1. Wet n’ Wild To Reflect Shimmer Palette in “Boozy Brunch” $5.99
A beautiful golden champagne highlight suitable for yellow and deep skin tones, “Boozy Brunch” is a great affordable drugstore alternative to pricier high-end items. Best if applied with a tapered brush on the cheekbones and the inner corners of the eye. It also looks beautiful as a topper for eyeshadows.
2. Wet n’ Wild MegaGlo Contouring Palette $4.99
With two shades, “Dulce de Leche” for fairer skin tones and “Caramel Toffee” for more yellow skin tones, this palette provides two smooth powder finishes for highlight and contour. The bronze shades work well with an angled blush brush or sculpting brush while the highlight shade sets concealer.
3. Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Blush $2.99
Highly reviewed by Youtube mega stars such as Jaclyn Hill and Tati, this affordable blush provides a blendable finish with moderate color payout. It’s ideal for those who are still perfecting their blending skills, as it provides forgiving coverage with opportunities to build color on the cheeks. “Rose Champagne” and “Apri-Cot in the Middle” provide an effortless glow for fair and medium skin tones, while “Mellow Wine” gives a pop of color to deeper skin tones.
4. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge $6.99
While not a perfect dupe for the highly acclaimed BeautyBlender, this affordable drugstore option provides great coverage and blendability for foundation, concealer, and powder. Use it dry for a more matte application or damp for a more dewy finish. Use a drop of your face cleanser of choice and wash it out once a week to avoid acne and blemishes.
5. Real Techniques Sculpting Brush $9.99
One of the priciest items of the list, this Sculpting Brush offers precise application for both cream and powder contour products. Its soft brush hairs make placing products a breeze! Use a fluffy blush brush to blend the product once applied.
6. NYX Prismatic Shadows $6.00
For the price tag, these shadows provide insane color payout with effortless blendability. Use a blending brush for crease work or a smaller eyeshadow brush for packing on color on the eyelid. “Fireball” provides a vibrant orange-red shade that looks beautiful on any skin tone and goes best with golden shades, while “Mermaid Shine” is a rich mint green shade that is not for the faint of heart. Available at Walgreens and CVS.
7. NYX Badunkadunk Mascara $7.00
This mascara is the bomb, not only due to its fat, compact applicator but also for its last-all-day formula. With no flaking or smudging (once it’s dry), this mascara will give your lashes enviable volume and thickness. Not ideal for those looking solely for length, this clump-proof mascara will deposit serious black pigment on every lash. I recommend using a lash curler before application and waiting for 30 seconds for the formula to dry to avoid smudging. Available exclusively at Ulta and Amazon.
8. Covergirl SuperSizer Mascara $8.00
Perfect for that doll eye look, its tiny brush provides precise application ideal for those who want to vamp up their lower lash line. Youtuber Tati swears by its smudge-proof, flake-proof formula. It’s a great alternative to more pricier precise mascara applicators, such as MAC’s Studio Sculpt Lash. Pro tip: use a pencil brush to blend a soft-brown eyeshadow shade on the lower lash line before applying mascara. It will give your eyes enviable depth and smokiness!
9. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer $9.00
Another pricier item on the list that’s totally worth the splurge, this concealer does a beautiful job of brightening the undereye area while providing great coverage. Ideal for highlighting, the sponge applicator makes it easy to apply to the skin. The best part? A little product goes a long way! The formula provides crease-proof, moisturizing results that are a perfect pair with the setting power of your choice.
10. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water $8.00
At 13.5 fluid ounces per bottle, this micellar cleansing water beats all other makeup removers in its category. While both formulas are designed for the most sensitive eye skin (and, believe me, I know all about the struggle those with sensitive eye skin go through), the blue top is meant to remove the most stubborn waterproof eyeliner and mascara. I like to dampen a cotton pad with water and then add a few drops of the product. The best part? It removes all traces of eye and face makeup with no greasy residue, and its suitable for oily and acne prone skin as well.