for full glam looks. InStyle writer Kieaundria Bellamy loved that the liquid blush has a dewy finish, making it the perfect blush for dry skin types.
Worth Noting: Unfortunately, many brands’ blushes look chalky on more pigmented skin—but not this one. Juvia’s Place is Black-owned, and each product is designed to accommodate all skin tones; this blush comes in 12 versatile shades.
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Kieuandria Bellamy, writer: “I use this blush whenever I’m looking to do a full glam. Its duo powders are great for my days when I don’t feel like doing too much to my face—just a soft glam to brighten up my skin.”
Drugstore vs. Luxury Products
High Quality, Lower Cost: “Drugstore formulas have become so elevated that you can get a luxury-level finish without the luxury price,” Taylor told InStyle. Why It’s Cheaper: Drugstore products are less expensive largely due to cheaper packaging, not the product itself, according to Taylor and Siard.
More MUA-Approved Drugstore Favorites
Taylor recommends this hydrating primer for prepping mature skin.
Here’s another Taylor-recommended favorite for mature skin. It’s smooth, buildable, and doesn’t settle in fine lines.
“[These are] long-wearing, comfortable, and so easy to pair with a lot of different lip combos,” Siard told InStyle.
Siard calls this one of her “favorite foundations of all time” thanks to its natural finish and all-day longevity.
Our Testing Process
We test over 1,000 beauty products a year, from underrated drugstore finds to luxury splurges. We picked through our testing results to find the best drugstore makeup we’ve tested recently. Each product has passed rigorous testing by InStyle editors, keeping in mind the products’ efficacy, finish, texture, and more.
What to Keep in Mind
Ingredients: “When I’m shopping for drugstore makeup, I always look for products with hydrating, skin-supportive ingredients,” Taylor told InStyle. For a smooth appearance, look for hyaluronic acid, peptides, squalane, and nourishing lipids. In general, avoid matte or overly powdery formulas, especially those containing talc.
Technique: How you apply is just as important, if not more important, than what you apply. Siard recommends investing in quality makeup brushes to ensure your drugstore beat looks flawless. “The difference in brush quality can be large in how it affects the application, blend, and wear time of your makeup,” she told InStyle. We’ve tested dozens of makeup brushes, and generally agree; however, it’s worth noting that e.l.f. makes our favorite foundation brush of all time.
Why Shop With Us
Genevieve Cepeda is a beauty and fashion writer at InStyle. She regularly tests new makeup products, and her routine is full of under-$15 favorites. For this article, she picked through fifteen different InStyle tests to find the best drugstore makeup products our editors and testers have tried.
The following experts spoke to InStyle for this story:
Rose Siard is a makeup educator and the founder of Rose and Ben Beauty. Erica Taylor is a makeup artist and educator who specializes in mature skin.
