Never Gonna Give You Up: Drugstore Edition

 

Best Finds on a Dime

Sometimes in life, you meet someone and have an instant connection and just know you’re going to be friends forever. It’s rare. This is certainly not something that happens daily, weekly, or even monthly. But when it happens, you know that you will be in each other’s lives for the long haul.

I’m not trying to be dramatic, but this has happened with beauty products too! And when they are products from the drugstore, I can’t help but share them with you. Here are some of my favorite products from the drugstore that I will never give up. I hope you give them a try!

 

Cetaphil® Gentle Skin Cleanser for All Skin Types

$6.54 at Walmart, 8 fl oz bottleCetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

For years I tried to combat my acne by choosing strong cleansers packed with benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. Sometimes they did help improve my acne but they completed destroyed my sensitive skin in the process. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser became my savior.

If you have sensitive skin, I highly recommend testing out this incredible cleanser. It’s creamy and gentle while still removing impurities. This unscented formula leaves the skin feeling clean but not stripped of all oils and moisture. For me, it’s completely non-irritating and leaves the skin so soft. I primarily use it on my face but this can be used as a body cleanser as well.

During heavier makeup days, I will double cleanse with this product or use it following a micellar water. Since it is gentle, it doesn’t always remove makeup on the very first wash. But considering it dramatically improved my acne prone and sensitive skin, I’m sticking with it!

 

Garnier® SKINACTIVE™ Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1 Makeup Remover & Cleanser

$6.99 at Target, 13.5 fl oz

I was very skeptical of micellar cleansing waters when they first came on the market. Similar to my views on makeup remover wipes, I thought it odd that anyone would put a cleansing product on their skin but never rinse it (and the makeup remnants) off with water. Then Garnier’s SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water entered my life and I’ll never look back.

This has become one of my all-time favorite makeup removers, especially when it comes to removing eye makeup. Not only do I have sensitive skin, but I have sensitive eyes as well! When it comes to removing eye makeup, I used to prefer going to bed resembling a raccoon, then to use an eye makeup remover to get rid of what my cleanser didn’t. With this micellar cleansing water, I wet a cotton pad, leave it sitting on my eye for a couple seconds, then wipe away any remaining eye makeup that my cleanser may have left behind. It’s a miracle worker. It leaves the skin feeling clean, not oily as many makeup removers do, and does not upset my sensitive eyes!

On heavier makeup days, I’ll use this first all over my face on a cotton pad and then follow-up with my Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. Squeaky clean!

Note that I rarely use waterproof mascara or eye products because my eyes are so sensitive. If you do tend to use waterproof products, check out this version of the product for removing waterproof mascara. This version does have an oily slick to it (as most waterproof makeup removing products do) so if that’s not your thing, then stay away.

 

Maybelline® FIT ME!® Concealer

$5.49 at Target, 0.23 fl oz

Finding a concealer that will both hide blemishes and not cause more breakouts is a struggle. For the longest time, I would use concealers that were medicated with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. And while these concealers didn’t clog my pores, they did a poor job of actually hiding blemishes and they also upset my sensitive skin.

I tried the Maybelline FIT ME! Concealer after being pleased with the FIT ME! Foundations. This concealer is creamy and easy to blend with your finger or a concealer brush. It covers blemishes, redness, and after setting it with a little powder, it stays put! It doesn’t cake up on my skin or cause irritation. It’s non-comedogenic and I haven’t found that in hiding blemishes, it cause more blemishes. It’s also breathable. What a win!

This concealer only comes in seven shades but I’ve found that the shade Light works for me in both the summer and winter and adjusts to my changing skin tone.

 

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

$8.99 at Target, 0.38 oz (normally $14.99)Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer

My love for this bronzer has no end. It’s like applying a sunny, tropical summer day to your face. It delivers the perfect natural glow for winter or summer and it smells amazing. I usually stay away from scented products but this one is an exception (the tropical coconut-y smell fades after application).

If you’ve been looking for a drugstore bronzer that provides a glow, a natural contour, and blends with perfect ease, then look no further! This powder formula blends out like a cream (and a dream!). It leaves the skin looking soft and less textured. I found that it works well on both bare face and on top of the foundation.

The bronzer comes in four shades: Light Bronzer, Bronzer, Sunkissed Bronzer, and Deep Bronzer. I use the shade Bronze. The shade Light Bronzer is a tad ashy and not at all orange so I think it would work well if you have fair skin.

Pro-tip: Throw out the strange foam applicator that it comes with and apply with a large fluffy brush. Sometimes I’ll go in with a contour brush as well and apply just under the cheekbones. We can forgive Physicians Formula for the crappy applicator they give us since the product comes in a cute compact with a mirror!

 

Maybelline® Lash Discovery® Mascara

$5.99 at Target, 0.16 fl ozMaybelline® Lash Discovery® Mascara

Let’s be honest. Drugstore mascaras that work are HARD to come by. Of all the high-end products that I purchase (which I try to keep to a minimum), mascara is usually the culprit. I’m convinced that there is not a drugstore mascara out there that is thickening, lengthening, separating, and volumizing. If there is, I haven’t found it! Or I’ve found it and it irritates my sensitive eyes. *Sigh*

Lash Discovery comes with a teeny tiny wand that is perfect for your lower lash line and the baby lashes toward your inner eye. I often use it in conjunction with some of my other favorite mascaras that provide the thickening and volumizing effect that I look for on the top lashes. Lash Discovery is lengthening and if you want to use it on its own, it does provide a very natural lash.

Plus side! The waterproof formula does not irritate my sensitive eyes and is hypoallergenic! That’s why I’ll keep coming back to this baby and using it on repeat for my lower lashes. Yes, using two different mascaras every day can be a bit annoying, but this one works so well for the bottom lashes that I can’t it up.

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed this roundup of some of my favorite drugstore products that I keep going back for! Stay tuned for another post featuring high-end products that I always have on reserve.

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