My favorite affordable makeup

Friends have asked about the makeup I wear, so I thought I'd take some photos and put up sort of a list of my "drugstore" and affordable favorites. I won't go into details about how to apply most of these, but if you'd like any specific tips or have questions just Facebook message me anytime! I'm by no means a pro at this. I'm still learning every day. I'll put some video links in too, at the end, of guides I found helpful.

Disclaimer: This is not super pro-fresh. I made it for friends not for clicks.

I'll show you what I use currently, and mostly just explain why I like each one and any cons I've experienced, and so on for each category. I tried not to type TOO much so it's not a lengthy read, but I am wordy by nature, so I apologize for that. These are all cell phone photos, so they aren't amazing and might not accurately represent all the pretty colors. (all lists are left-to-right in relation to photos) So here we go, I'll start at the beginning.....


First, use a good moisturizer on your face!! I don't spend a lot of money on most products for my face. I do my research online reading reviews and watching videos on YouTube, and I try to get the best quality and most items for my money and actually own very little "high end" makeup.... BUT a good moisturizer (and skin care regimen) really is an investment in the future of your skin. So if you splurge on anything, whatever amount you consider to be a splurge, make it moisturizer (and cleansers....and serums) I didn't take any pictures for this, but one I really like is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel with hyaluronic acid. It's still decently affordable in the grand scheme of things, and you can often find it on sale at Walgreens. Sally Beauty Supply also has a "dupe" in their Generic Value Brand line, which I am using right now, but I don't like it quite as well. It's oil free so it's nice and light weight for pre-makeup, and great for people with oilier skin. The GVB one is not oil-free, but it's still light. I use a heavier cream moisturizer at night before bed, along with some serums and oils. Cuz I'm gettin' old y'all.


PRIMERS


A good primer can be almost as important as a good moisturizer. It will really help makeup adhere to your face, help with problem areas like redness or texture, and generally just make everything look better/smoother/etc.

Right now I am using the hydrating primer from Flower (available only at Wal-Mart, I believe, this is Drew Barrymore's brand) because the weather has got me all dry. For a silicone type primer, which are very nice for just sort of smoothing everything out but maybe not for oilier skin---and don't laugh---but I actually use the Monistat chaffing gel. Honestly it's pretty comparable to the Sephora brand silicone primer pictured (that's like their generic store brand) and other pricier ones I have used. You can find it with the lady type products at Wal-Mart or drugstores. I believe it was around five bucks. The Elf brand bottled primers are also quite good and very affordable. If you have oilier skin you may want to use a mattifying primer, like I usually do in the summer. There are also a lot of color correcting primers out there that are great. Think about your skin needs, sneak a little squirt on your hand in-store and see what feels good to you.

The PoreFessional unfortunately is not that affordable, but I've not ever found anything else like it at the drugstore. I use it sparingly to kind of pat in to areas where I have larger pores, like the apples of my cheeks and my nose, especially when I am using a foundation I know doesn't hide them well. Just be sure to exfoliate/cleanse really well after removing your makeup to clean those suckers out. The one shown is a tiny sample I got from Ipsy I think, but you can find the value sizes near the register usually at Sephora or Ulta or sometimes in sampler variety type sets.

FOUNDATION!

I really enjoy trying out new foundations, so my collection is always growing. All listed are oil-free, except perhaps the L'Oreal, not sure. If you want something kind of sheer and more natural, maybe go for a CC (color correcting) cream or tinted moisturizer. I don't have any suggestion there. I like coverage.


  • Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless-- This one is magic. I love it so much. I find I usually don't even have to use a pore-filling primer with this one. There is a huge shade range available and it wears sooo well. A really smooth finish that isn't so matte that it looks drying, looks fairly natural and non-cakey in my opinion, and it blends super easy. It has a medium buildable coverage. If your skin is super dry they also make a Dewy + Smooth formula of this foundation. ~$6-7
  • Cover Girl Ready Set Gorgeous-- I would call this one semi-matte. It has a really pretty finish and slightly more coverage than the Maybelline for me, although it is technically still a medium coverage. I picked this one up after hearing a YouTube makeup artist I like talk about how much she loves it. I don't typically even look at Cover Girl brand in store because I'm not really hyped by much of their products, but I do really like this one. It applies very even and easily, not cakey.  ~$6-7
  • L'Oreal Infallible Pro Glow-- This is the only "dewy" foundation I own. I picked it up for the winter because my skin has been misbehaving this year. I wouldn't recommend it for oily skin as it does have a subtle sheen that would probably be amplified by greasiness. The sheen looks really natural and healthy though, and I really enjoy this foundation. It blends sooooo well (I was shook,) and is a medium buildable coverage. If you have any imperfections to cover you'll probably need a couple layers, but even then it still doesn't look heavy at all. It has a light SPF, so if that irritates your skin avoid this one. L'Oreal is like the boujee drugstore brand, so they are a little pricier on most things than like Maybelline, etc. I think this one was around ten bucks.
  • Wet N Wild Photo Focus-- This foundation is incredible!! If I want to look super glammed up, I use this one. It has amazing coverage and a luxurious finish. And most importantly it looks FLAWLESS in selfies. =D You want to use a light hand with this one, a little goes a long way, and can look a little cakey in some areas (like around your nose) and be a bitch to blend if you slather too much on. I find it can get a little shiney in my T-zone, so I always powder after in that area. It can feel a little heavy on the face, especially if it's humid or hot out. Also, it smells pretty bad (like paint) but that goes away after it settles in. But even with all that, it's a really really great foundation. And girl dis stuff is FIVE DOLLARS at Wal-Mart.
  • Milani Conceal & Perfect-- This stuff is fullllll coverage. Like the Wet N' Wild a little goes a long way, so don't overdo it. It has such great coverage that I almost feel like I could use it as a concealer too, but I have some fine lines under my eyes that it would most likely bunch up in. It's thick and takes a little extra blending, for me, so it's a little more work, but it has a beautiful hide-everything finish. I find that I almost have to use a damp beauty sponge to get this one evened out well. I had trouble with their shade range on this foundation. There just wasn't a perfect match for me, so the shade I ended up with is just slightly slightly yellow on me. It can look a little ratchet on drier patches or problem areas of the skin (like my chin,) so prep your face accordingly. It doesn't feel very heavy to me. Milani is also a little pricier, but has great quality makeup. I've never tried anything by Milani I didn't like. This one was around $11-12.

CONCEALER

I only own two. It's not a thing I feel the need to own several different types of. The ones I have work well for me, and I am happy with them. Maybelline does concealers right. I like to go a shade lighter than my foundation to give a kind of brighter, fresher look to my undereyes (I apply in a triangle and blend outward and a little down along the side of my nose) and also the bridge/length of my nose and middle of my forehead. You can also do this for the chin but having too much "product" in that area tends to make things break up for me so I don't do that as much.


  • Maybelline Age Rewind-- I tried a couple different shades of this one, but I love "Neutralizer" the best for covering dark circles under the eyes. I like to think it's doing something for my old lady skin based off the name and a ever-so-slight cooling sensation, but it probably really isn't. The applicator is a little annoying, and this one is a little pricier at around $8, but I think it's totally worth it.
  • Maybelline Fit Me-- This one has great coverage but can look a little pastey if I use too much. I like the shade I have (Fair) for extra brightening and also as a primer for my eyelids before shadow if I want a colorful shadow to really be vibrant. If I color in my brows (I'm still learning, I won't even make any recommendations for that category) I like to use this concealer on a tiny brush to clean up areas where I inevitably screw up and "highlighting" under the brow. ~$5
Sidenote: Elf concealers suck, don't waste your money.

POWDERS

If you have really dry skin, you can probably skip powders all together. If you're oily, these can be your best frands.


