Shop the Drugstore with Celeb Makeup Artist Daniel Martin
Photo: Chris Craymer/ Trunk Archive
Daniel Martin, a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Jessica Alba, Dianna Agron, and Kate Bosworth, is no stranger to buying drugstore makeup. A few years ago when he flew to a shoot, his makeup kit didn’t land in Miami with him. He borrowed some products from the groomer on set, and ran to the drugstore for the rest. Many of those products have since gone into regular rotation in his kit and on the faces of some of his famous clients. So when we asked Martin to take our $50 drugstore shopping challenge, he didn’t have to go very far. Here, his picks for the best and most versatile products you can find in any drugstore:
Maybelline Color Tattoo Leather Longwear Eye Shadow in Creamy Beige, $5.24: Martin uses this true multi-tasker all over the face. “I started using it like contour. It’s the perfect beige-y nude to sculpt the cheek or eye,” he says. “I’ll also sometimes use it to cancel out the lip. I tend to look at cream shadows as all-over face shadows rather than just as pigment. And this one doesn’t dry down so quickly that you can’t still move it around [after you apply].”
Almay Longwear and Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover Pads, $4.49: So many makeup artists love this product, and Martin is no exception. “If you’re using a waterproof mascara or something that has a lot of staying power, these cut through it,” he says. “They’re comfy enough that you can wipe the pads all over the face and get everything off.” He particularly likes that they don’t leave an oily residue like other makeup removers.
NYX Cosmetics HD Studio Photogenic Foundation, $18: “I actually bought this initially for the body, and it just photographs so well,” Martin says. “I’m kind of a snob when it comes to complexion products, but this stuff is really, really good.” The formula is buildable, and is a good combination of “moisture and matte.” Martin compares it to the pricier MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. “If you blend it well with a brush or sponge, it just looks like skin and that’s what you want,” he explains.
Nuance Salma Hayek Intense Hydration Overnight Rejuvenator, $19.99: Martin uses this as a moisturizing makeup primer, even though it’s marketed as a night cream. “It’s actually light and not sticky, so it works well as a foundation magnet,” he says. “And it’s just comfortable on the skin. It absorbs quickly, and it doesn’t feel heavy on the face.
CoverGirl Blast Flipstick Lipcolor Intense in Tease, $7.89: This clever lip product has two sides: one that’s creamy and one that’s shimmery, which means it’s the MacGyver of products. Martin uses the shimmery side on the eye as a highlighting shade. He also loves the versatile pink-red on the other. You can use it as a blush or a lipstick. “That wound up being an easy pick. It wears comfortably, and a lot of girls love how it feels,” he says.
Total spent: $55.61
