Today’s post is a discussion about which categories of makeup require splurging in order to get top tier quality products versus which ones are attainable at affordable prices. My opinion about this has changed over the years as formulations have improved. A decade ago, it was a common belief that high end makeup was guaranteed to be better than what could be found at a drugstore, but this concept is outdated.

I’m prefacing this by acknowledging everyone’s idea of “affordable” and the “worth/value” of a product will be different. When I use the term “drugstore,” it will be synonymous with inexpensive makeup pricing, just to give an all encompassing baseline term. I’m writing from the viewpoint of shopping within the US. There are some drugstore brands that are sold at much higher pricing internationally. For instance, the L’Oréal Infallible Full Wear Waterproof Concealer that I ordered from Ulta that is normally $14.99 is €25.99 on the Douglas website in Germany. There are also some products I reference that are not available overseas, which means in some countries there may not be any top tier inexpensive options to purchase.

Also, others might have personal experiences with makeup that contradict mine, but that doesn’t make either of us wrong. The industry is ever changing with new products being produced every day. An affordable brand could release a line tomorrow or a week from now that makes what I deemed “better quality only within the high end category” no longer true. So, this post is intended to be a fun generalized analysis of current times within the makeup world and not statements of fact for every person.

My hope is that this can be a guide for anyone who wants to buy products that are considered the best of the best while spending the minimum amount of money necessary to get them.

Foundation

Verdict: Drugstore unless you need something to last an extended amount of time, and unless you can’t find a shade match. For these reasons, I still need high end options.

Whether it’s a liquid, powder, or cream, it’s my experience that the drugstores have very good foundation options nowadays. It’s not surprising when we think about how major parent companies have labs that can share formulas with multiple brands under their umbrella. For example, many people say that L’Oréal foundations and mascaras are similar to Armani Beauty products (also owned by the L’Oréal Group/ L’Oréal Luxe Division). Another example is that I’ve seen some Bobbi Brown highlighters that perform similarly to some from MAC Cosmetics, and some from MAC reminded me of Tom Ford (all three being under the Estée Lauder Companies Inc). MAC’s Strobe Dewy Skin Tint is allegedly Becca Cosmetics’ Light Shifter Dewing Tint Tinted Moisturizer. It stands to reason that if there’s formula sharing among companies that have both drugstore and prestige products, then one can get a top tier foundation at the drugstore.

One outlier is that sometimes the drugstore is lacking shade options on the lightest and deepest ends of the spectrum, so even if there are amazing formulas out there at affordable prices, that doesn’t guarantee someone will be able to find their shade in order to wear it.

The other outlier is that some drugstore foundations don’t have the wear time that a more expensive foundation has. I’ve had drugstore base products that started breaking apart on my face in under eight hours. I’ve had some that transferred badly, which made my makeup look way more worn in than it was supposed to be. I’ve had some that changed in smell and performance quicker than the typical 1 year after opening date. So, these are some of the downsides to more affordable options and reasons why I end up purchasing foundations between the mid to luxury tiers. I usually don’t have any trouble with longevity when it’s a prestige foundation.

Recommendations: I know there are some good drugstore foundations in theory, but I don’t have any I want to vouch for. For some pricier options, I’ve been a long time fan of Nars foundations across the board. Newer ones I’ve been wearing more frequently have been from Chanel (No1 de Chanel Camelia) and Fenty (Eaze Drop Liquid).

Concealer

Verdict: Drugstore unless you need something full coverage in an extended shade range.