  • Coty Airspun (Transparent/Neutral)-- This is my fave fave fave. It's a loose powder in a huge shaker. I use it for setting my concealer and for areas where I know my foundation is prone to bunching, like the creases around my nostrils and my smile lines, or where I might get shiny during the day. It's also really great to kind of tone things down if you maybe overdid it with some blush, just brush it over the top. I don't use this on my whole face because it can make me look a little dry lately. Also I have sort of a sentimental attachment to this powder. My grandma always used it when I was a kid and the smell of it reminds me so much of her every time I use it. It makes me happy. It can be a little hard to locate this stuff in the store, usually stuck over by the nail polish stuff for some reason. I believe it's around $6-7 and will last you foreverrr.
  • NYX High Definition Finishing Powder (Banana)-- This is a pressed powder in a light yellow shade, usually referred to as a banana powder. Banana powders are super nice for brightening things up. I love this under my eyes. It's good for setting things in place too. You can find NYX brand at Ulta and also Target and Walgreen's, but not every Walgreen's location carries the brand, usually at bigger stores. Mine doesn't, I have to go to one further away to browse. But even then most Walgreen's don't carry the full line of their products, same for Target. I got this at Ulta for an ouchie $10. 
  • Wet N Wild MegaGlo Countouring Pallette-- I honestly bought this just for the banana-type shade, and it was only $4 so I was ok with that. It works great but isn't AS brightening as the NYX. It's not quite as yellow. The contour shade is way too reddish for me. 
Sidenote: I've heard the Maybelline Fit Me loose powders are also really good but never tried them myself. I love my Coty Airspun. I am loyal and devoted.


BRONZER

I only own two. It's another one of those situations where I am just happy with the ones I have. One is drugstore, one is Too Faced (so not really affordable) Chocolate Soleil and that one smells like delicious hot cocoa and is also a really nice one. I got a mini one at Ulta for about half the price of a full-size. I use bronzer to have the appearance of a little sun on the outer portion of my cheeks and around my hairline, and also to contour my nose, cuz it's a honker.

  • Physician's Formula Butter Bronzer-- It's absolute perfection. No cons. I've never regretted buying it. And it smells all yummy and tropical. It's around $14. 
  • Rimmel London Natural Bronzer-- A more affordable option that is still really nice. This was gifted to me by my lovely sister-in-law and when I got the Butter Bronzer I'd been contemplating purchasing for a while, I passed the Rimmel one along to my mom, so I don't have it for a photo now. It's a really nice bronzer and I loved how big the pan was. I even used it for toning down my semi-farmer's tan and pale neck and decolletage last summer before I started using a self-tanner. You can pick this one up for around $5 I think.

BLUSHES

I prefer warmer or nude type shades for blush. I feel like anything too pink makes me look like a clown. I only own Wet N Wild blushes from the drugstore, but I do love ColourPop's blushes too. If you're a beginner I'd suggest their powders over their "cream" super shock formulas, as they take a little finessing in my opinion. I didn't photograph them, but my favorites from CP are Barre Hopping powder blush and Between The Sheets cream. I prefer to apply blush below and along my cheekbones up towards my hairline versus focusing on the apples of my cheeks and blending out, just a personal preference.


These are all Wet N' Wild ColorIcon blushes, and they are fantastic and so cheap at around $3 each. Great colors, easy to blend, no clown face. I use the shades Pearlescent Pink, Apricot in the Middle, and Mellow Wine.

Sidenote: Milani blushes are also quite popular but pricier at about $8 each.


HIGHLIGHTERS

If you were like me when highlighters first became popular, you may wonder what all the fuss is about and why you'd even need one. I remember I picked up The Balm Mary Lou Manizer a few years ago at Sephora (which is a really amazing highlighter) when the craze hit and just couldn't get into using it for anything other than an eye shadow. I still own it and actually use it for it's intended purpose now :) Which is, for me, to give a nice healthy glow to my skin that catches the light (cheek bones, bridge length of nose, above the lips, brow bone) and really gives you that something extra. My tips for highlighters, because they can be tricky to get used to, are as follows: if you are having trouble getting it to actually show up on your cheeks, wet your brush with a little spritz of setting spray or water or use a damp beauty sponge. That'll do it. Some highlighters can really emphasize the appearance of pores or texture on the skin, so I like ones that are more buttery smooth and less glittery usually, and I am careful about applying them in just the right spots. Go for shades that compliment your complexion and/or overall makeup tones. If you are very fair you won't want to use a darker bronzey-gold highlight probably.


