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What type of beauty products do you typically buy from the drugstore?


What type of beauty products do you typically buy from the drugstore? Share!

Cotton pads, swabs, sunscreen for the body. I tend to go cheaper on body creams, lotions, and scrubs, but they might not be brands at the drugstore.

Thanks to Genevieve for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Bekah Avatar

Mascaras and Lipsticks! When it comes to makeup categories, eye shadow, foundation, powder face products, and eyeliners usually show a big jump in improvement from low up to mid-range brands, but mascaras and lip products have proven to compete across the board, low-end to high-end! I especially love NYX and Maybelline for their lipsticks.

Amy Avatar

Mascara is usually my No. 1 drugstore purchase, followed by nail polish, eyeliner and occasionally lipstick. Eyeshadows and brushes are pretty much the only beauty items I won’t buy from the drug store, but I also don’t really wear face/skin makeup so that knocks a lot of products off my list.

Telesilla Avatar

Cotton rounds and swabs, and body lotion–my drug store has a good dupe of an Aveeno lotion I really like. Also blistex or other medicated lip balm. Every once in a while a drugstore brand will have an LE item that catches my eye–I bought Wet n Wild’s Vegan Culture palette this spring and it’s not bad.

Miekogirlie99 Avatar

I tend to buy Foundation, nail polish, & lipsticks. For accessories I buy qtips, sponges & body sunscreen. I also tend to get the loreal infallible products bc I think it’s a pretty good line!

Rachel R. Avatar

Basic staples such as: Cotton swabs, cotton balls, cotton pads, lip balms, cornstarch baby powder, body wash (usually Softsoap Moisturizing Body Wash Juicy Pomegranate and Mango Infusions), soap, sunscreen (usually the highest SPF No-Ad I can find), hair elastics, bobby pins, stretch comb headbands, hygiene items. Some makeup, especially mascara, lip sticks/glosses, and nail polish, but never foundation. (Drugstore foundations are always too dark and oxidize like crazy on me.)

Rachel R. Avatar

No, I haven’t tried that one. Thanks for the recommendation. I had given up on drug store foundations years ago. Even L’oreal True Match didn’t work for me. I’ll check out the Rimmel stuff next time I’m at the store.

ilovemakeup Avatar

I usually get make up removing wipes, mascara, cotton pads and swabs, nail polish, body lotion, shower gel and sunscreen at the drugstore. I just can’t justify spending premium prices for most of those items, especially make up remover wipes. To me, they’re a step that’s not completely necessary, so dropping $20 on 20 wipes from a prestige brand just doesn’t work for me. I rarely use up nail polish, so I can’t see spending a ton of money on expensive nail polish, either. I still have nail polish from 10 years ago (and yes, it still goes on smoothly!)

I’d much rather use my beauty budget on prestige skin care (other than make up removing wipes!) or foundation because prepping your skin is the base for your whole look, imho. I always notice my skin before what I’ve done with the rest of my face that day, so it seems to make sense to me!

Gillian Avatar

Foregoing skincare and things like cotton pads I almost always buy mascara and eyeliner from the drugstore. They are just as good as more expensive ones in my experience. Also, I’ll buy some of my lip products like lipstick and lipgloss are good from certain brands like Revlon and Bourjois. 🙂

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

Ditto on the cotton pads and swabs. Also love Jergen’s lotion in unscented bc it doesn’t interfere with fragrance and really does moisturize for 24 hours. Newly addicted to Boots No. 7 Advanced serum (the only serum approved in the UK to claim it reduces fine lines). Sally Hanson quick dry top coat (in the red bottle – leaves my mani dry to the touch in seconds! Super important since I do my nails every week to change up the color.) And finally, the Boots body butters – not greasy, absorb quickly, and leave your skin soft as silk. I don’t purchase any face makeup in the drugstore bc my skin is touchy and I haven’t found anything that doesn’t bother it.