Since concealers are basically foundations, just in stronger concentration of pigments, it makes sense in theory that good ones exist at all price points. However, the L’Oréal Infallible concealer is the only drugstore option I’ve found that works for me. The trouble can be twofold: one issue being that there aren’t many drugstore concealers that are full coverage (and don’t fade or crease horribly on me), and/or that because there are typically less shades offered by brands in concealer ranges versus foundation ranges, the chances are higher that I won’t have a close enough match. It’s not uncommon for me to see that my closest matches are too light while the next shade up is too dark. This second issue can be true of every range no matter the cost. It’s just even harder for me to find a concealer in my depth and undertone that’s inexpensive. Ranges either aren’t deep enough or skip too far between shades to work for me even when I try to mix them and not have the products combine into a brown color with a greyish undertone. So, for those who don’t need more than medium coverage, don’t have mature/aging eyes, and are within the range of the most catered to skin tones, the drugstore will have high quality options.

Recommendations: My drugstore pick is the L’Oréal Infallible Full Wear Waterproof Concealer. My prestige recommendation is the KVD Good Apple Concealer. I did a concealer review/declutter/ranking post HERE.

Face Primer

Verdict: Drugstore

At the bare minimum, a face primer should just be able to smooth the canvas to make foundation apply better and stick better to the face, which in turn should improve the longevity. The ingredients used to accomplish this tend to have the secondary effect of either hydrating or mattifying the skin. All other claims of pore shrinking, skin blurring, color correcting, etc are extras and typically aren’t the best to accomplish in a primer form (with the exception of green ones to cancel out redness). So, when it comes to doing the basic requirements of a primer, the best ones can be found at affordable prices, and that has to do with the inexpensive raw ingredients. The most sought after primers on the market tend to have ingredient decks that are made up of mostly silicones, which are not difficult or expensive to get. Even I have purchased cyclopentasiloxane and various viscosities of dimethicone for my own DIY makeup projects. DIYers can easily have access to silicone gel too, and glycerin which is a super common ingredient as well. Some of the most well known primers come from Smashbox and most of theirs are silicone based, especially the original Photo Finish primer. There’s a reason E.L.F was able to create a dupe of the one from Smashbox, plus dupes of Tatcha’s liquid and balm Silk Canvas primers. Nyx is another brand with primers that perform nearly identically to what’s considered the top tier of primers. As for more hydrating formulas, it comes down to water and glycerin for lighter weight products and there are cheap oils and butters as options for the creamier ones. So, this is one category that isn’t necessary to overspend on.

Recommendations: I like the Nyx Marshmellow Smoothing Primer, but the last one I was using before I started skipping primer altogether was the Benefit Hydrating Porefessional.

Eyeshadow Primers and Glitter Primers/Glue

Verdict: Drugstore for Glitter Primers/Glue, but Prestige for regular Eyeshadow Primers

When dealing with eye primers, I personally have not had luck with cheap options, with the exception of the Coloured Raine Eye Base. It’s my theory that the difference between face and eye primers, which should function in the same way, is that there are multiple makeup layers that go down on the face before powder, so it’s not as easy for oils to break things down (especially if multiple products layered on each other claim to be mattifying). With an eye primer, there are less layers on top which allow oils to have an easier time breaking up eyeshadows, liners, etc. This is why it’s harder for me to find an effective eye primer in general, and my favorites are all within the mid to high end range.

I once owned a Juvia’s Place eye base that I did not even open yet, and within several months the formula separated completely in the tube. I had a Nyx primer that worked well, but started to smell within six months. When it comes to glitter primers or glitter glues though, the inexpensive options seem to work just as well as high end ones. That’s why I’ve constantly repurchased the Nyx Glitter Primer. The only downside is the terrible packaging in which the tops always bust open eventually, no matter how carefully and with low pressure I try to squeeze out product.

It’s very possible that there are high performing less expensive options that I just haven’t tried yet (for example, I’ve heard good things about eye primers from the Sephora Collection brand and Ulta’s brand even though the Ulta eye primer I tried was too emollient for me). This is admittedly not a category I’ve explored that extensively. I just stick to using and repurchasing the same ones that I know work for me.

Recommendations: The Coloured Raine Eye Base or MAC Paint Pot. The one I’m using the most currently is mid-range, but since I no longer support that brand I will not name them here and will not repurchase it.