  • Wet N Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder (Precious Petals)-- This is the very best drugstore highlighter, in my opinion. It is a very nice flattering shade. Champagnes usually are. Around $3-4
  • ColourPop My Little Pony Pressed Powder Highlight (Trickles)-- This is my favorite highlight I have ever worn!! You wouldn't think by looking at the color or reading the description, but it is so gorgeous! It really catches the light in a surprising way and makes me so glowy. It's not an every day shade for me, but I love it so much. I find I have to work a little to make it show up, always wetting my brush and going in pretty heavy handed. You can't find ColourPop in stores, but it is one of my very favorite affordable brands, so I have to mention them in a few categories. (I'll link a discount code at the end.) I also love their pressed powder highlighter in the shade Freak Like Me (not pictured) but it's been discontinued apparently :( These are $8, and the compacts are really cute. 
  • ColourPop Super Shock Highlighter (Flexitarian)-- These have the same or similar formula to CP's Super Shock eye shadows, which I adore (I'll talk about that further down.) This one is pretty blinding and a little glittery but it's a knockout. It gives your eyes a beautiful pop when applied around the inner corners too. I put this one on with a damp beauty sponge. Unlike the shadows I feel like it doesn't apply well using your fingers because it can be tougher to move around and might disturb any makeup underneath. These are also $8. 
Sidenote: Both Elf and Maybelline also make very nice powder highlighters. I don't care for Maybelline's highlighting cream sticks.



EYE SHADOWS!!

I love eye shadow, especially affordable ones, but I don't own a lot of drugstore ones. I could tell you what I've heard are good (Milani palettes, Elf Mad for Mattes palette, Pixi palettes, NYX palettes) but I haven't used any of those personally so that's all I can say there. Here are ones I do own and like a lot though: 


  • Maybelline City Mini Palletes-- These are so so good, and I think I own all of them (oops!) I got four of these as stocking stuffers this Christmas and haven't used them all yet. These are great for "complete looks," so if you are new to using multiple shades at once they'd be great practice. There are also little illustrations on the backs with tips for applying them. The quality is really good, a big variety of shade ranges, and they are very affordable at ~$7 each. My favorites are Rooftop Bronzes (top left) and Urban Jungle (top middle, really lovely greens!) 
  • L'Oreal Infallible Paints singles-- Oh my goodness, these are so metallic and gorgeous! But in typical boujee L'Oreal style these are $9 each, so I only have one cuz eff that. 
  • Wet N' Wild singles-- One dollar each and really good quality, need I say more? They don't have a huge shade range in the singles but some good basics for sure. 
  • Maybelline singles-- These are around $3 each I believe, and also very good. There is a champagne color I used to love in high school, but I forget the name. I wore champagne lipstick then too, and I'm pretty sure it was like pineapple flavored or something >.<
  • Wet N' Wild palettes-- They recently reformulated and re-released all of their little shadow palettes and added in more shades and imprints of where each of the colors work best for complete looks (ie. transition, crease, lid) I find I have to work a little harder with these to get as much color as I want, but they are nice and about $5 or $6 a piece.
  • ColourPop palettes-- These are so affordable at an average of $16 each and amazing quality! There are so many to choose from, so I really think they have color combinations for everyone. Of the CP palettes I own, the I Think I Love You and Fem Rosa are my favorites. (I have a couple more coming in the mail soon, so I am excited for that!) They do seem to have a lot of duplicate color schemes across their palettes, in my opinion, so if you are considering grabbing multiple palettes double check that you're getting the most bang for your buck by picking ones that aren't so similar to each other. You can also buy single pressed powder eye shadow pans/compacts for $4-5 each if you want to pick and choose your colors individually.
  • ColourPop Super Shock Shadows-- These are by far my favorite eye shadows ever! I fell in love with them immediately from the first time I used them. (I'll show you some of my favorite shades below, because there are so many that it can be overwhelming to browse through.) They have a very unique cream-powder texture, not quite wet but also not dry, and kind of bouncy. They are so easy to apply, a lazy girl's dream, and I think these are perfect for days when you just don't feel like putting a lot of work in to just apply one or two with your finger. But they can be blended and built up just like regular powder shadows for some intense looks too. These are $5 each and they frequently have BOGO sales. If you are unsure about color combinations, there are also coordinated sets for sale on their site with four to six shadows included: After Hours is universally lovable/wearable and my favorite (we got it for my sis-in-law for Christmas too,) and I also really like the Summer Solstice set. These are available in multiple "finishes:" matte, shimmer, metallic, glitter, etc. I like them all.
      Some favorite Super Shock Shadows, left to right: (click to make bigger)
Static, Shameless, Liberty, Super Hard Core, Lightning Bug, Telepathy

MASCARA AND EYELINERS:

I'm getting tired of typing and put these together..... I don't have trouble with any of these running, flaking, smearing or giving me raccoon eyes.

