You don’t have to spend a fortune to snag fabulous makeup. In fact, some of the best stuff is located inside your neighborhood drugstore and costs just a few bucks. We spoke with makeup artists, who shared their little secret: Sometimes, their favorite makeup products come directly from their local drugstore. Here are a few of their picks.
NYX HD Photogenic Concealer Wand
These are comparable in many ways to NARS Creamy Radiant concealers, says Natalie Setareh, a U.S.-born professional luxury makeup artist and author living in Germany. “They aren’t too heavy, have great medium coverage (full coverage over foundation) and wear nicely when set with a translucent powder,” Setareh says. $6 at Target.com
Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner
It’s a cult favorite among makeup artists, Setareh says. “Their blackest black is literally one of the blackest blacks on the market, and you can’t beat the price,” she says. This has a butterlike consistency and is easy to apply. One bottle will last an entire year. $11 at CVS.com
ChapStick Conditioning Lip Scrub
Celebrity makeup artist for the Emmy-winning series The Bay, Noreen Taylor Diani discovered this gem while looking online for a moisturizing lip scrub for dry lips. When she found it, she was sold. It’s formulated with Maracuja, shea butter and vitamin E, and it costs less than $5. Most importantly, it works like magic. $4 at Amazon.com
Lumify Eye Drops
“Before any makeup look, I love to prep my clients’ eyes with Lumify because it significantly reduces redness, helping eyes appear whiter, brighter and more radiant,” says Vincent Oquendo, celebrity makeup artist in New York. In just 60 seconds, eyes will go from red and cloudy to popping — which even eliminates the need for extra eye makeup. $15 at Walgreens.com
Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon
It’s a lipstick available in 12 matt colors that lasts up to eight hours. Oquendo’s go-to is the Trust Your Gut shade for a nude lip. It applies smoothly, is nondrying and has a pencil sharpener at one end. And you can also apply it to your cheeks and eyelids, making it totally versatile. $8 at Target.com
Milani Baked Blush
It’s difficult to find anyone who doesn’t gush over this blush. “Milani’s baked blushes are so amazing and beautiful: soft, buttery and great for a nice pop of color on top of a cream blush for a special evening out,” Setareh says. It has a subtle shimmer that almost doubles as a highlighter, and is highly pigmented. $7 at Walmart.com
L.A. Girl HD Pro.Conceal
“This is a staple that I can’t live without,” says Joanna Faith Williams, a beauty and style influencer in New York. “The lightweight formula doesn’t take any power any from the amazing coverage this concealer gives,” she says. Williams throws this under her eyes in a triangle shape down the length of her nose and up to each corner of her eye for a great brightening effect. Plus, one bottle seems to last forever. $5 at CVS.com
Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder
Williams says this face powder offers the perfect amount of additional coverage that really locks everything into place. “I even use this on no-makeup days just to lightly even out my skin tone without adding too much coverage,” she says. $8 at Walgreens.com