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

You’re welcome – it really is like a miracle. I’ve used it with several brands of polish with “dry to the touch” results every time in less than a minute. (I do also follow the 2 minute between each coat rule (only in between color and top coat – my Nail Tek base is insta-dry.) So total a complete mani with base coat, 2 coats of color, and this top coat, takes me roughly 10 minutes from start to finish.) It’s the red bottle that says “Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat”. Front of the package says “Dry any nail color in 30 seconds”. I paid about $5 for it.

Nicole Avatar

Thanks again Michelle! A 10 minute mani sounds doable! I’m going to look while I’m out doing errands tomorrow.Thanks for the details to help me locate it.

Barbara Avatar

Agreed on the cotton pads and body products.
Also shampoo and conditioner because I prefer to invest in products that are actually going to stay in my hair longer like masks or styling products.
And Mascara because I can’t see enough of a difference between drugstore and high end mascaras to justify buying expensive ones

Sarah Avatar

Lip gloss, mascara, eyeliner. For some reason I’m less willing to shell out big bucks on these items, either because I use them less or have found good formulations in the drugstore level.

Linda Avatar

I’m an all high-end girl, with one exception. Rimmel Lasting Finish Color Rush in Keep Mauving is a winner. Unfortunately different shades in that line seem to look hideous on me but the color, texture, staying power and even smell exceeds similar in higher end brands I own in the lip gloss/lipstick/lip crayon department for me.

I do love a few drugstore foundations like L’Oreal Lumi Magique and Revlon Photoready but just can’t find the right match for my 3Y05 Pantone skin, unfortunately they’re all to pink or peach.

Brittany Avatar

If I’m not using a 100 point perk mini mascara from Sephora, I buy mascaras from drug stores just because I can find decent ones for a lot less than high end and they have a short shelf life. I also get cotton pads, cotton balls, makeup wipes, eye makeup remover, most of my nail polishes, polish remover, emory boards, and other various nail things from drug stores or grocery stores.

pePear Avatar

body scrubs,body cream/moisturizer,cutton pads/swabs,body wash,body sunscreen,makeup remover liquid/wipes,shampoo etc. almost everythings in body care I used,it come from drugstore. sometime I bought face sunscreen in drugstore too!

Kat Avatar

For me, it’s mascara. I do like some high end mascaras (Too Faced Better than Sex, UD Perversion), but they’re no better than my L’oreal Voluminous Carbon Black, which I think is my favorite of all time, so I don’t feel the need to spend the money. There’s just such a wide variety at the drugstore, and a lot of really good ones (in my opinion anyway).

Nicole Avatar

Qtips, Every day body lotion, body sunscreen (usually – I sometimes get Supergoop spray),body wash,razors,shave gel,lip balms galore,body scrubs, I like those body scrub gloves alot though lately. I get some cosmetics frrom the drugstore if they rate well.

Nancy T Avatar

Because I find so many of my HG goodies within DS/LE brands like Nyx, Maybelline and some Essence and Revlon, I get my mascara, most blushes and finishing powder, lip liners, quite a few eyeliners, roughly 1/2 of the lipsticks and lipglosses I own, so I buy amongst those brands. However, my favorite foundation is Revlon. BB cream is Lumene. Quite a lot of L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadows too! Also tools, cotton pads, n.p. remover, half of my nail polishes, body wash, skin lotions, body sunscreen, and a few facial skincare items, ie; Aveeno Ultra Calming face wash.

Brittany Avatar

I tend to purchase mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, lip balm, balmy lipsticks, face moisturizer, cleanser, conditioners and styling products for my curly girl hair routine. Everything else I invest in during sales which is crucial with loose powder foundations because none at the drugstore are deep enough. My favorite drugstore find has to be the eyeliners from Jordana.

fancie Avatar

Hell I buy just about everything from there these days lol. Lippies, eyeliner, foundation, lotion…..you name it. I just recently stated trying some of the skincare stuff and I’m impressed! Cetaphil, Cerave and Vichy rival some of my high end stuff. Drugstore brands have come a long way!

fuji Avatar

everything disposable (wipes, cotton swabs) and consumes in large quantities (eye makeup remover), or needs frequent replenishment (mascara). I also buy products in colors that I’ve never worn before, like bright yellow eye shadow. It would be a good test run just to get the look right, before I invest too much money on a designer-branded product.

