Should you head to Sephora or run to the closest Walgreens for your essentials when it comes to your beauty routine? You can now pick up everything you need in one go. Drugstore foundations are blowing the beauty community away, and there are high-end bronzers that are still snatching up your week’s pay.
There are no wrong choices when it comes to beauty. It is unique to everyone and entirely up to personal preference and, of course, budget.
Some products are no-brainers from the drugstore, and others are worth investing a bit more in. Just because a product under $20 may feel less luxurious does not mean it is any worse. With that, when beauty products cost less for you, they often cost less to make. Now that can come down to marketing, packaging, and just the name brand, so there are some steps in your beauty routine you may want to invest in. And others you can certainly save on without cutting any corners.
When it comes to skincare, there are a lot of excellent options at all price ranges. But there are certain ones you may receive better results from when you choose the high-end alternative. Those include moisturizers, serums, and eye creams. These products may have similar ingredients to their drugstore counterparts, but the luxury versions tend to have more effective ingredients. These items sit on your skin and are absorbed to offer intense results, so your beauty will benefit when you use more potent products.
Then when it comes to cleansers and face masks, drugstore products are perfectly ideal for anyone on a budget. Most of these products only sit on the skin for a short amount of time, so they usually will not offer you the type of treatment something like a serum would. So, going for a more budget-friendly option will help your routine and your wallet.
Next, mascara – The mascara collection at the drugstore is unmatched. Yes, there are some great options from Benefit, Lancome, and more, but Maybelline and L’Oreal are winning the lash game. Whether you love a rubber brush, a traditional one, or something new and unique, you can find it for under $10. There is no need to spend upwards of $20 for something you can find even better for less than half that price.
The same goes for eyeliners. Liquids, gels, and pencils — all of these are rocking at a low price. Some high-end liquid liners dry out in half the time of ones that cost $7. So, a budget buy is the best buy when it comes to the lashes and the lash line.
Highlighter is everything right now. And what is so amazing about it is that you do not have to spend an arm and a leg to get a subtle glow or a blinding brightness. From Essence to Maybelline, you can get rose gold, rainbow, and champagne highlighters under budget.
The same goes for blush. Milani and Wet n Wild both make some of the most pigmented blushes around. But when it comes to bronzer and contour, luxury may be the way to go. Sure, there are certainly some great shades at the drugstore, like Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer. But there are more tones to choose from at the department store. With options like Benefit Hoola and Hoola Lite and the new line of cool-toned contours from The Balm, you are sure to have a pigmented, creamy, and long-lasting look.
Now the drugstore certainly has some standouts when it comes to eyeshadows. But when you are walking through the displays, they are much more hit and miss than at Sephora. There you can pick up Urban Decay, Lorac, Too Faced, Smashbox, Stila, bareMinerals — and more. If you want a sure thing for your eye look, the department store has every shade in a pigmented, long-wearing, and unique formula. Plus, eyeshadow palettes tend to last years, so a small investment like $40 or so goes a long way.
As you may well know, foundation and concealer are so personal and unique to each woman. From shades to skin types to coverage options, the budget and luxury buys are both fantastic.
Your beauty look is always pulled together with the finale of lip color. Whether it is lipstick, gloss, or liner, there may be more options in this category than any other. And they are all wonderful. Drugstore, indie, and luxury are all a go when it comes to lip color. Build a diverse collection and enjoy loving every tube of luscious red, pink, and more.
Naturally, all of this is personal preference, and there are no right or wrong answers here. Use what works for you and what you love. But some people struggle when it comes to shopping for their beauty collection. So this is just a bit of a guideline to some of the most popular types of beauty products. There are, of course, beautiful products on and between both ends of the spectrum.
