The Pretty Files: Drugstore Beauty

Well the end of May is here and that means schools are out, people are working, and we’re all thinking about vacation.  That usually means two things: travel and money. You might be wondering, how does travel and money relate to all things pretty? Easy! If you are going to be having a little vacation time you definitely want to save some money and if you are going to be traveling you don’t want to have to worry about your regular makeup and pretty items (the ones you’ve researched and spent so much on in the quest for the holy grail item.)  I happen to have a solution for both in the form of giving you my list of drugstore favorites in the world of makeup, a collection of products that will help you save some money but also take away the stress of losing your pricey items in transport. Let’s get started!

Image Credit: Revlon

I always say that your skin is your best makeup. If your skin looks great anything you add to it will just be a bonus.  This is especially true in the summer when warm days sometimes makes wearing a full face of makeup unbearable, but it also works for travel. My solution for this is a good illuminating and perfecting primer or base. My holy grail product is by Chanel, but at over $50 a bottle it’s not practical or reasonable for travel.  My backup (and quickly becoming my new holy grail…) is Revlon’s Photoready Perfecting Primer, available for around $12.  It helps with pores and fine lines, but I feel like it gives the skin just a nice, even appearance that is perfect for sightseeing, pool time, or even that super awesome “staycation” watching Netflix on your couch. It’s not foundation so it doesn’t cover everything, which is why I supplement with concealer.  I actually have two concealers that I use depending on the issue (dark circles or blemishes.)  My two drugstore concealers are actually the products I use regularly, L’Oreal’s True Match Crayon Concealer (about $8, I use it for blemishes) and Maybelline’s Age Rewind Eraser (around $8, I use it for dark circles.)  Both products work very well as concealers and the crayon is extremely portable.  They also do a little double duty for me as I am very fair-skinned and can use both as a no-shimmer highlighter on days I do wear full foundation.  All three products (concealer and primer) run about $28 which is a far cry from the $66 I spent this winter.  Great savings and still the same amount of pretty!

Image Credit: L’Oreal

The rest of my summer vacay look is very minimal, but that is because I am able to do a lot with just two products. The first is probably one of my very favorite pretty secrets, ELF’s All Over Color Stick in Pink Lemonade.  It’s only a $1, but you can do so much with it!  You can wear it as a blush, dab it on your eyes as a creamy eye-shadow, or even wear it as a lipstick. It is hands-down my favorite bargain find and I always have one in my purse, even when the weather isn’t so sunny. I will usually wear it as blush and lip because for my summer eyes I love minimal. I choose a minimal look largely because I wear my sunglasses a lot in the summer and when I do all the artistry that I put into my eye-shadow ends up appreciated only by me. To keep myself looking polished, but not spending so much time I stick to just a few coats of a favorite mascara, L’Oreal’s Voluminous Million Lashes in Carbon Black.  It comes in waterproof (a summertime must!) and is only $8.  I love this mascara. It is similar to a Lancome mascara but at less than half the cost (random fact: L’Oreal owns Lancome so you are getting a quality product in your L’Oreal purchases!)  I usually have one of these in my bag year-round but it makes for a great summer item when going with a more simplistic look.

So there you have it, my drugstore favorites to save you time and money this summer. Make sure you wear some sunscreen and you will be off to enjoy this fabulous time of year.  Have any questions or a product you’d like to see me try? Leave me a comment below.  Until next time!