Ten Drugstore Favourites


drugstore makeup NYC, sleek, bourjois, NYX, loreal, clarins, real techniques, maybelline

It's been a while since I rounded up some favourites from the good old drugstore. Most of the time I'm a firm believer in the 'you get what you pay for' mantra, but occasionally a bargain product will impress me to the point that it rivals the quality of luxury cosmetics. Let's break it down, shall we?
This post pretty much covers everything but base, and that is just because it's been a while since a drugstore foundation knocked my socks off. Feel free to leave your suggestions for me in the comments though!

Complexion: 

A cult classic amongst makeup lovers everywhere is the NYC Sunny Bronzer - the pigment rivals high end, the colour is a nice warm matte bronze that doesn't err on the side of being too orange and it settles on to the skin nicely. 

When it comes to contouring, Sleek was making their Contour Kits before the big name brands were, and they are good. Real good. They come in multiple shades for different skin tones and pack a one two punch with a contouring shade and a highlighting shade which is soft and pretty and not a frosty mess. The packaging is super slim and sleek to fit the brand name too.

Blush can be a real miss at the drugstore in my experience, especially cream blushes. The Bourjois Cream Blush in 01 though is a gorgeous peach that taps on and blends out nicely and then actually sticks around for a while. It doesn't stay sticky, but doesn't dry super powdery either. Plus the tiny little pot is cute as a button! 

A tool I can't live without is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It blends thicker formulas like a mofo and works awesomely well at blending concealer under the eyes as well as cream bronzer and blush on cheeks. It's the best $10 you'll spend in a while. 

Eyes:

I've raved about the L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows yonks around here, so I wont go on any more then to say they have amazing pigment, blend a treat and last all darn day. 

Another well loved product on GLG is the L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara - I'm probably on my tenth tube of it. It's just that good.

A while back I talked about the NYC Liquid Liner, which is another cult favourite amongst bloggers and youtubers. Its super black, dries down matte and last really well without being flaky or smudgy. 

Nothing polishes off a nice eye look quite like groomed brows, and Maybelline' Brow Drama is really very good. Its a coloured gel that doesn't dry all shiney, but rather natural matte and holds the brows in place really well without going crusty. I'd never go back to clear gel. 


Lips:

Two picks here. One is NYX Butter Glosses because they pack serious pigment for a gloss. Almost liquid lipstick like. They also come in a really vast variety of shades. 

Second is my beloved Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfectors, which can be bought in many drugstores here in Canada, but would be priced on the higher end of things for this post. Having said that, you get a massive 12ml of product (say compared to the NYX at 8ml). I'm telling you though, its the best $20 CND you'll spend on a lip product, you're lips will thank you, and me!
 
What have been your favourite drugstore products lately? Got a drugstore foundation rec for me?