I'm A Beauty Reporter. I Swear These Drugstore Products Are Even Better Than Luxury Ones.

Yahoo

12-05-2025

As a beauty reporter, it's not just my personal obsession but also my job to research and test my way through skin care and makeup products at every price point. What I've found is that, in many cases, you do get what you pay for. But other times, I learned that drugstore formulas outperform their luxury competition for a fraction of the price.
Always the advocate for a good bargain, I've curated the upcoming list of beauty products that I've not just tried, but use regularly, for their capacity to enhance my beauty routine at drugstore prices. It's an affordable collection that includes lush body oils, high-powered eye liners, wrinkle-fighting facial lotions and tons more.
Amazon
This was the tube of mascara that, for me, solidified potential of drugstore formulas. The L'Oreal Voluminous mascara line was previously recommended to us by professional makeup artists as a good budget option for anyone looking to experiment with mascara shades that go beyond just black or brown.
There's something about the product consistency of this mascara and the fluffy barrel brush that makes my lashes look longer and noticeably volumized, without looking weighed down or spidery. It also never flakes or smudges, even when the tube is a little older. I've even opted to try a few other colors, including the deep violet shade that I like so much, I find myself grabbing for it more than my go-to black. You'll want to opt for this if you're after a set of lashes that look fanned, wispy and not overly unnatural.
Though I haven't tried it out for myself, some online discourse suggests that this formula is very comparable to the Lancôme High Definition mascara, which is also known for weightlessly lengthening lashes.
$8 at Amazon
$11 at Target
$11 at Ulta
Amazon
This silky soft Airspun loose powder by Coty, a product that hails all the way back from 1935, is the only facial powder I will ever use. The talc-free formula, which can be purchased in three shades, including translucent, never feels cakey on my skin, nor does it settle into fine lines. Instead, it helps to smooth and blur texture, absorb excess oil and set my makeup — all without leaving an overly matte finish or a weird cast like other setting powders I've tried. It's also insanely affordable and lasts forever.
Even though I consider this vintage icon in a league of its own, I have heard this formula compared to the likes of Laura Mercier's well-known loose setting powder, which contains botanicals and skin conditioners to blur and soften the skin, but costs $43 for just one ounce of product (the Airspun is 1.2 ounces).
$7 at Amazon
$7 at Target
$7 at Walmart
Amazon
I'll admit it, I was influenced by TikTok to try out these new highlighter sticks from L'Oréal that promise to offer a more elevated kind of glow (unlike those chalky strobe highlighters of 2012). The finish is very unique and, like the brand claims, makes skin look glass-like, reflective, and very healthy. It comes in three "glassy formula" shades, though I have both the pearl and pink, and they are both virtually translucent, which I actually prefer. The texture is also not creamy at all, but instead feels lightweight and second-skin-like when applied to areas like the high points of my cheeks, inner corners of the eyes and cupid's bow. Even though this conveniently comes in the form of a stick, I like rubbing it on my fingers first before dabbing it onto my skin to avoid any disruption of my liquid and cream products underneath.
In my opinion, this formula seems strikingly similar to Merit's Day Glow highlighting balm, which promises that same dewy sheen without any sparkle.
If you want a more robust glow, the L'Oréal Lumi Le Glass comes in three "glowy" formulas that are advertised to have a slightly more opaque finish.
$13 at Amazon
$11 at Target
$13 at Ulta
Amazon
I have been using the CeraVe daily lotion as my go-to day facial moisturizer (though it can be used for both the face and body) for several years now, and for a few different reasons. In my opinion, it's the ideal mid-weight texture that soaks completely into the skin and layers seamlessly over my other daytime skin care products, without any kind of contradictions. Something about the slight velvet finish that this lotion leaves behind serves as the perfect base for makeup to layer on top of — no pilling or unsightly foundation separating. In fact, it works better as a base than some other expensive primers that I've tried. Plus, the fact that I can procure a value-sized bottle of this for less than $20 keeps me coming back time and time again.
I hesitate to make this comparison, since I'm such a huge fan of the slightly pricier version, but this reminds me of the cult-favorite Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré, a magical French facial cream that also doubles as a makeup primer.
$14+ at Amazon
$16+ at Target
$14+ at Walmart
Amazon
Everyone is most likely familiar with the iconic "Pillow Talk" lip liner by Charlotte Tilbury, which I'm also a devotee of, but cringe at the $26 price tag. Milani is the maker behind tons of notable drugstore cosmetics, including this retractable lip liner that comes in nearly identical shades to the luxury version (Cinammon Statement or Nude Entrance). It's creamy, long-lasting and doesn't feather along or above the lip line when I want to accentuate my lips.
I'm equally obsessed with the Milani Color Fetish line of matte lipsticks, which are ultra-pigmented and very soft on the lips.
$8 at Amazon
$8 at Target
$9 at Ulta
Amazon
