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What beauty products do you only buy at drugstores?


What beauty products do you only buy at drugstores? What are products that you always go budget-friendly on?

Necessities like Q-tips, tissues, etc. I’ll personally stick to budget sunscreens for body, too.

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Emi at Project Swatch Avatar

I usually stick to drugstore mascara, though I did buy a sampler mascara kit from Sephora with a bunch of mini mascaras in it. So far, none are a hit, and I think I’ll stick to my drugstore mascaras.

I also buy my black eyeliner from the drugstore – no need to go high end for something that simple.

Esther Avatar

I agree with what you said, Christine. I also tend to stick with drugstore face washes/scrubs because my skin is easy enough that those work, and I’m not a big lip gloss wearer, so I mostly get cheaper drugstore brands of those. If I know that I won’t wear them often, there’s no use is spending a lot of money.

Stephanie t-p Avatar

Chapsticks, mascara sometimes, I like revlon growlucious plumping, but I always go back to estee lauder. I also buy makeup wipes. But it’s funny you should say drug store because my drug store carries benefit lancome
Biotherm guerlain and smashbox… Used to carry MUFE until sephora bought it exclusively :(. I work there in the beauty department.

Aida Avatar

Not many of my beauty item come from the drug store. The reason for that is that I pretty much use only natural, nasty chemicals free make-up and skin care… So except for a couple of things I picked up from Physicians Formula, the rest of my beauty products are not drug store items…

Dinitchka Avatar

Defo mascaras … cotton pads, Q-Tips, and really just about everything else. I will buy high-end, low-end and in between. As long as it works for me cost does not factor in. Seems drug store brands are really getting with it and giving higher-end products a run for their money!

Victoria Makeup Avatar

Here in Norway it is super expensive at the departmentstore, so drugstores are almost the only place were “regular” people shop. It have to be mascara, nailpolishremover and such as cottonsticks, cottonpads etc.

Quinctia Avatar

Mascara, eye makeup remover, nail polish remover, finishing powder. I guess blush, since I own all of two and rarely ever wear it?

I would say my facial care products fall into this category, if a brand that’s available at mass retailers (Target, etc) and my grocery store counts, even if I haven’t seen it in a literal drug store. Alba Botanica!

Malia Avatar

I agree on Q-tips and cotton pads, for sure. But I also only buy Neutrogena makeup removers and emery boards there. I’ve tried other more expensive removers but those are my fave. I also love to try new body washes and deodorants but I buy them from higher end stores too.

katherine Avatar

I can’t think of anything that I exclusively purchase at the drugstore. However, a large portion (about 80%) of my fingernail polishes I do pick up at the drugstore.

t_zwiggy Avatar

Not many. The only ones that I can think of are deodorant, toothpaste and q-tips, and I’m not even sure if those qualify as beauty products 😛

Kate Avatar

Mascara- I’ve tried more expensive ones from Sephora but have found none that really take the place of anything from the drugstore.

Also lip balm and facial cleanser/makeup remover towelettes.

Cassy Avatar

Aside from your list (which I do as well), I also only buy cheap hair styling products (like hairspray/mousse) Makeup-wise, though, I tend to bounce between drugstore and high(er)-end for everything.

heidi Avatar

Mascara, I never buy high end, I have a few I got as gifts w/purchase and they are good but not good enough to me to warrant the extra cash. Lip balm(sorry jack black I just can’t), sunscreen, makeup remover(again I have some high end I got as samples but I never would buy that), all hair products excluding tools, q tips, cotton balls, tweezers(my $1 ones do the trick just fine I don’t need tweezerman) eyelash curler(sorry shu uemera) I have a tendency to lose this so I’ll stick with my elf one. Everything else I mix both high end and drugstore. The only thing I won’t buy drugstore is skincare, I’ve used clinique for over 10 yrs minus a minor stint with mary kay and the stuff works for me. I’m faithful. I won’t buy anything else.

Carrie Avatar

Make-up remover, and basics like q-tips, cotton balls, and occasionally acetone if I forgot to pick it up at Sally’s. Target’s generic version of the Neutrogena oil-free make-up remover works fantastically well and is only $4. I just can’t justify using a higher end brand to do that.

Zoey Avatar

I get mascaras, chapsticks, and eyeliner from drugstores. I get eyeliners from other places too because I’m an eyeliner addict and I don’t care where i get my fix from lol. I also will venture out and get drugstore products that get a good rating from blogs, such as the “color tattoo” eyeshadows or the “Comfort Zone” palette.

Lee Avatar

I usually buy my drugstore items at Target. Always buy generic Target brand Cetaphil, Sonia Kashuk Eye Make-up Remover, cotton squares, Q-tips, Weleda Skinfood moisteriser, chapstick (I still lke the old school stuff), body butters.

sunny Avatar

black eyeliner and mascara, which I run out of really regularly. And, honestly, cannot justify myself with spending more than 5 bucks for those because I don’t feel that those particular high end items are worth it.

