20160824

US Beauty Must-Haves | Drugstore & Affordable


Last week I brought you the High-End version of this post but this week it's time for the drugstore and affordable edition! Again, there's a mix of products that are reasonably accessible, ones that you can ship to the UK and ones to pick up if you're heading Stateside and as usual I'll give the shipping details below (all links ship to the UK unless stated otherwise).


L'Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation | £15 | I do have to emphasise that I think the US and UK formulas are really different and personally I think the American version is SO much better and it also comes in a reasonable shade range. It's a beautiful medium-full coverage foundation that doesn't look at all caky on my skin. It doesn't settle into pores or fine lines and doesn't look drying. It's that perfect 'matte glow' finish that gives your skin a flawless, radiant look without any shine. Best of all: it still looks pretty good after 12 hours of wear!

Elf Studio Powder Brush | £4.50 | I don't really use this for powder but it's a great one for flawless foundation. I love it with a full coverage formula to get that completely seamless look. It washes well and I've had it a good 2 years and it hasn't shed - not bad for under a fiver!

ColourPop Cheek Shock Highlighter in Dream Catcher | $8 | This is a stunning cream highlighter which looks like a light gold but has an iridescent peachy-pink sheen. It has the nicest mousse-like texture which doesn't feel greasy or look shiny and blends out beautifully.

Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso | £7.49 | This is one of those 'barely there' blusher shades for a minimal makeup day. It's a peach tone that will suit light and medium skin tones (if you have deeper skin then try Coralina or Bellisimo Bronze from the same range for a similar look) with a very subtle sheen. It kind of reminds me of my Hourglass blushes because true to the name it gives a luminous look without any chunks of glitter. It applies so effortlessly and doesn't go patchy after a long day.

ColourPop Cheek Shock Bronzer in Carry On | $8 | Cream bronzer has been my thing this Summer and it's all thanks to ColourPop! This isn't at all greasy but still glides onto my skin without requiring any work at all. It's a matte warm medium brown that adds that dimension to my face in the most natural way. 



Elf Studio Small Stipple Brush | £4.50 | This is another great Elf brush bargain! Though I do tend to apply cream products with my fingers, if I want to use a brush then this is the one I reach for. I know a lot of other brands do stippling brushes for dabbing on liquid or cream formulas, however this is the only small one I've really come across. The size makes it perfect for precise blusher, highlighter and bronzer application.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadow Pans in Cocoa Bear, Frappe, Homecoming & Grandstand (Foiled) | £4.95-£7.95 | I won't bore you too much because my Makeup Geek love is well-documented! The two matte shades Frappe and Cocoa Bear have amazing payoff and aren't chalky at all, blending out smoothly when applied. Frappe is a warm caramel brown whereas Cocoa Bear is a deeper red-brown tone. Homecoming is a not-too-cool-not-too-warm bronze shimmer that seems to work with any neutral eye look. Grandstand is a copper Foiled shade so almost goes on like a cream because it's so dewy, metallic and smooth in texture. Overall these have great longevity (the Foiled formula slightly less so but it's still good enough for me) and are a total bargain.

L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush | $8.49 | Although I found some of the other shades in this range on Fragrance Direct, Amber Rush doesn't appear to be available in the UK. Even in New York it was pretty elusive! If you do manage to find it in-stock in a drugstore in America then definitely pick it up because it's such a beautiful formula and colour. This again has that foiled effect however it is a true cream eyeshadow. Its longevity is amazing; it won't crease or budge at all even if you're wearing it for 12+ hours! Although it may look similar to Grandstand at a glance, this is a cooler rose gold colour.

ColourPop Super Shock Eyeshadow in Sunset Blvd | $5 | I've actually ordered another one of these because I've hit pan and I'm scared it's going to be discontinued because it was part of a collaboration! That is my dedication to this shade... I feel like images don't do it justice; it's a gorgeous pearlescent golden-nude shade. It's quite a subtle sheeny wash of colour but it really adds something to a minimal makeup look. It doesn't crease or wear off even in the heat or after hours and hours of wear!



