Budget Beauty: Our top recos for a complete drugstore makeup kit
One of the most common questions we get from readers is about building a budget makeup kit. Now we've answered this a few times before, but today's list of recommendations is updated and more complete in scope. It's everything you would need for a full look everyday (sans tools) and of course you can always trim it down or add depending on what you need.
If you're looking for brushes, we've listed down the best brush sets ever, five basic brushes that are a must in any collection, and makeup brushes/sets under P500.
Everything in this list is less than P800, with an average price of about P500. I wouldn't say these are the cheapest drugstore products around but in my experience they perform pretty well for the price. So! Let's get started!
Drugstore bases are getting better and cheaper than ever. The Maybelline Super BB Cushion (P749) for example provides good coverage while packing in SPF29 PA+++. It's one of the cheapest cushions available, and like its brethren, is a great way to apply liquid foundation without the hassle. It's the quickest way to even out your skin tone while providing a natural finish! You can also use it to subtly brighten the under eyes so there's no need for a separate concealer.
If you have any remaining marks, spot conceal with the Pink Sugar Our Lil Secret Concealer (P299). The whole Project Vanity team loves this because of the super heavy coverage and all-day staying power! Then, set and retouch your base as needed with the new L'Oreal True Match Micro Perfecting Foundation (P600). It's a super fine powder that doesn't look thick or cakey. It comes in a lot of yellow-toned shades too.
Pretty eyes that don't fall apart after a few hours is non-negotiable. Get subtle but defined brows with the Holika Holika Wonder Drawing Eyebrow (P385). This automatic pencil has a fine tip that can draw natural-looking hair, so my brows look real even though I've filled them in quite a bit. I also highly recommend the Maybelline Hypersharp Liner (P378) since it sticks well and can be layered to get a darker, more dramatic effect. So easy to use too, once you get the hang of the brush!
The Max Factor Velvet Volume Mascara (P765) is my current fave daily mascara. People say that Maybelline makes the best mascaras - and I'd agree they make fantastic ones - but I'd argue that Max Factor owns the distinction of making the BEST lash beautifiers around. Velvet Volume multiplies my lashes and makes them fan out so beautifully! It's not waterproof but it's highly water-resistant and thus, easy to remove. It doesn't smudge on me all day!
And now we come to my favorite part - color. To bring out the best glow of our skin, it's important to choose the right shades that won't compete with our undertone. Generally, warm colors look fantastic on any skin tone. The Sleek Matte Me Lip Cream in Bittersweet (P450) is a brown-based peachy pink that's always sold out because it's so flattering. Match it with a classic blush like the Cover Girl Cheekers Blush in Pretty Peach (P395) - it creates this beautiful sheer skin-like flush!
If you are an eyeshadow lover or want to begin learning about it, you can't do better than the Pink Sugar Eye Candy Palette (P699). This is, as far as I'm aware, the best drugstore eyeshadow palette available in PH. You'll see how abused my own palette is! Colors are excellently chosen (they are very close dupes of MAC's best-selling eyeshadows) and are so, so pigmented. I swatched three of my fave colors - a duochrome peachy pink, a warm medium bronze, and a deep purply brown so you can see what I mean. The charcoal brown on the bottom right corner is excellent for applying eyeliner or layering on top of liner.
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