Also, qtips, cotton balls, cotton pads, etc. And, aside from 2 MAC nail polishes, the rest are from the drug store. Nail polishes are just not my thing, I guess.

I would definitely be checking out more drugstore products if only they would stop testing on animals. That really bothers me.

Sally Avatar

It’s strange to me you all seem to buy drugstore mascara. But I’m addicted to Benefit’s “They’re Real” but it’s the only one that has ever really done anything for mine besides samples I’ve had from Lancome. I tend to buy blush from drugstores though I’ve recently picked up a Smashbox duo blusher I really like. Also Essie and Sally Hanson products and skincare. Oh! And Maybelline’s new Color Tattoo and Wet n’ Wild’s I Love Greenie palette. Yum!

Lucia Avatar

Oh gosh in the UK we call q-tips cotton buds, I was so intrigued as to what everyone was talking about!

I’ve only ever bought high street (we also don’t say drugstore in the UK) nail polishes. I’ve also gone back to maybelline mascara for the last two months and it’s not been significantly different to the bare minerals one I usually use.

Renee Avatar

Well, I’d buy my q-tips and cotton pads at the drug store, but I always run out when costco has a sale. FYI: the cotton wipes at costco are really nice and good quality if ever you want to try them out and you get a giant box that lasts forever. Mascara and nail polish I will often get at the drug store and a few staple items I’ve gone to for years like my Revlon color stay liquid liner. I won’t buy my mascara or polish exclusivly at the drug store but more often then not I do. If I didn’t love my Aloe clenser from body shop so much,(and get great deals on it) I would probably buy that at the drug store too.

Cynthia Avatar

I only buy brushes (Sonia Kashuk), & mascaras at drugstores. Lately I’ve been getting eyeliner from them too. It such good quality, and there’s no need to buy expensive brand when there’s a perfectly good one for cheaper!

Heather Avatar

My favorite facial moisturiser, kiss my face peaches and cream, is only $7 and I have only been able to find it in drugstores. Also I use Marcelle facial was (canadian brand) and it’s AWSOME and only $11… comparable with mac green get cleanser but without the wierd smell! Let’s see…. nail polish, nail polish remover, and almost all hair care and all sanitary supplies like qtips etc. I recently purchased a maybelline colour tatoo eyeshadow and that was the first drugstore makeup product I have purchased in years! It made me think I should take another look in the mass aisle rather than only in the beauty boutique in my local shoppers!

Veronica Avatar

Other than necessities –

Mascara, foundation, and the majority of my lip liners (unless it’s a hard to find color I need). Come to think of it, all of my lip glosses are drug store, too, though that’s more because I don’t wear it often. Everything else, I’ll bounce back and forth on.

Kevin Avatar

Mascara and some eyeliners like milani. also makeup removers and lets not forget revlon colorstay foundation! usually i go high end for foundation but colorstay is great and affordable.

Denise Avatar

Definitely mascara and black eyeliner. I have high end varieties of both I’ve received as samples/gifts, but I will not spend a lot of money on what I consider “basics.” Drugstore brands work just fine for me!

Sunny Avatar

Mascaras. I have tried some high-end ones but so far Maybelline fatty tubes have beaten them hands-down! I also really like the Maybelline gel liner, and I’m skeptical about high-end stuff being even more amazing!

Angelina Diaz Avatar

L’Oreal Volumnious Mascara, nail polish,Neutrogena make up remover, lashes and lash glue,some Covergirl Lip perfection lipsticks, and NYX lipglosses

Miss J Avatar

Mascara seems to be the one makeup product I always buy at the drugstore anymore. I throw them away too quickly to ever justify spending more than that. I also tend to buy liquid liner at the drugstore just because I don’t use it often. I’ve always bought nail polish remover from the drugstore, but I’d definitely like to try OPI and Zoya polish remover to see if it’s any better. Also, essentials like q-tips, cotton balls, wedge sponges, etc. And lash glue.

Em Avatar

All my hair care and hair styling products, mascara and lip balm come from the drugstore, but for the rest of my beauty products, I have a good mix of high end and low end.

Ale Avatar

Eyeshadows, it might sound weird to most people here but honestly with eyeshadows as good as the ones wet n’ wild makes I see no reason to buy high end brands again.

Carla Shibayama Avatar

I like to buy eyeliners and mascaras at the local drugstores. I do find that the liquid liners are easier to apply. Now in Japan gel liners and pencils are popular so I have no choice but to buy either gel or pencil…too bad.

Jazz Avatar

mascara, moisturizer, face wash , eyeliner ( unless its a Stila Smudgepot, or UD ), nail polish. Actually most of my stuff is drugstore, and Im ok with that

Amanda Avatar

everything. lol. I only have one foundation, concealer palette, one blush from higher end brands. All the rest of my makeup stuff is from the drugstore.

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