NYX Tame & Frame Brow Pomade | £5.50 | This is pretty much identical in formula to the famous Anastasia Beverly Hills pomade! It's somewhere between a wax and a gel and although it's a more bold look, you don't have to go overboard with it. This kind of product dries up so quickly that you might as well save your money and get this. I just apply it with a small winged liner brush and it goes on very smoothly. It's so long-wearing and doesn't smudge even in hot weather or the rain. The shade range isn't as extensive as its high-end counterpart's but there are still a few to choose from and they don't run too warm in tone like a lot of cheaper products.

ColourPop Ultra Satin Lip in Echo Park | $6 | This is the most amazing, non-drying liquid lipstick formula that still gives a matte finish. It goes on so smoothly and doesn't settle into lines on the lips. This formula can still last me a good 5 hours before it needs re-applying though. Echo Park is a gorgeous peachy-brown nude colour that just always seems to work with whatever makeup look!

Wet N Wild Mega Last Matte Lip Cover in Spiked with Rum | $2.75 | I still can't get over how cheap these lipsticks are! The packaging is kind of rubbish; sometimes it feels like the product is 'wobbling' around inside it and it's impossible to put on the plastic lid without catching it on the product! However the lipstick inside is fantastic; it's a very creamy and opaque matte formula (though it does have a bit of a sheen to it). It isn't at all drying and wears so well. Spiked with Rum is a really nice plummy reddish mauve tone.

Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush | £6.99 | This is now available in the UK - yaaaay! I'm so glad I can start talking about this shade more because it's one of my favourites. The Creamy Matte formula is very smooth and comfortable, though I do feel like you have to do a couple of layers before the colour is completely solid and it isn't as long-wearing as a truer matte. However I can forgive all of that for a beautiful shade in a non-drying formula. It's a very warm nude with orange-clay undertones. 


What are your favourite US drugstore and affordable makeup products? Or which are on your wish list?



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P.S. If you're in the UK: check out my Twitter giveaway here to win two of my favourite Caudalie skincare products!
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39 comments

  1. Out of all the US brands, I'm definitely keen to get my hands on Makeup Geek and Colourpop, been eyeing up ton of products from both brands! x

    Beauty with charm

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    1. I saw you recently got some MUG shadows - hope you're enjoying them! xx

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  2. Ever since trying for the first time MUG and ColourPop I'm obsessed with both brands, they have amazing products for such affordable prices! x

    Mummy’s Beauty Corner

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  3. Great post! I love buying makeup from the US, it feel so much more exciting haha! I love the Elf brushes, so affordable yet great quality x

    Blushhx

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  4. That eyeshadow form L'Oreal is stunning! ^_^
    Katerina
    http://p-s-kate.blogspot.gr/

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  5. Amber Rush looks beautiful! I'm heading to NY soon so hopefully I'll manage to track it down in one of their drugstores.

    www.thesundaymode.com

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    1. It's a hard one to track down but well worth the effort :) xx

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  6. L'Oréal's Pro Glow foundation is one I'm dying to give a try, as I really like the matte formula as well. I'm so excited to shop in the US for the first time, there are a couple drugstore brands I want to check out, but I know for sure I'll be buying more than I planned!

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  7. That colorpop Echo Park shade is such a gorgeous colour. Is that the one your wearing on your page profile picture? It looks quite similar, and is lovely!

    Georgia | The Weekend Attic

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    1. I'm wearing Gerard Cosmetics Everything Nice in my profile :) it's more brown, darker and less peach than Echo Park xx

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  8. Ah I looooove Echo Park! It's such a great colour and formula! I tried the UK version of the L'Oreal foundation and didn't get the hype-I'll need to try to get a hold of the US version!

    Beekeyper - Latest - Tuesday Rose

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  9. Milani blushes are some of my favorites and I LOVE e.l.f. brushes, some of the best, most affordable brushes ever! Great picks! XO -Kim
    www.thethirtysomethinglife.com

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  10. These are all such great picks! I'm a big fan of the L'oreal's Amber Rush! I hear it's a close dupe to MAC's Tan pigment. :)

    Nicole | In The Life of NM

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  11. I'm also OBSESSED with Wet n Wild's lip products! They are so affordable and worth more the the price--even if the packaging is kind of rubbish!