Bronzer

Verdict: For powder bronzers, I recommend prestige for the ultimate smoothness and blendability. For creams and liquids, I think there are some great inexpensive options.

I haven’t tried many powder bronzers at the drugstore because for the longest time there were no deep or rich options. Considering the purpose of that product is to bronze the face or look sun-kissed, apparently the industry decided no one with dark skin needed or wanted something like that. So, the only five drugstore bronzers I can recall trying was the deepest shade of Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer (still not dark enough plus way too shimmery), Covergirl Trublend bronzer (lovely but went bad within exactly one year), the L’Oreal Infallible Powder Foundation that I used as a bronzer before they released their actual bronzer line (good but still bottom of my rankings), and two bronzers from Makeup Revolution/Revolution Beauty that were also nice but could not outrank all my high end ones. Technically Coloured Raine has affordable bronzers, but I consider them more of an indie brand. I liked their bronzers for a time, but they also rated among the bottom of my collection.

This all leads me to acknowledge that there are absolutely good decent bronzers at the drugstore, but since bronzer has become one of my makeup obsessions and favorite things, I want the best of the best in terms of finely milled powder that’s ultra smooth and practically blends itself. In the powder formula, I can’t say I’ve seen this accomplished by drugstore or even mid-range brands. I can tell too much of a difference with the powders. One might say I’m too picky, but that’s how I feel.

Regarding cream and liquid products, the Colourpop Super Shock Bronzers ranked third out of my whole collection! The consistency and performance started to change around the one year mark, so longevity is still a potential issue. I even liked their Sol Body cream bronzer formula, but just couldn’t find a good enough shade match. I’m not sure if Juvia’s Place can still be called affordable or drugstore, but their bronzer formula was also wonderful. Unfortunately, I decluttered it because of the too-obvious sparkles within it.
I’ve heard high praise for ones from Milani and Elf too, so the drugstore has options across the board with bronzers. However, I’m extra picky about the powder formulas. If someone wants to splurge, I would say it’s more worth it to splurge on a powder bronzer over a cream/liquid bronzer.

Recommendations: Since there are so many I love, it would be easier to list my last two dedicated bronzer posts HERE and HERE. My current most used ones are from Charlotte Tilbury (cream) and Hermes (powder).

Blush

Verdict: Drugstore if performance is the only criteria, but high end and luxury if blush is one of your top favorite categories of makeup.

Blushes have come a long way over the years, and I’ve often said the drugstores have many good options. For example, the Covergirl Trublend blushes are quite blendable and refined. The Colourpop Super Shocks and Milani Cheek Kiss Cream blushes are of fantastic quality. If performance is the only criteria, there’s not as much need to spend extra on an expensive blush. However, blush is one of my top favorite categories of makeup, so I want my favorites to be housed in the cutest or most luxurious packaging. This is why I tend to still buy high end and luxury blushes. Plus, powder products that are costly tend to be milled the finest, which makes blending nearly effortless. Pricier ones usually have more refined shimmer as well. So there tends to be a correlation between spending more on a blush and the quality being higher. However, it could still be considered nitpicking with affordable options being great versus high end and up being superb. “Great” is going to be good enough for most people.

It should also be noted that many luxury blushes aren’t as pigmented and need to be built up, which can be a downside for those with deeper skin tones that need stronger pigmentation in order for things to show up. Medium to high end artistry brands tend to have blushes where the focus is on longevity and what looks best in photos or videos. So, their blushes might not be glowy enough for someone who wants a healthy shine and sheen to the cheeks. Someone’s personal taste will be the bigger factor as to whether they think affordable brands or more expensive ones will be better regarding blush.

