5 Recent Drugstore Product Favourites and Fails
I’M UNAPOLOGETICALLY A LUXURY BEAUTY LOVER… BUT WHO DOESN’T LOVE A DRUGSTORE BEAUTY FAVOURITE?
The drugstore has been levelling up its beauty game over the last couple of years. I’d been itching to try some of these products forever and had previously written off a few as not possibly being worth the hype.
I am however happy to admit when I am wrong because there were some real winners in this collection of drugstore products! And in this time of financial uncertainty, it’s always nice to find products that perform and are affordable.
Unfortunately, there was also a fail in this lot, which is bound to happen; You can’t win them all!
5 Recent Drugstore Product Favourites & Fails
The price of beauty seems to be on the upswing everywhere, and that also applies to drugstore products. When did drugstore cosmetics start costing over $20!?
I feel like it was just yesterday everyone was doing $20 makeup challenges on YouTube, and could pull together most necessities for that price. Now you’re lucky if you get 2 products for $20! Not to sound completely out of touch but… ahh the good ole days.
I recently picked up 5 new, to me, drugstore beauty products that I had previously seen loads of raving reviews about to see if they were worth the hype. Here’s a hint, only one didn’t make the grade.
Can you guess which one?
PHYSICIANS FORMULA BUTTER BRONZERS
AVAILABLE AT: ULTA | TARGET | AMAZON
These might be one of the most hyped drugstore beauty products of the last few years. Since they launched on shelves a few years back, the Butter Bronzers we’re touted as the drugstore bronzer of choice… heck often they got the praise of being better than high-end choices.
But I never bought the hype.
The only shade offerings you could get here in the store was Light, which was much too pale and golden for my liking. I’m light-skinned, but I am particular about the undertone of my bronzer.
Then not long ago several new shades became available, in several undertones, including neutral and red-based, and I was intrigued. I wasn’t however, won over by the $20+ CND price tag… I mean c’mon could a product from the drugstore really be that good?
Yes. Yes, it can.
These are super creamy in texture; If I didn’t know better I would almost think they were cream! The blend and buff into the skin seamlessly without patchiness, catching or clinging. There is no chalkiness or gross glitter. Oh, and did I mention they smell like a tropical vacation? They are simply divine.
I managed to get mine on sale but would 100% pay full price for them knowing what I know now! I have the shades Bronzer and Endless Summer.
CATRICE HD LIQUID COVERAGE FOUNDATION*
AVAILABLE AT: ULTA | SHOPPERS DRUG MART
I’d been seeing reviews of this all over YouTube for the last year, but never really paid attention to them, because I couldn’t buy Catrice here. When I found out Shoppers Drug Mart started carrying it recently, I knew it was the first product from the brand that I needed to try.
Worried that it would be super matte and chalky, I was beyond surprised when it left the most beautiful satin finish on my skin. The coverage is full, and I prefer a flat or angled kabuki style brush. It leaves my skin looking poreless but not cakey. It also lasts all day long, without breaking up through the day or clinging to dry patches.
Simply put, if I didn’t know this was under $15, I would have guessed it was a luxury formula!
ESSENCE THE FALSE LASHES EXTREME VOLUME & CURL MASCARA
AVAILABLE AT ULTA | SHOPPERS DRUG MART
This seems to be a real Instagram beauty lover’s favourite, and for under $5 it was totally worth giving it a go. After all, I love a good drugstore mascara!
I was unfortunately immediately disappointed. This flakes on me something terrible, and completely wilts the curl in my lashes.
I really wanted to love it, but I’ve had mixed results with Essence mascaras in the past so it’s not a surprise that it performs so poorly on me. I am guessing if you have lashes that naturally hold a curl well, or a quite thick to begin with, you will love this.
I’m just not that girl.
CATRICE LIQUID CAMOUFLAGE CONCEALER*
AVAILABLE AT ULTA | SHOPPERS DRUG MART
While I was trying out the Catrice foundation, I figured it was the perfect time to try their concealer as well. I expect anything that has ‘camouflage’ in the name to be pretty full, but it is a nice medium, yet buildable, coverage.
What I like about this is how well it sits over texture; It’s great for blemishes! It can seem to thin if you try and blend it out right away. If you give it a minute to set, however, it doesn’t spread out too much and really does camouflage.
Something worth noting about this is how strongly fragranced it is. It seems bizarre to me to have such a strong scent in a concealer. It doesn’t seem to last overly long, but it might bother some, so FYI.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”When did drugstore cosmetics start costing over $20!? Here’s my recent faves and fails from the drugstore:” quote=”When did drugstore cosmetics start costing over $20!? Here’s my recent faves and fails from the drugstore:”]
ELF PORELESS & LUMINOUS PUTTY PRIMERS
AVAILABLE AT: ULTA | ELF COSMETICS
Quite possibly one of the most talked-about drugstore launches of last year, the ELF Poreless Putty had been on my radar for a good while. When I saw that there was a new Luminous Putty Primer I jumped online and ordered them both asap.
I’ve never been a big pore filling primer kind of girl, because I usually find them heavy. But I had gotten a mini of the Tatcha Silk Canvas Primer, which many say this is modelled after, and really loved it.
I didn’t love the $60+ price tag though, and with the ELF options running about $8, it was easy to consider ordering both!
The Poreless Putty does just that; It fills the pores in a soft blurring way that just instantly makes the skin look smooth. The Luminous Putty does this as well but has a fine micro golden shimmer to it that gives light. I prefer to use the Luminous around the fine line areas of my face and the Poreless for the trouble spots around my nose and chin.
WHAT HAVE YOU RECENTLY TRIED FROM THE DRUGSTORE?
DO YOU HAVE BETTER LUCK WITH DRUGSTORE OR LUXURY BEAUTY?
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