    The L'Oreal foundation has been on my wish list for a long time now, and I'm thinking of treating myself and buying it sometime this week! Is it a natural looking foundation?

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    1. It's not really what I'd reach for if I was going for the natural look to be honest - like I said it's more of a medium-full coverage so for me it's what I'd use on a night out xx

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  12. Clay Crush is now available in the UK!! What, how did i miss that? I will hunt it down. So many of my favourites here! I should probably get another sun set blvd - its one my most worn shades. xx

    LPage Beauty

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  13. Wet n Wild Spiked with Rum looks totally up my street - I need to try that! :)
    Ambar | Her Little Loves

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  14. Makeup Geek eyeshadows are incredible!

    www.beautylifebecca.blogspot.co.uk

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  15. You know I love the US L'Oreal Infallible Foundation, I am on my second one now! I will be stocking up when I go to NY in November! I have kept looking at that ELF Powder brush but for foundation like you said, I think I now need it! I have recently got a ColourPop highlighter and oh my oh my it is GORGEOUS! The most stunning highlighter I have ever used.

    I do have a ColourPop Giveaway going up on my blog this Friday!

    EmmysBeautyCave | Bloglovin | Blog Header Services

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    1. I've been using the Infallible foundation pretty much every single evening and night out all summer! xx

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  16. That's interesting to hear that the UK and our version is so different in formula for the L'Oreal foundation! I had no idea they would have different formulas, and I can see how they would have a much more diverse shade range here so that would be really alluring to a lot of people! Deffo agree about Luminoso, it's a gorgeous blusher!

    xoxo
    www.hellohimawari.com

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  17. I'm US based and I don't have any ColourPop or Makeup Geek yet but it's definitely on my want list! So many of these products sound amazing!!
    xx Dany | The Queens Empire

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  18. Wet & Wild Lipstick has gorgeous colors, sadly they flake really horrible on my lips, wish we could get along, but, oh well. I'm really looking forward to try NYX brows products, everyone keep saying they're the closest thing to ABH.

    Selene Addicted

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  19. most of them is a must have for me, especially wet n wild lipsticks! they are freakin amazing for the price pint.

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  20. These are all great choices. I love Spiked with Rum, its so flattering for a wide range of skin tones and the Maybelline creamy mattes are amazing as well.

    Trecee

    http://treceefabulous.blogspot.com/

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  21. I'm loving MUG again, I cannot wait to do a new order this pay day! :D

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  22. It is weird that the formula of the products changes depending on the country and it looks like the US always gets the better one, even in terms of shades! Amber crush is gorgeous! x

    Ela BellaWorld

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  23. I want to try more from Milani because I've loved the two products I've tried so far! Also, it goes without saying that I need to try some MUG products. Great post! xx

    Beautylymin

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  24. elf Studio brushes have been a long time favourite range of mine. Solid quality at a ridiculously reasonable price point!!! xxx
    Sal | UmmBaby Beauty

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  25. Love the color of those eyeshadows!
    themodestfoxpr.blogspot.com

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  26. Thank you for your comments - hope this gave you some ideas on what to pick up :) xx

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    1. I blame you for making my wishlist longer Jasmine 😜😜😜
      I love Bronze me bronzer from colourpop. I wonder how it compares with Carry on?? I love using sunset blvd and dream catcher from colourpop. U need to try Sequin eyeshadow from colourpop. U will like that.

      Ash | www.mstantrum.com

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    2. I blame you for making my wishlist longer Jasmine 😜😜😜
      I love Bronze me bronzer from colourpop. I wonder how it compares with Carry on?? I love using sunset blvd and dream catcher from colourpop. U need to try Sequin eyeshadow from colourpop. U will like that.

      Ash | www.mstantrum.com

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    3. I will have to check it out :) I did actually swatch the two next to each other in my Bronzer post if you were interested! xx

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  27. I have to admit that I've neglected drugstore over the past year or so, partially because we don't get much new stuff here and it's so expensive that I usually wait until I'm in the U.S. But I recently-ish finally ordered some ColourPop and have been loving the shadows and lip products!

    Beauty Isles
    My Mommy Years

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