Recommendations: There are far too many I love and am obsessed with. For the affordable ones, I recommend Covergirl Trublend (I used to really like the Covergirl True Match blush too back in the day) and Colourpop’s Super Shocks. I was even impressed with Essence “The blush” for such a low price. For low/mid range I recommend the LYS Cream Blushes, Rare Beauty Liquid Blushes, Glossier Cloud Paints, and Sephora Soft Matte Powder Duos. For mid/high end I recommend the One/Size Cheek Clappers, Bare Minerals Blonzers, Benefit Cosmetics Blushes, and every kind of blush from MAC. For high end and luxury I recommend Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes, Armani Neo Nude Colour Melting Balms, Suqqu Blushes, Chanel Blushes, and Dior Rosy Glow Blushes.

Highlighter

Verdict: For powder and liquid highlighters, the drugstore has decent options, unless you prefer subtle highlighters that gleam rather than sparkle (though high end brands sometimes intentionally choose large glitter particles). For cream highlighters, I think it’s even easier to find inexpensive options.

I pretty much said everything necessary in the verdict portion. Since brands of all pricepoints are capable of making the blinging highlighters and metallic shining ones that I don’t enjoy, what is considered a good quality or sophisticated highlighter is subjective. Those that like those types will not have any problems finding them at the drugstore. What is a little less common and harder to find are the subtle refined ones that blend easily without leaving behind a stripe across the face, ones that gleam or look wet on the skin without being oily if wet or patchy if dry. I have also noticed drugstore highlighters are more likely to fade and lose their luster as the day goes on, but that’s what differentiates the bad affordable ones versus the good ones. For cream formulas, I like the highlighters that set down on the skin with low transfer. For liquids, the best ones won’t disturb the other makeup underneath. In these cases, it’s more easy to find among the expensive brands, but isn’t exclusively in those categories.

I’ve heard great things about, though never tried myself, some of the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter dupes from ELF and Juvia’s Place. Tina did a great battle showdown of two expensive brands versus inexpensive ones, which I recommend watching if you’re interested in this topic specifically.

I think the reason lower priced brands are able to compete in performance with their higher priced counterparts is because of all the shimmering alternatives. Mica and “pearl powders” can be costly, but there are several synthetic options which are cheaper. A finer milled product also doesn’t matter as much to someone who likes easily noticeable highlighters. Sometimes drugstores have their highlighter products made in Italy, but more often than not it’s the PRC which cuts down on the production cost as well. So, personal tastes can effect how easily someone will find a fantastic highlighter at the drugstore.

Recommendations: In the affordable range, I recommend the Colourpop Super Shocks. I was once also impressed with the Essence Coffee to Glow Highlighter Beans. For mid-tier, I can vouch for the Nabla Skin Glazing Highlighters. In the high end and luxury sphere there are too many to name, but the non-sparkly highlighters from Charlotte Tilbury have been my most used in the past twelve months. I have a review of my top seven HERE.

Face Powder

Verdict: The best drugstore powders aren’t available for all skin tones nor all skin types, so spending more might be someone’s main option.

I have heard endlessly about the Airspun Coty Loose Face Powder and various Nyx Powders as fantastic drugstore options. I have no doubts that the drugstore has products that can rival more expensive ones. However, many inexpensive translucent powders have such a high amount of titanium dioxide that it can give those with dark skin flashback on camera. It can even look ashy in normal lighting situations. The brands that make colored powder options tend to not go very deep or have such huge gaps between shades that I would have to choose between ones that are way too light or way too dark. This is not a situation where mixing two products can fix things that well.

Another issue I have is that drugstore options tend to be focused on being oil-controlling or making customers look super matte. As someone with dry skin, this makes them unusable for me. If it wasn’t for the need to set my concealer under my eyes, I don’t think there would be any setting powders in my collection since they aren’t needed. I like having a finishing powder at most for areas that aren’t in the eye zone. So, even though there are inexpensive powders to choose from, they’re not going to be “the best” for everyone. What may be a nice alternative is getting a mini/travel size of high end powders. That brings the prices closer to drugstore level and I have yet to finish any of my travel size powders since I need so little of it for my skin. For those that go through powders easily, this won’t be a sustainable solution.

