A Few of my All-Time Favorite Drugstore Beauty Products.

Today we are back with another post with CVS (last time around we talked about natural beauty products). This time, we are going to talk about my all-time favorite holy-grail drugstore products. I have a lot of beauty faves, so it was hard to narrow down the volume of products to fit into one post. These are nine products that I am truly obsessed with (and think you will be, too!)

CVS has always been my favorite drugstore (I worked there during high school AND college) but I especially love their beauty assortment. Besides stocking more natural products than any other drugstore (we talked about that last week) they do such a great job with innovation and trends. New products hit shelves every month from brands like NYX L’Oreal, and Maybelline… as well as global imports + boutique/niche brands like BioDerma, and Burt’s Bees. They just do a really good job thinking about what customers want – and offering it conveniently, at accessible price points!

So, let’s dive into the good stuff – the products!

Aquaphor is loved by everyone and a staple in every makeup artist’s bag for good reason. It works, and it has a million uses. It’s great during the winter to protect your skin (I always use it if I am skiing, running, or doing something outside in cold windy weather), it’s amazing on cracked heels or super dry patches, it makes a great lip balm, and if you want to give your face a little sheen (I love just the tiniest amount on my temples + down the bridge of my nose over highlighter), you can use it for that, too! Multi-tasking at it’s finest.

L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Lip Gloss is one of my favorite lip colors, of all time. It’s all about the formula. It glides on as smooth as silk (like a gloss) but the finish isn’t glossy at all… it’s velvety + super matte. And it isn’t at all drying. So you get the trendy matte look, without any dehydration.

These travel friendly masks from CVS brand (Dead Sea Minerals + Avocado Oatmeal) are so great, but also just so good for on the go. Every time I pop into CVS I end up buying at least a few of these, and I keep them in my suitcase for a treat when I’m traveling. I mean they’re only $1.99 so… why not?! The Avocado Oatmeal purifies and the Dead Sea Minerals one tightens up pores.

Wet & Wild Lip Pencil in Brandywine 666 is probably the best $.99 you’ll ever spend. This is one of those products I discovered back in high school (it’s been around over 30 years!) and have kept on hand ever since. It has a massive cult following and is in most makeup artists’ bags as it is the perfect nude. I use it as a base under gloss or lipstick – it ensures my lipstick stays on all day, and is a really pretty color that looks good on every skin tone.

L’Oreal’s Superstar Mascara is something I discovered on a photo shoot a year or two ago when it first came out. L’Oreal has so many great mascaras but this one is my favorite. You don’t have to use both ends, but if you do (use the primer first, wait a few seconds, and then apply the top coat) you will have the thickest, longest lashes of your life. I’ve been asked if I have falsies on while wearing this. It gives you dreamgirl lashes. Or superstar lashes. So good.

Maybelline’s Eye Crayons are great as they stay on ALL DAY. The word that Maybelline uses for these is “Color Tattoo,” and while no they are not as permanent as a tattoo, they do stay on. I like to use them as a primer for my shadow… but also as a liner. The chunky crayon makes it really easy to apply – I’ll do a fat line on my upper lashes in a dark shade and use a lighter shade as a base for eyeshadow.

Covergirl’s Goldens Eye Palette is one of my most favorite eye palettes ever. Prior to trying out these palettes, I had been convinced that eyeshadow had to be bought from a high-end brand. The drugstore ones I tried were never pigmented enough. These are thick + creamy in texture (but won’t crease) and the most beautiful metallic golden browns. If you have blue eyes, you need this palette.

L’Oreal Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator is another all time favorite. I love to glow and be as dewy as possible. I will dot this in the inner corners of my eyes, along my brow bone + temples, and down the bridge of my nose… and then blend with a brush or beauty blender. It works SO well – just as good as any of the expensive ones. I have all three colors but find that Ice is the most versatile.

St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub + Mask is just great. I love products that have multiple uses and you can use this as both a scrub or a mask. Or use it as a mask and then a scrub after, as you wash it off. This guy is one of my winter staples as it’s so creamy + good (oatmeal is super soothing) for dry skin. It exfoliates off dead skin while also soothing + hydrating. As the temperatures change, I will use this one once a week. It also smells really, really good.

photography by Lydia Hudgens.

In partnership with CVS.

(I am also obligated by FTC Guidelines to inform you in this post that I have a long term partnership with L’Oreal. I wasn’t obligated in any way to include L’Oreal in this post, but I love their products and wanted to.)