Marisa Anziano
Copy Editor
As college students, we do not always have the kind of disposable income required to drop $100 on a lipstick like our favorite celebrities. However, that does not mean that we should have to sacrifice quality for price. As a matter of fact, I have encountered many drugstore makeup products that are far better than their high-end counterparts. After an extensive amount of research, ahem…watching an excessive amount of YouTube beauty videos and spending a ridiculous amount of money trying things out, I have painstakingly created an everyday makeup routine, of drug¬store makeup only, for under $40.
Foundation: My all-time favorite drug¬store foundation is Revlon’s ColorStay makeup ($11.99 at Ulta). This foundation is available in two different formulas based on your personal skin type: combination/oily or normal/dry. This foundation feels very lightweight but it has a buildable coverage to hide virtually any imperfections. Another great feature of this foundation is the wide color range that suits virtually every person’s skin tone.
Concealer: My pick for concealer is e.l.f.’s Essential Tone Correcting Concealer ($1 at Target). Not only does this concealer cover even the most stubborn of blemishes, but it also camouflages and brightens dark under eye circles. This is perfect for those of us who want to look a little more awake for those dreaded 8:00 a.m. classes.
Powder: Using powder after foundation and concealer increases the staying-power of your makeup, provides further coverage, and reduces shininess. If you have dry skin, you may want to skip this step, but if you have oily skin, you will love me forever! I highly recommend Rimmel’s Stay Matte Pressed Powder ($4.99 at Ulta) in either translucent or the color of your skin tone. Simply dust some on with a fluffy brush and you are good to go.
Blush/Bronzer/Eye Shadow: This was the biggest challenge for me when I devised this makeup routine. Eyes Lips Face (e.l.f.) is a very inexpensive cosmetics brand found in Target. In some cases, you get what you pay for, but in this case, with the e.l.f. Studio Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder com¬pact, you are getting impressive quality at an affordable price. You could use this as three steps in one. First, sweep some of the blush onto the apples, or tops, of your cheeks. Next, dust the bronzer on your cheek bones, your temples, and your chin creating a sunkissed glow. Finally, pop some of the bronzer on the crease of your eyelids as you would an eye shadow to add some dimension!
Mascara: I believe that Mascara is very important because it really defines and accentuates your eyes. My mascara of choice, Almay’s Get Up and Grow mascara ($6.99 at Target) is a recent addition to my own make¬up routine. Even though my eyelashes are below average, this mascara makes me look like I actually have nice ones. It is a very dark black formula and does not clump. Blink your eyes over the mascara wand then wiggle from root to tip to create the perfect look.
Lip Gloss: The world is your oyster when it comes to drugstore lip products. Being that this is supposed to be an everyday makeup routine, I wanted to keep it simple with a nice lip gloss. My recommendation is NYX’s Mega Shine Lip Gloss ($5.49 at Ulta). However, you really can¬not go wrong with any NYX lip products. This gloss is not sticky or goopy. It effortlessly glides on to wear by itself or over your favorite lipstick.
Drum roll, please…the final total for this routine is $38.45 plus tax. There you have it, ladies…a full face of makeup and all for under $40. Enjoy!
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