As for finishing powders, I’m unfamiliar with any popular ones from the drugstore.

Recommendations: For a setting powder, I recommend the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish or the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder in the loose form. For a finishing powder, I recommend the Dior Powder no Powder. From my recollection, the only affordable face powder I’ve liked has been Colourpop’s Pretty Fresh Face Powder. I had a small size of Ben Nye powder a very long time ago that I liked when the lines under my eyes were less deep, but prices have gone up so I’m not sure if this stage brand is considered affordable and several months ago the company filed for bankruptcy (so I’m not sure if they will go out of business or not).

Setting Spray

Verdict: Mid-Range and Affordable Options

I don’t have the most extensive setting spray collection, but I can say the Sephora Collection 16 Hour Setting Spray works just as well as the One/Size On ‘Til Dawn Spray. They both are great at being waterproof with the water just rolling down the face without disturbing the makeup, but neither lives up to the transfer-proof claims. It’s possible that for protection from both, a more expensive setting spray is required. However, the best performing sprays to really lock in makeup tend to be harsh on the skin. I don’t think this is really a category where you can have a sophisticated formula. The ingredients tend to be cheap and drying with various alcohols and often fragrance to try and cover up the strong scent. This is why some setting sprays have been compared to hair sprays, which also tend to get the job done at affordable prices. So, I think all that spending more really does is make a more pleasant experience due to the packaging’s better sprayer/mist mechanism and nicer perfume options.

Recommendations: As stated, I recommend the Sephora Collection Makeup Setting Spray or the classic Urban Decay All Nighter. Newly added to the list is the MAC Fix+ Stay Over Setting Spray.

All Liners: Eyes, Lips, Brows

Verdict: Drugstore

Makeup that has its origins from ancient times, like kohl, is going to be so perfected in current days that there is no reason drugstore brands wouldn’t have killer formulas for them. It is especially true that the ingredients used to make liners and brows involve primarily pigments and waxes, the latter being very inexpensive. A brand could tout that they have some special wax that’s more environmentally friendly or “safer” by clean beauty fear mongering rhetoric, but the ones chosen in these products will all pretty much perform the same way. Some formulas are intentionally stiffer or intentionally softer and that’s not an indicator of quality, just preferences. Some formulas are more budge-proof than others, but that comes with their own pros and cons. Some formulas go bad quicker than others because of less stable preservatives used, but that’s typically due to “clean beauty” reasons once again, not quality.

For me, liquid eyeliners are probably the harder of the liners to get in good quality, but not impossible. It can simply be a matter of the cheaper components leaking and/or not being airtight which can dry out the liquid and make them unusable faster.

So, for these reasons, I think it’s absolutely easy to find all kinds of liners at the drugstore and them being pretty much the same quality across the board. Packaging is the biggest distinguishing factor, no matter what the marketing tries to say. If anything, buying clean beauty leads to the biggest upcharges in both the drugstore and beyond.

I intentionally did not include brow pomades, brow gels, or brow powders in this list (just liners) because I can theoretically see there being a possibility of differences, but I haven’t tried enough of those forms to be able to comment on them.

Recommendations: My favorite lip liners are from Palladio, Coloured Raine, and Nyx. My favorite drugstore eyeliners in liquid and retractable pencil/pen form are from Nyx. I’ve always been partial to the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid liner, but Sephora’s waterproof liners are admittedly better and less expensive. I’ve tried a good number of mid through high end liners in the pencil and retractable forms and just don’t see a difference between them and drugstore ones. When it comes to brow products, I have used plenty of the top bestselling ones in the mid to high end sphere and yet I still recommend ELF’s Instant Lift Brow Pencil and Nyx Micro Brow Pencil. I’ve had the Elf Ultra Precise Brow Pencil snap on me, but I’ve had several high end ones dry out and break too. The reason I still go back to using the Benefit Precisely My Brow sometimes (my most repurchased brow products are from ELF, Benefit, and ABH) is purely because the liner is slightly softer than Nyx but firmer than the one from ELF and I can get them during Ulta’s 50% off Beauty Steals which drops the price to nearly drugstore range anyway.