The Maybelline Age Rewind concealer has been my exclusive concealer of choice for nearly a decade and I have yet to find a formula that manages to be so imperceptible on the skin, yet so effective at brightening my under eye. The formula blends easily and because it's so thin, it does a really great job of not settling into my fine lines or creasing throughout the day and I don't even need to use powder to set it. It easily disperses from the built-in sponge applicator and comes in 20 shades, including a redness-canceling green shade and a brightening pink tone.
I personally can't speak to this comparison, but the Age Rewind is often cited as an affordable alternative to the Nars Radiant Creamy concealer, a medium-coverage product that promises to be good for dark circles.
$9 at Amazon
$9 at Target
$9 at Walmart
Amazon
I have some sparse patches on my left eyebrow from previous scarring, and I adore how Nyx's Lift & Snatch eyebrow pen manages to fill in the gap, without making it look like I just have a solid block of color on my skin. The flexible tip is ultra-fine to help mimic the look of brow hairs, while the ink-like formula is instantly drying and completely budge-proof. Available in 10 shades, this product is strikingly similar to my beloved micro-stroke pen by Anastasia Beverly Hills, a brand known for its incredible brow products.
$11+ at Amazon
$13 at Target
$13 at Ulta
Amazon
I was pleasantly surprised when I tried this gel-cream eyeliner by indie beauty brand af94. Available in six shades (I have the black and navy blue), it applies with the ease and control of a traditional pencil eyeliner but with greater opacity than you would expect and no skipping or dragging on the skin. It actually feels more like a cream than anything else and is similar to other gel-based pencils of luxury origins like Bobby Brown's Perfectly Defined gel eyeliner. I like that I'm able to smoke it out a bit into a wing with a fine eyeliner brush to get that soft cat eye look and because it's a gel formula, it really doesn't budge once it dries down. I've even worn it to dance classes and it doesn't move. You also don't need a sharpener because it's a twist-up pencil that automatically sharpens with each turn.
And if you're curious about what my favorite eyeliner brush is, it's also a drugstore find that comes in this five-piece brush set by EcoTools.
$8 at Ulta
$10 at Walmart
Amazon
For the longest time, I only used a Beauty Blender to apply my makeup, a $20 tool that is so revered it can even be considered the industry standard for makeup sponges. Then, about three years ago, I discovered these latex-free lookalikes that cost just $5 for a colorful carton of five and have never looked back. Like the Blender, this delightfully squishy sponge makes my foundation look airbrushed and mimics the original's exact shape: a round body and a pointed precision tip. I use this damp for the perfect dispersion of products and bounce it along the skin in a stippling motion to apply my foundation, blend cream products and even powders.
$5+ at Amazon
Amazon
If you're not familiar with lip oils, think of them as a grown-up version of those sticky glosses from the '90s that promise the same coveted shine, but with the feel of a hydrating balm. Colour Pop's Lux lip oils were the first I ever tried and ultimately the reason I fell in love with this type of formulation. Available in four sheer shades, this lip oil has a unique gel-like texture that melts down to a lightweight and cushiony gloss that's incredibly comfortable and smooth to wear. It uses a blend of antioxidant-rich chamomile and calendula oils to help nourish lips and keep them feeling hydrated. In my opinion, the feel and longevity of this gloss even beats the cult-favorite Tower 28 high-shine lip jelly, which costs $6 more.
$10 at Amazon
$10 at Target
$10 at ColourPop
Amazon
Although this isn't a product that you could grab from your local Target or Walmart, it does have a drugstore price and a list of ingredients that is strikingly similar to the Laneige Cream Skin milky toner, a formula that's also Korean and costs over twice as much. The PDRN pink milky toner is a recent find from buzzy Korean skin care brand, Medicube, and so far, I'm loving it. The hydrating skin conditioner contains both ceramides and peptides (just like Laneige's Cream Skin product) for brightening and plumping power, but it also contains the addition of salmon-derived PDRN, an anti-aging ingredient that's risen in popularity this past year for its potential to improve skin texture and collagen production. Even after just a few months of use, I've already noticed increased softness and better bounce-back to my skin.
$16 at Amazon
Amazon
My skin is notoriously dry and I've found that incorporating body oils post-shower and after moisturizer has helped trap in hydration, improved skin texture and stave off my chronic eczema. This was one of the best oils that I ended up trying (including better than the uber-popular Osea Undaria algea body oil), and I don't hear a lot of people talk about how great it is. As a person who is opposed to certain textures, I'm in love with the fact that this formula doesn't sit greasy or stick atop the skin. It actually soaks in quickly and thoroughly to the point that I'm able to throw on my clothes right after and not leave a stain. Deceptively luxurious and available in five mild scents, it's enriched with three different oils that are nourishing and rich in antioxidants like squalane and moringa.
If you want to go a step further, I also use Saltair's SPF-infused version of this body oil because I prefer it significantly more than rubbing on regular SPF lotions that feel suffocating on my skin.
$22+ at Amazon
$22 at Ulta
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