  • Kokie Volume & Length mascara-- This is by far my favorite. I believe this brand is only sold at Wal-Mart, but I could be mistaken. ~$7-8
  • L'Oreal Voluminous mascara-- L'Oreal makes really great mascaras. I love this one and the Lash Paradise one. ~$9
  • Wet N' Wild MegaLength mascara-- I got both this one and their MegaLast mascara in gift sets this Christmas and I've really been enjoying them both. ~$4-5


  • Wet N' Wild MegaLiner-- This is my favorite liquid liner for winged liner. The brush and formula are perfect. ~$3-4
  • Essence Extreme Lasting Waterproof Pencil-- I use this in my lower waterline/lash line. It's great because my eyes can get a little watery with allergies sometimes and it holds up to that. $2-3 at Ulta
  • Maybelline Lasting Drama Waterproof Gel Pencil-- I love love love love love this blue color. It's so so pretty! I think blue liners really make your eye color pop. My favorite way to wear it is as a winged liner with gold eye shadow. I like to pair it with only Telepathy super shock shadow, it's stunning and I always get compliments when I wear those together. I haven't tried any other colors in this formula, but it's a nice formula so I'm sure they rock. Maybelline does liners right too. ~$5
  • NYX Jumbo Eye Pencils-- I kind of have a love-hate relationship with these. The colors are so rich and creamy and easy to apply, but they can smear around if your eyes are watery or if you rub them. So maybe if it's really hot out or your lids are oily, pass on these. I like to use these in the water line, they are just too fat to be very precise with on the lid in my opinion. Supposedly you can use these for eye shadow as well but they seem a little too sticky for that to me, I haven't tried it. These are available in a butt load of colors. ~$5-6
  • Maybelline Master Precise Ink Metallics-- These are so very pretty and shiny! I like to wear them with minimal/matte shadow so they really stand out. They dry quickly because they have a thicker/chunkier liquid formula so work fast. ~$5-6

LIPPIES!!!!

I won't go on and on about what shades I like, because that's probably mostly personal preference anyway. For reference, I typically prefer actual lipsticks over liquid lips. These are all lip products that I like the formula of, that wear well on me, and I own multiple shades of most of them. Gotta catch em all. 

  • Wet N Wild lipsticks-- I mean guys.... these are $1-3 each. ONE DOLLAR, GUYS!! And they are really good. I like both the matte and cream/satin finishes. They are cheapest at Wal-Mart, heads up. But the brand is constantly on some kind of sale at Walgreen's. (Ask me how many times I've hit the 5000 points reward for $50 spent on beauty and cosmetics. Go on, ask me.)
  • Maybelline lipsticks-- These are my favorite. They all wear so well and there are sooo many colors and finishes to choose from. The metallics are a little patchy so they aren't my fave. "Mauve It" is my most perfectest shade ever. ~$5-7 
  • ColourPop liquid lips-- The Ultra Glossy lips are amazing. The Ultra Satin lips are amazing. The Ultra Matte lips suck the life right out of your poor little lips. Don't even bother. $6
  • ColourPop Lippie Stix-- I honestly don't care for the size of these lipsticks tubes, but I believe they are transitioning over to the more traditional "bullet" style packaging, so that's nice to look forward to. My favorite is Aquarius, because duh, and it's also a pretty perfect light nude shade. $5
  • Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink-- So far this is the only matte liquid lip I've found that I can tolerate wearing and doesn't dry my lips out terribly nor crack or flake. It's really comfortable, a bit sticky but that doesn't bother me. And girl this shizz don't budge. Even through dinner. Even through ooey gooey queso. It ain't going nowhere! It's hard to remove when you actually want to though. You'll need makeup remover or oils. So worth it. And they just launched a lot of new shades I can't wait to get my hands on. $9
  • Maybelline Vivid Hot Lacquer-- These are my favorite glosses. Seriously so comfortable. The shade Unreal is perfection (not the one in the picture.) $9
  • Milani lipsticks-- They are great. The matte ones are a teensy bit drying. The shade Romance is my ideal red.$6-7
  • NYX Butter Gloss-- They have so many colors! All named after desserts! The one in this picture, Angel Food Cake, looks good on top of a lot of lipstick shades or alone. $5
  • Burt's Bees Satin Lipstick-- Honestly these are more like tinted balms, quite sheer, and a little overpriced for that reason. I probably would have never bought this for myself, but it was another stocking stuffer and I have really been enjoying it since I got it. It's really moisturizing and looks natural and subtle and pretty. I like to wear it when my lips are feeling dry, and on days when I don't want to look super "made up." $9


