Beauty Editors Share Their Favorite Drugstore Buys
We don’t know about you, but we could walk into any given Duane Reade or CVS and walk out having dropped $100. No problem. Because as much as we love a single luxe beauty purchase—a SK-II mask wrapped in Violet Grey’s distinctive packaging, or a well-chosen YSL lipstick from Sephora—the embarrassment of beauty riches (and by riches, we mean you can buy a lot more for a lot less) that is our local drugstore is hard to avoid. There’s good stuff in there. Dermatologist recommended stuff—like, our dermatologists actually suggest cleansers, moisturizers, masks that you can buy for less than $15. That’s worth something, right?
Since we have such a special place in our beauty-obsessed hearts for a solid half-hour spent perusing CVS shelves, we figured beauty editors must feel the same. They’re sent products and samples daily, with that drug store product mixed in among the Sisley—so what stands out? We asked the best in the business which creams, cleansers, mascaras and mattifiers have them heading to Duane Reade instead of a department store counter.
The truth is, in many cases drugstore beauty items are the best in their category—better than products that cost many times more than they do. These I’d buy whether they were in a Target in Winslow, AZ or in the gift shop of an Aman resort on some far-flung island—they are truly worth it at any price.
Skin Food by Weleda is the greatest moisturizer of all time, bar none. It is full of a million essential oils, so it smells incredible, treats any dry skin issue on face or body—and the green tube is just the chicest thing ever.
I am willing to get on a plane because Hand Sanitizing Spray from Burt’s Bees exists. It kills everything after you’ve been forced to touch the doorknob on your way out of the airplane bathroom—and contains no world-destroying antibacterials AND smells faintly of cinnamon.
Butterfly Mascara from L’Oreal makes your lashes gorgeous and gigantic.
I love to take baths—and I counter their supposed drying effects with a ton of bath oil, especially Lemon Body Oil from Burt’s Bees because it’s subtle and soothing and energizing all at once.
Used twice a day and/or at the gym, Yes to Tomatoes face wipes will seriously diminish any and all acne problems. People who are less inclined to wash their faces—men, children—will be amazed at how good their skin looks, not realizing that much of the reason is that they’re simply willing to use the wipes!
Yes to Cucumbers SPF 30. All the Yes-To SPFs blend better than any other natural, non-chemical sunscreens. And they feel more moisturizing. And they smell nice. I like the Yes to Blueberries for face, too.
I keep a big jug of Cold & Flu Bath from Kiss My Face in my medicine chest—when you’re congested, nothing makes you feel more like human being than a bath or shower with it.
I carry a mini John Frieda Secret Weapon hair cream in my makeup bag, and I have normal-size tubes of it everywhere else. It fixes—instantly—whatever’s wrong with your hair: frizz, an errant cowlick, general dullness and unfabulousness. No one should be without it, ever!!
Clairol Root Touch Up has to be the greatest beauty invention I know of. Whether you spend millions at a salon, or you color your hair at home, Root Touch-Up will change your life. It’s genius lies in the fact that its shades are designed to match faded hair color—which makes it blend absolutely invisibly. It’s super-low hassle, and makes your hair instantly, perfectly, gorgeously, imperceptibly rootless. It has to be tried to be believed.
Sally Hansen Insti-Dri—I mean, it dries in 60 seconds! CinniSnap is a deep, dark, super chic red.
Clear shampoos and conditioners rule—they leave your hair perfectly bouncy and volumized without fly-aways (hard to do), with just amazing shine.”
"Flower Beauty Kohl Eyeliner in Espresso: it goes on super smoothly, smudges just enough to impart that relaxed, lived-in lash line and stays strong all day."
"Being a beauty editor for the past decade has certainly given me a taste for the finer things, but testing products at all price points has shown me that great quality doesn’t always mean you need to empty your wallet. I have many drugstore go-tos—especially when it comes to skincare.Dove body wash is basically the only kind I use—I find it very gentle and nourishing—and I’m hooked on their refreshing new Mandarin & Tiare Flower scent. Nivea Crème is a lifelong fave thanks to its creamy whipped texture. I find the scent nostalgic and I often have a mini blue tin in my bag for winter dry skin emergencies. I love Simple products because they’re gentle on my sensitive skin. Their new Micellar Water is a new obsession for makeup removal. When I travel I always toss a pack of their Cleansing Wipes in my bag because I know I’ll never experience any irritation. Yes to Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser is my favorite affordable face wash because it doesn’t strip moisture, removes mascara, and comes with a pump. Why doesn’t everything have a pump?!
For makeup, I’m one of the rare beauty editors who won’t tout the wonders of Maybelline Great Lash—although it has a place in my heart for being my first. I do, however, adore the brand’s Volum’ Express The Colossal Washable Mascara in classic black. I recommend it to everyone who asks me for a drugstore option—it adds loads of volume and length without clumps. I dare anyone to not fall in love with Vaseline Rosy Lips lip balm. The pint-sized packaging is downright adorable, the light rosy scent is addictive, and the petroleum jelly locks in moisture without being too sticky.
If I need to pick up shampoo and conditioner in the drugstore I scour the aisles for Redken—specifically their All Soft line, but I know that’s a bit pricier and not always available. My other favorite is Garnier Fructis Sleek and Shine Shampoo and Conditioner and you can get both together for under $10.”
