Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Kawai Matthews, Retailers
Here at the Strategist, we love hearing about everyday stuff that actually works. That line of thinking extends to the drugstore beauty products in our medicine cabinets, shower caddies, and makeup bags. In our series “Beauty Aisle,” we’re talking to folks in the beauty industry — aestheticians, hairstylists, makeup artists, dermatologists, and the like — about the go-to affordable products they keep stocked. For this installment, Strategist beauty writer Arielle Avila chatted with makeup artist and lash expert Dionne Phillips about the drugstore products she loves.
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As I’m getting mature — I like using that word — and wiser, I have a little bit more grays. Since my hair is growing back from treatment from breast cancer, the texture and color are different. I don’t have time to go to the salon all the time, so I use this. It stays all day. It doesn’t look glossy fake, either, which is why I like it.
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I’ve been using this for maybe four years now. Maybe longer. It has moringa, vitamin C, and a lot of antioxidants in it. This just eats up that dead layer of skin to bring up that bright new layer. I used to have a little melasma around my mouth and this cleared it up. I started introducing it to clients here, and it’s helped with their dark spots. You’ll notice a difference in a week.
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Lumify has been my go-to for after lashes. I put it on clients’ eyes as a refresher. If their eyes have been closed for a long time, they usually are dried out by the end of the session. This helps, and it also whitens the eyes better than any other eye drop. That naturally makes your eyes look wider, with or without lashes. In my little aftercare bag, I include this since clients really love it. I’ve also used it on set and for events.
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Some places don’t carry this any more, so whenever I see it, I’ll stock up. I’ll buy like five of them at a time. It’s quick and easy if I’m in my car or on the go. You just roll it onto your skin for a little cover-up or layer on more for foundation and dot it with a sponge. It’s really lightweight, so you can build it up. I like that the color is exact. For me, as a brown girl, we always had to mix colors to make sure we got the right shade. The one I get — I can’t remember the exact number off the top of my head — is not too red or too orange. It looks natural and not like makeup-makeup on your skin.
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Touchland has been with me since before COVID. I was early to catch on. As a breast-cancer survivor, I have to protect my immune system, so I take them with me everywhere. My favorite is their watermelon scent. I also love their new bergamot one. It’s almost like a perfume. And because my mom loves coffee, I just bought her a caramel mocha one.
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I love this sunscreen. I have had so much trouble finding one that doesn’t make me look ashy or dry. This one is great. It doesn’t leave a white cast for melanated skin. It also just feels good to put on. It really moisturizes the skin. I use it at the end of my facial treatments.
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Similar to the Maybelline, this just matches my skin tone perfectly. I’ve been using this since back in the ’90s when I was modeling. It’s a tried-and-true thing. It’s easy to apply, doesn’t budge, and has always been there for me.
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This is the best drugstore lash glue out there. It’s strong. You can literally go swimming with a strip lash on and this, and it’ll stay on. I recommend it to a lot of makeup artists who prefer a strip lash. The trick is you have to wait 13 seconds before applying the strip lash, so it’s not sliding around. If you do that and let it get kind of tacky, you’ll be good.
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These are always with me. When I’m tired from being a busy business person, I just use those wipes at the end of the day while I’m watching TV or something. It really takes off makeup and oil like a vacuum. I have a big pack of them at home but also the tiny packs in my bag for when I’m traveling.
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