BRUSHES

Ok honestly, if you don't already own a lot of brushes, don't go out and buy a ton. All you really need is a beauty sponge (I like the Real Technique brand ones, $5 each) or two, and a couple of shadow brushes. The sponge will work for foundation, concealer, and powder. Ok maybe grab some brush for your blush and bronzer too, if you use those. That'll start you out real nice. I was given a lot (a LOT) of brushes by my sis-in-law, and the rest I slowly accumulated over time. Just be sure to wash them with some Dawn dish detergent 2-3 times a week AT LEAST. (I add in a little light oil to keep them from drying out.) One perk of owning a lot of shadow brushes is washing less often, hehehehe..... Here are some of my favorite affordable ones. I'll just go over brands and a couple of types. 


  • Wet N' Wild shadow brushes are seriously $1 each. You can even get them at Dollar Tree. I recommend getting a fluffy one for blending, and a flat one for packing on shimmers (wet the brush, that helps a lot.) Heck, get a couple of each. You'll use em. You can definitely tell they aren't as soft or as high quality, but they are still pretty damn good brushes. I don't care for any of their larger face brushes, except their slightly more expensive "pro" brush line, which I don't believe is sold in stores anyway. 
  • Eco Tools brushes are all around really good too. I have a flat shadow brush, a powder one, and a fan one by them that I like a lot. 
  • Most Elf brushes are pretty solid as well. I like their blush brushes and the little concealer one is nice too. 
  • ColourPop's brushes are a little pricier at $6-10 a piece, but they are good quality. It's my favorite fluffy for blending shadows. 
  • That fat silver one is a generic Target brand brush and I love it. It was labeled as a bronzer brush. I think it was 4 or 5 bucks. Maybe 8. I forget.
  • My favorite "affordable" foundation brush is the Y6 by Morphe. It blends like no other and doesn't suck up all your product. It's only $10 but you'll pay that much in shipping just for the one brush, and they ship slow as Chrimmus, so if you ain't about that life.... use the sponge. But if you are perusing their site anyways, I also enjoy the Y11 concealer brush and their eye shadow palettes are bomb. (And pretty affordable if you break it down to price per shadow.)

STUFF THAT'S NICE BUT YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE TO HAVE



  • Shadow Shields--  I got these at Wal-Mart. You stick them under your eyes with their adhesive backs to keep you from making a mess with fallout (shadow flying everywhere and getting on your under eye and cheeks) and are also a good guideline for winging out your shadow and liner. But if you just want them for guides, you can use scotch tape or washi tape instead. 
  • Setting Spray-- I like this one from Wet N' Wild, but I really only use it for spritzing my flat shadow brushes to get the shimmery/metallic/glittery shadows and highlighters to really stick and shine. You could use water for that, but the idea of bacteria grosses me out so I don't.
  • Brush "cleaner" pad-- This is not a substitute for washing your brushes. That being said, if you only own a few shadow brushes and want to switch between colors, wiping them around on this takes the color right off and lets you keep trucking right on with the same brush. (It'll still look stained, but test the brush on your wrist after, you'll see!) I got this one at Marshall's for four dollhairs. I think Sally Beauty carries them too.


And as promised, here are some coupon codes and videos and stuff that helped me learn to makeup real gud.  Browse around and find channels you enjoy though. Or just search things like "how to apply foundation," or "how to do a winged eyeliner," smokey eye, whatever you're wondering about.

$5 OFF your ColourPop order
For Morphe website use code DUPETHAT or LAURALEE for 10% off



Instagrams I creep on:
-- @lillywhite_  I like her "pictorials" a lot.
-- @dupethat  Cheaper alternatives to fancy makeup brands.


Ok, that's it. Good lawd.

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