Mascara

Verdict: Generally Drugstore

I’m always drawn in by the claims and marketing of prestige mascaras, but I’ve enjoyed so many drugstore mascaras over the years and been disappointed by enough mascaras at any price to say that the higher a mascara costs doesn’t equate to a rise in quality. Expensive mascaras aren’t guaranteed to be smudgeproof, non-flaking, and non-clumping. Although my current mascara favorites are the MAC Macstack and KVD Full Sleeve, I’ve had great success with multiple Essence mascaras and have repurchased the 18 hr Volume Stylist Lash Extension Mascara with Lengthening Fibers six times since 2019. I even used a waterproof Essence mascara for my wedding. Beyond that, I have a history of liking Maybelline and L’Oréal mascaras too.
I recommend not splurging on mascara.

Recommendations: Essence Volume Stylist 18Hr Lash Extension Mascara plus the others mentioned already.

Powder Eyeshadow

Verdict: Low to Mid-Range and up. I don’t recommend going for cheaper options. I personally like indie eyeshadows and high end, but not always luxury.

Besides a few rare exceptions like ELF Bite Sized Eyeshadows and Flower Beauty’s Jungle Lights Palette, I tend to not like drugstore eyeshadows. That isn’t to say that there aren’t good ones that are still relatively affordable such as Colourpop Eyeshadows, BH Cosmetics, etc. That also isn’t to say that high end brands can’t come out with duds either. There just tends to be a correlation that pricier eyeshadows are buildable, softer not chalky, easier to blend, better at layering, lasting longer on the eyes, less creasing for shimmers, more refined, the sparkly ones being more reflective, less chance of being patchy, etc.
Eyeshadows need pigments or dyes, binders to hold it together, and hopefully preservatives and other ingredients for stability. It’s also nice to have additional ingredients that give the shadows a silkier feeling, help with adhesion, etc. These extras I call the “fillers” but sometimes adding even more titanium dioxide or other ingredients are intended to stretch out the formula and try to achieve a certain color without having to use as much of the actual pigment. This can lead to the shadows performing fine on someone with a light skintone because of the lack of contrast to the base powders used, but can give a chalky dusty look on someone with more melanin. So, what’s considered great for others could look off on someone else purely because of that issue.

Sometimes the higher cost can also be attributed to them using more expensive pigments like duochromes and multichromes. At a certain point though the upcharge is based on packaging and not formula. That’s how lower priced brands can still compete and have wonderfully performing eyeshadows when they save on having basic packaging that’s thin lightweight plastic or cardboard. More expensive brands can do a bit of both at a level of “good” or better.

I like pigmented yet easy to blend eyeshadows, and I find that my favorites come from the indie and high end sphere. Luxury priced eyeshadows tend to be more liked by people that prefer the smoothest and softest eyeshadows that aren’t meant to look intense on the eyes. The ones with the most refined particles where nothing looks harsh. So, in some ways people are paying for preferences because the ultra smooth satins aren’t offered as frequently by mid to high end brands. We’re more likely to see an all-matte palette or all-shimmer palette over one that is predominantly satin.

For some people, the inexpensive eyeshadows are good enough and spending more isn’t worth it. For some who are willing to spend a decent chunk more for nearly faultless quality aren’t going to be satisfied with what’s at the drugstore. I don’t recommend “cheap” quality like off-brands from places like Alibaba or those giant Coastal Scents palettes that literally smelled like chalk had flimsy packaging and no names on any of the shadows. Affordable shadows can be found. My favorites tend to cost more though.