Occasionally I would buy drugstore lipsticks if I have read great reviews about them, like Revlon just bitten lip balms. Or if I heard they have very similar dupes of my desired high-end or discontinued products.

Mariela B Avatar

What type of beauty products do you typically buy from the drugstore?

cotton rounds, kleenex, huggies wet wipes, q-tips, nail remover, mascara, neutrogena makeup wipes & simple for(everyday use), bounty for cleaning my brushes, nail polish, eyelashes, shampoo&conditioner, makeup brushes, st ives body lotion with the pump, etc. LOL 🙂

Brooke Avatar

I usually buy Chapstick, sometimes I’ll pick up a dupe lipstick. Mascara in between running out of another brand. I’ll even grab some of the latest “rave” products everyone is going crazy over. I always buy little eyeshadow pallets and nail polish for my nieces.

Deborah Avatar

Neutrogena oil free acne wash in pink grapefruit
Neutrogena oil free acne wash daily scrub with microclear
NeutrogenaOil-Free Acne Stress Control® Power-Clear Scrub

I have never had acne – a very occasional bump here and there. (I don’t use all of those products at the same time of course – I just choose between them every day.)

I use whatever mascara catches my eye – I am now allergic to my MAC mascara that I dearly love.
I think that’s it.

Maggie Avatar

Oh my…the drugstore? It’s best to ask what I DON’T buy from the drugstore. As far as makeup, I don’t bother with lipsticks (allergic to many drugstore formulas), powder formulations, or anything too heavy on volatile silicones. Everything else is fair game.

Lotus Avatar

I typically purchase things like q-tips, cotton balls, (are we including walmart type stores?, razor refills, shave cream, body lotion, things like that with the occasional makeup impulse buy. The colorful stands get me. I get lost in stores. Lol. 🙂

Daisy Avatar

Mascara….cotton pads…nail polish and polish remover…hair care products…body lotion…the occasional lipstick usually Maybelline or Wet n Wild.

Genevieve Avatar

Thank you for using my question!
I tend to buy a lot of beauty products from the drugstore.
My Nude by Nature primer – cruelty free and natural
Rimmel Match Perfection foundation in light porcelain
Skincare products such as Cetaphil Moisture cream, QV (An Australian brand – cruelty free) cream cleanser and daily moisturizer with SPF
Mascaras – whatever is good at the time
NYX – blush palette in Sunkissed
Maybelline lipsticks – the Colour Sensational Range has been great
Dry shampoos
Aveeno Sensitive skin scrub
And the usual products – nail files, cotton wool, hair ties etc.

Lee Avatar

Cotton pads, q-tips, lip balm, Ponds cold cream, Cetaphil or a knock-off, Eucerin body lotion with sun screen, eye make-up remover (Sonia Kashuk’s from Target, that counts as a drug store, right?), nail polish and remover for my toes (I get my nails done at the salon). That’s about it tho’, my make-up and face skin care are all higher end.

El Avatar

Anything and everything, I suppose! Except cotton pads – I get the cheapies from the drugstore for nail polish removal, but I buy the super soft ones at the Body Shop for my face. The bulk of my skincare is from “French pharmacy” brands like La Roche-Posay and Vichy, which are sold in the drugstore. I also buy Real Techniques makeup brushes at the drugstore. I also got this very cool Revlon brush a while back – it’s your standard brow brush + lash comb, but then the handle end has a spoolie! Brilliant idea.

I like a lot of drugstore makeup, and as a general rule, I prefer it to high-end luxury brands – the number one reason for that is, those brands seem to think that luxury products should have luxury fragrances in them, which usually makes said products completely useless for me. Drugstore products are far less likely to bother with expensive ingredients like fragrances, and there are also several brands which specifically bill themselves as hypoallergenic, etc.

Also, Canadian brand Marcelle makes my favourite waterproof eyeliner pencil formula, across ALL levels of pricing. It beats out my second-fave UD 24/7 liners because it’s more of a creamy pencil texture so it holds a sharpened point much better than I find the UD ones to do – much as I love them, they are not good for thin, sharp lines.

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