"In the fall, I took a magical vacation to Maui. It was hotter and sunnier there than usual, and between trips to the swim-up bar and naps in the cabana, I ran through my bottle of fancy—and expensive—facial sunscreen in the first week. I picked up Neutrogena Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen as a stop-gap, but after one use, I was a total convert. It absorbs quickly, is water resistant and feels super-light on the skin—and there’s zero greasy residue, which, if we’re being honest, was a problem with the ritzy stuff I had been using. I will never go back.”
"I really, really enjoy Revlon’s Skinlights. It’s a liquid highlighter with a super fine particle shimmer that comes in a few shade options. It’s actually a cult classic of sorts that just recently made a comeback to much beauty addict fanfare. I love it because it’s multipurpose: mix a drop in with foundation, tap it onto the high planes of your face for added luminosity, apply the bronze shade in lieu of eyeshadow for a dewy eye look, etc… Or, you can use it to give totally new life to any of your favorite powders or cream products. Just spoon out your favorite, say, matte eyeshadow onto the back of your hand, then add a drop of Skinlights. You’ve got instant liquid eyeshadow! You can also do that with blush, which is especially clutch on days when your skin is dry and powder will make you look cakey.
Neutrogena has been very clever as per usual and decided to capitalize on the Korean beauty trend, so they released this genius hyaluronic acid moisturizer called Hydra Boost Gel-Cream. When I tried it on my hand at the event, I literally laughed and said, “Wait—I’d use this!” (No shade intended—I was just raised by a mother with a penchant for Sisley, Guerlain and CHANEL.) But this product really changed my tune: fragrance-free, dye-free, paraben-free, etc… and it’s got a delightful texture that instantly plumps the skin without leaving any film or residue behind. It’s a great option for pre-makeup, especially because gel moisturizers keep oil at bay throughout the day. If you don’t want to pay for toner or a man in your life is complaining about razor burn or you have a sunburn, cut, or otherwise irritated skin, keep a bottle of this in the cupboard.”
“I’m not a product snob and love, love, love drugstore products! I can wax poetic about Jergens Original Scent body lotion and Burt’s Bees Beeswax lip balm, but here’s a shocker: Suave Everlasting Sunshine antiperspirant. I know, I know… deodorant isn’t sexy. But smell it! It’s a dead ringer for Mr. Zogs Sex Wax—and as a surfer’s wife, that’s hot!”
"The beauty of taking product advice from a beauty editor is this: we get sent tons of products for free. Stay with me. Because we test the uber-expensive fancy thing (don’t hate) side by side with the crazy-cheap steal, our POV has no monetary limits or bias. So. When we rave about a cheapie, you KNOW it WORKS. And that it works just as well as anything you’d find on the luxury market (all without YOU having to actually buy said fancy thing). The two drugstore beauty staples I will go to my grave hoarding because they are just too good to leave behind are Burt’s Bees Lip Balm (original flavor only—vitamin E and Peppermint) and Aveeno Positively Radiant SPF 30 Moisturizer. I have one of these lip balms in every purse and coat pocket I own. You could have the most jacked up chapped lip situation (side-eye: Polar Vortex) and I promise this formula will restore and soften them like nobody’s business. The pepperminty tingle adds a nice refreshing kick, too. But more importantly, it’s natural. Think about it this way: we all end up swallowing pounds of lip balm a year (so gross). Safe ingredients suddenly seem more attractive, no? The designer ones may look pretty in packaging but they never ever live up to the hype in my book. Now for my love affair with Aveeno. It’s the moisturizer I used before I was a beauty editor and—even after many dalliances—it’s the one I always return to. Light enough to use all balmy summer and rich enough to keep my skin dewy during the coldest winter ever, it’s my number one skin staple year-round for balancing out combination skin brilliantly. If it were $100, I would still buy it in bulk (a.k.a. call it in). Luckily for us all it’s under $15."
"French girls don’t let Paris’ hard tap water touch their faces; instead they use Bioderma Crealine, a micellar cleanser, which is also a favorite of makeup artists backstage at shows. Last time I was at a French pharmacy I picked up a few cute travel-sized ones. It used to be impossible to find in the US, but now you can order it on Amazon!
Biore Charcoal Bar: black soap that looks like a Zen pebble and costs under $10? So chic!
Neutrogena Rainbath is kind of a throwback, but it still smells so modern and fresh.
I was introduced to Hada Labo, this cool Japanese drugstore brand in Tokyo, and now it’s launched in the States. It’s so brilliant to have these very sophisticated skincare concepts that are usually sold in fancy stores at super affordable prices. The Replenishing Hydrator is a clear liquid, almost like a toner, but is very hydrating because it’s filled with hyaluronic acid.
I feel like there are a lot of gradual self-tanners out there now, but the originalJergens Natural Glow is still the best.
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polish seriously lasts and lasts like a gel manicure, but it’s easy to remove with normal remover, not the crazy gel stuff, which can be annoying.
The beauty genius that is Mary Schook started importing the I’m From Honey Korean drugstore mask to her apothecary, and it is so freakin’ amazing and magical that it just sold out GLOBALLY. But she’s getting another batch in March, so, hook it up.
I’ve been using Pantene shampoos and conditioners since junior high—the scent is kind of lovely and the conditioner is very rich.”