Brands change formulas every so often, so it’s often the case that a brand I loved for eyeshadows will eventually change theirs and I won’t like it anymore. This could be due to trying to cut costs, make the shadows more emollient (which causes extra creasing), switching to a vegan formula, switching to a “clean” formula, etc. These are some of the reasons I stopped enjoying Coloured Raine, Glamlite, and Juvia’s Place eyeshadows as much. The same could be said somewhat of Urban Decay. So, with my recommendations below, they might not hold true later this year, next year, or in the future. Even brands like Pat Mcgrath and Natasha Denona like to experiment with different formulas. Some do it more successfully than others and sometimes it comes down to them changing something that used to be someone’s eyeshadow preference, but it no longer is.

Recommendations: Pat Mcgrath palettes, Oden’s Eye palettes, YSL Mini Couture Clutch Quads (from 2024), and Clionadh Cosmetics single eyeshadows. There are so many palettes and single eyeshadows from many more brands that I love, but I don’t consistently like everything they make, so it’s hard to vouch for them across the board. At some point in the future I intend to do more brand eyeshadow rankings and eventually an eyeshadow collection/declutter post.

Cream and Liquid Eyeshadow

Verdict: Drugstore

This isn’t my area of interest because I prefer powder shadows for the ease of blending and smoothing them out. As far as I can recall, the only liquid/cream eyeshadows I’ve tried that were affordable were from Sydney Grace, the Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo, and Colourpop Shadow Stix. There may have been more that I just don’t remember. The Sydney Grace ones, which are close to drugstore pricing, are pretty great and give me the confidence in saying affordable options are out there. My personal favorites though are the Lisa Eldridge Liquid Lurex ones because I have enough time to work with them, smooth them out, and they layer well on each other without cracking or creasing. The few additional pricier ones I’ve tried didn’t make me feel like they were that vastly different enough to warrant the upcharge. For instance, I like the Danessa Myricks Color Fixes, but they perform similarly to the ones from Sydney Grace.

Recommendations: While I mentioned several that I like already that cream and liquid eyeshadow lovers will probably enjoy, the only one with a formula that could make someone like me to find value in having some are the ones from Lisa Eldridge.

Lipstick

Verdict: Drugstore unless lipstick is one of your makeup favorites.

Rouge is one of those ancient inventions, and therefore can be expected to have a perfected formula in modern times. The important things to note when reviewing lipstick is the longevity, comfort level, the finish, and color which are things that don’t necessarily indicate quality. For example, a cream lipstick isn’t going to cling as long to the lips as a matte lipstick, so the wear time is much shorter. A brand could use more expensive pigments and “higher quality ingredients,” but they all perform pretty much the same way. If anything, perhaps drugstore matte lipsticks might be more drying than higher end ones, but that dry formula could be due to the focus on longevity and not necessarily due to being cheaper with cheaper ingredients. If a lipstick goes rancid, it’s more likely caused by the lack of preservatives due to the clean beauty movement rather than it being inexpensive.
Lipsticks aren’t one of my points of interest when it comes to cosmetics, but I’ve tried enough of them to believe that when most people are looking for “the best lipstick” they mean the one that suits their preferences the most as a testament to their “quality.”

When I’m looking for my perfect lipstick, I’m searching for the opacity level I want, the comfort level I want, the shine (or no shine) level I want, the perfect color, an acceptable wear time, something without ingredients I’m adverse to, something that won’t dehydrate my lips past a certain level, something that won’t lead to feathering or too much smearing, etc. Even regarding scent, some people want to smell the makeup alone without added fragrance and some people want to have a sweet or perfumed smell. Brands of all price points are capable of doing both. I could buy a $100 lipstick and still not find one that matches all of those things I’m looking for. A brand could have 5 or more different lipstick formulas in their range and I could still not find a lipstick I like. There are brands people swear by and attest to their quality, but if it doesn’t tick most of the boxes, I won’t like it.

