The best drugstore makeup

Working in beauty, you get a lot of free stuff. It's pretty nice. However, for the other days in the year, most of us college students are pretty damn poor. So when I actually do have to buy makeup, I go to Target or any drugstore. I say specifically Target, because they have more brands, and usually their prices are lower in general than other drugstores. SO this is what I like to buy.

1. Best concealer: Revlon Photoready 

This concealer is one of the best I have ever tried in every price range. It applies smoothly and covers anything. And it lasts through the whole day. I've gone through three of these babies, which is amazing because I rarely repurchase anything. When I get to the end of the stick, I even dig out all the product from the bottom of the tube (there's a lot, actually). The SPF 20 is nice, too, and I've never noticed any flashback from it in photos. Just be careful with anything above SPF 20 in your foundation. You might get ghost-face in your pictures. 

2. Best powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

This is probably my favorite powder of all time. Again, I rarely repurchase anything, but it seems I always go back to this. Nothing beats it. Even high end. Yes, the packaging sucks (I wouldn't recommend you stick this in your makeup bag without a rubber band around it to keep it from popping open), but the product is fantastic. It sets your makeup and takes away shine without a powdery finish, and it doesn't settle into fine lines or go cakey. It really is the best. 

3. Best blush: Wet 'n' Wild 

Whenever I need to get something cheap with high end quality, I always go to Wet 'n' Wild. Yes, it might have been the worst drugstore brand years ago, but they stepped it up big time. Their blushes have the pigmentation of the highest end blushes, and they blend beautifully. Just tap your brush in (then tap it off), and blend carefully. These babies are pigmented as hell. I bet you can't get through one of these blushes in a year. They have nice matte shades (Mellow Wine (a great everyday color for you olive-tones kids like me) or Heather Silk (for the pinker undertones)), but their shade Pearlescent Pink is almost an exact dupe for Nars Orgasm, which costs way too much money. You're welcome.

4. Best eyeshadow: Wet 'n' Wild

Again, Wet 'n' Wild. Their eye shadows used to be sucky, but now, they're my favorite, and probably the best I've ever tried out of anything from any high end brand (suck it, Nars). They're super pigmented (again, tap off your brush, because you will get fallout) and blend so well. And they are dirt cheap. I just wish they had a better selection of matte neutrals. My favorite palette from them is the Comfort Zone one, and I also love the Walking on Eggshells trio. Singles in Brulée, Nutty, and Panther can never do you wrong. 

5. Best cream shadow: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze

This stuff is amazing. Buy a pot of this, and you really won't need anything else for your eyes. It looks good under any eyeshadow as a base, and it stays on for a good six hours (no, nothing is going to stay on for 24 hours, except maybe the byTerry Ombre Blackstars...). It's such a gorgeous color that looks amazing on its own; the way it catches the light, it almost looks like you could have multiple shadows on. Best part? You don't need a brush to apply. Just your good ol' ring finger. 

6. Best mascara: Maybelline Full 'n' Soft or Covergirl Lashblast Fusion

These are the only mascaras I've ever repurchased in my life. I love trying out new mascaras, so when I actually buy something more than once, I know it's gold. These mascaras are just good fallbacks. You really can't go wrong. They build amazing but natural volume and length, and they don't flake or smudge (just make sure your eye area is properly powdered before applying). It's very rare that I like a high end mascara better than these kids. 

7. Best drugstore lip product: Cherry Chapstick

It's a classic. Need I say more?

So that's all for now. If you notice any gaps, it's because I don't use those products, or haven't found one that I'm sure is the absolute best. For bronzer, I've currently been liking the Rimmel Natural Bronzer, but really for bronzer, just go down two or three shades darker with your powder. I don't use eyeliner really, because I just line my eyes with the black shadows from my Wet 'n' Wild palettes and a drop of Trish McEvoy Finish Line (a product that I will gladly pay for any day, as one bottle is probably the equivalent of a hundred eyeliner pencils in any color you could ever want). And as for lips, well, I don't like lipstick or lipgloss, so sorry.

Hope that was helpful!

Picture from: http://dimeonadime.com/web/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/IMG_1722.jpg