Drugstore Beauty Products

Story and photos by Camryn Smith

Makeup and skin care products can be expensive, especially when they are high end. Many college students are on a budget but still want to look good. Drugstore brands can offer quality products for a cheaper price compared to high-end brands. Here are some drugstore products that can be found at CVS, Target or Rite Aid that carry trending products for the summer.

All prices and product descriptions are from Target.com

Self-Tanner

Jergens has a range of different self-tanners. Their tanning products range from lotion that creates a gradual tan, instant self-tanner and tanning products dedicated to only the face. These products provide a glowy, natural-looking tan.

Instant Tan: $11.99

Natural Glow Lotion: $8.69

Face Tanner:$8.69

Skin Care

CeraVe face washes and skin care became popular on TikTok. This skin care line provides a range of face washes based on a person’s skin type. Some are hydrating for those with dry skin and a face wash that helps with acne. Besides face washes, CeraVe has daily moisturizers, retinol cream, eye creams and serums.

Foaming Facial Cleanser: $14.99

Face Cleanser with Salicylic Acid: $9.89

Retinol Serum:$16.99

Moisturizer Cream:$13.99

Colorful Eyeliners

A pop of color in makeup looks has been a trend this spring and will continue throughout the summer. An easy way to add color is through eyeliner. NYX has a range of eyeliner pencils in an array of colors. These eyeliner pencils are retractable, so no eyeliner sharpener is necessary. NYX eyeliners are long-lasting and smudge-proof.

“My favorite eyeliners to use are from NYX and Milani,” Central Michigan University junior Bailey Weaver said. “They don’t dry out as fast as some high-end brands do and they have a variety of colors and eyeliner types for a good price.”

NYX Eyeliner: $7.99

ELF CC Cream

ELF is known for their inexpensive makeup products. They recently released a CC cream that has medium to full coverage and has sunscreen in it. This product has a natural finish to give the no makeup look. This product is a great dupe for IT Cosmetics’ CC cream. ELF’s CC cream is half the price of IT Cosmetics’ CC cream.

ELF CC Cream: $14.00

Face Serums and Dewy Foundations

Having dewy and hydrated skin is a must this summer. Sometimes, skin care products can be expensive. However, Milani has different serums and a glow foundation that can help anyone achieve the dewy look. Their glow foundation is light to medium coverage that has a dewy finish. Their newer facial serum, Green Goddess, contains cannabis seed oil to help hydrate the skin. They also have a rose oil that helps prep and brighten the skin before the makeup application.

“My overall favorite drugstore brand is Milani,” Weaver said. “Their foundations are my favorite because of the coverage they provide to make my skin look healthy and clear.”

Milani Green Goddess: $14.99

Milani Rose Serum: $11.99

Milani Glow Foundation: $9.99

Mascaras

Drugstore makeup has a variety of mascaras to choose from. In an article on birdie.com, a popular mascara is L’Oréal’s air volume mascara. This mascara is lightweight and brings volume to the lashes. The other popular mascara is Covergirl’s Lash Blast Clean. This mascara uses natural products and makes the lashes look natural.

L’Oréal Air Volume: $10.99

Covergirl Lash Blast Clean: $7.99

Lipsticks

Revlon has different types of lip products. They have matte lipsticks, lip glosses and lip stains. Their newest collection of lip products is called the Colorstay Satin Ink liquid lipstick, which stays on the lips for 16 hours. This liquid lipstick has a wand applicator to make it more precise. The lipstick ranges from nude colors to bright red and pinks.

Revlon Satin Ink Liquid Lipstick: $8.99

Drugstore beauty brands allows anyone to look and feel their best and create products that are trending in the makeup community. There is a variety of brands to buy from at a reasonable price.