I love luxe packaging, so I do sometimes splurge on lipstick. When it comes to the formulas though, drugstore brands and up have all pretty much got it nailed. There isn’t a way to guarantee happiness with a lipstick based on the criteria of how much it cost to buy it.

Recommendations: I’m reluctant to list some because lipsticks are just too subjective. I can at least say the two I’ve been using the most lately have been Lisa Eldridge’s Luxuriously Lucent Lip Colour (because I like moisturizing lipsticks that are not fully opaque and have luxe packaging) and one from YSL because it was on sale and has stunning packaging that I was able to personalize. Seeing my name engraved on it made me happy enough to want to wear it more often. It’s not even logical. I also still vouch for the Propa Beauty lipsticks I was obsessed with for a time. However, I’m not sure if their website is still being kept up to date. I stopped hearing about the brand for a long time now.

Lip Glosses, Oils, and Balms

Verdict: Drugstore unless there are lip sensitivities and issues that require more than basic formulas.

In the same vein that lipstick formulas have been perfected by now, it’s my belief that this category of lip products have as well. There are amazing lip glosses, lip oils, and lip balms at the drugstore. I’ve even made my own balms and lip oils before, so if I can do it there’s no way a drugstore brand wouldn’t be able to nail one either. Some that I used to repurchase a long time ago were the Burts Bees Lip Balms, Maybelline Baby Lips, and Nyx Butter Glosses.

In my case though, as it’s been for the last eight or more years, I have severely dry and sensitive lips as well as an allergy to lanolin. This means that what is normally great for people doesn’t do much for me. There are certain oils that don’t moisturize or hydrate my lips whereas some others work better. Lanolin is also a miracle worker for a lot of people, but it makes my lips start burning, splitting, and peeling because of my sensitivity to it. The damage usually takes about a week to recover and involves many reapplications switching between using Vaseline Lip Therapy and oils that work well for me like sunflower seed oil and sweet almond oil. Many people turn up their noses to mineral oil because it’s cheap or seen as harmful by the “clean beauty” lovers, but it works well for my lips too. So, quality is subjective and I believe most people would have no problems getting something good that’s affordable.

Because of my specific issues, the best I can find are all mid-range and up. They’re more likely to make their glosses not just pretty in finish but also nourishing/conditioning for the lips such as Suqqu’s Treatment Wrapping Lips and Lisa Eldridge’s Gloss Embrace Lip Glosses.

It may be just a coincidence, but even though I’ve liked plenty of drugstore lip glosses, my top tier favorites happen to be black founded and/or black owned brands: Ami Colé, Pat Mcgrath, Fenty Beauty, and certain gloss lines from Juvia’s Place.

Recommendations: I used to swear by the Nuxe Reve de Miel, but it’s my belief and suspicion (after four of mine went bad super quickly) that the brand uses less preservatives than they used to six or so years ago. They grew spotty in under the six month open jar/canister time frame. The Sara Happ balms are the next best balms for me. I’ve also really been enjoying the Lisa Eldridge Baume Embraces. The Too Faced Hangover Pillow Balms and Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oils/Glosses have reached holy grail status for me as well. The results of the Avene Lip Cream don’t last super long, but I still like it. On the inexpensive end, the best ones that semi-worked for my lips are from Colourpop (the lip balms, lip masks, Luxe Lip Oils, and So Glassy Lips). The Vaseline Lip Therapy I recommend if you need major lip repair and are willing to diligently keep reapplying it a few times a day and for the first few days.

Drugstore Lovers might prefer a post like this one: Drugstore Makeup Worth the Hype?

Luxury Lovers might prefer these three posts dedicated to Various Luxury Products, Luxury Eyeshadows and Luxury Palettes.

That’s all for today. Feel free to let me know your thoughts and experience in the comments below!

-Lili ❤