10 ELLE Editors Discuss Their Favorite Drugstore Makeup and Beauty Products
Cheap and chic.
By Julie Schott
Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
American drugstore beauty products are so exceptional that even super discerning French style insiders shop the aisles before heading home. For ELLE editors, drugstore beauty essentials are also celebrity favorites—from a lip favorite that came courtesy of Kerry Washington to a Selena Gomez-approved mascara.
Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream
"I know it sounds super specific given the product's name (THANKS JULIE), but this is a great body moisturizer for anyone with dry skin. If my skin is starting to look or feel like sandpaper, especially in the wintertime, this is what I turn to. It's not just for babies! Adults deserve colloidal oatmeal, too." —Estelle Tang, Entertainment Editor
Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Moisturizing Cream, $8.52; amazon.com
L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother
"I'm not a regular foundation user, but it doesn't mean I don't wear primer on the regular. Anything with the label "blur" grabs my attention because the same aspects that make it ideal as a base layer for makeup - providing a super smooth surface for additional product to lay on - is really pretty on its own too. My skin feels softer, looks smoother, and pores and small lines are much less noticeable. All in all, it kind of looks like I took one of those gummy erasers I used in elementary school to my face (or, in less old-school terms, I Facetuned myself in real time)." —Leah Melby Clinton, Senior Editor of Brand Awareness
L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Miracle Blur Instant Skin Smoother, $18; amazon.com
CoverGirl Queen Collection Lip Color Soft Matte
"Cover Girl Queen collection is hands down one of the best brands for women of color at drugstores (my other favorite is Milani). From it's foundations to it's lipstick colors, specifically this beautiful plum lipstick, it's one of my-go tos when I want to ball on a budget" —Nikki Ogunnaike, Senior Fashion Editor, ELLE.com
CoverGirl Queen Collection Lip Color Soft Matte, $5.99; target.com
Flower Color Proof Lip Creme
"Drew Barrymore must have been a beauty editor in a former life: I won't leave home without her magic Lighten Up concealer (which doubles as a highlighter). I owe her a million thank-you cards for her Yves-Klein-blue Electric Volt chubby eyeliner, which has saved me again and again when I'm running late to a big event and need a party-ready eye in less than five seconds. But my current obsession is her new Red My Lips Color Proof lip cream: a works-on-everyone scarlet that's as brilliant, happy, and bright as Drew herself." —Emily Dougherty, Beauty & Fitness Director, ELLE
Flower Color Proof Long-wear Lip Creme, $8; walmart.com
Physicians Formula Nude Wear Touch of Blur
"Equal parts face massage and FaceTune, this skin-perfecting wand has a cushiony sponge tip that blends the lightweight product so seamlessly that I often put it on without a mirror. Plus the bow-embellished cap and chic font make wearing concealer feel less corrective and more fun." —Julie Schott, Beauty Director, ELLE.com
Physicians Formula Nude Wear Touch of Blur, $12.95; physiciansformula.com
Maybelline Master Kajal Eyeliner
"I'm recently obsessed with this eyeliner, which goes on so easily I could probably apply it without a mirror." —Gena Kaufman, Social Media Director, ELLE.com
Maybelline Master Kajal Eyeliner, $8; ulta.com
Lip Smacker Dr. Pepper Lip Balm
"At one time, if I dug around in the pockets of my coats and and dresses hanging up in the closet or balled up in my chest of drawers, undoubtedly I'd find a Lip Smacker Dr. Pepper Lip Gloss in maybe three out of seven pockets. Its appeal is endless! The throwback allure, its uncannily spot-on Dr Pepper scent—which is all at once fun and funny and reminiscent of summer camp, the weirdly gorgeous plummy tint it deposits that tricks people into thinking my lips are actually that luscious (the compliments roll in when you wear this stuff), and the fact that it costs less than a soy latte—all add up to it being the best thing ever. I even entrusted one of my bridesmaids with holding onto a tube at my wedding this past summer so that I could smooth it on right before I walked down the aisle for good luck, good vibes, and that juicy punch of color, of course." —Megan O'Neill, Beauty and Fitness Editor, ELLE
Lip Smacker Dr. Pepper Lip Balm, $2.50; lipsmacker.com
NYX Nude Matte Shadow
"My brows are simultaneously thick and sparse. I have to fill them in at wee bald spots along my arch, so eyebrow pencils rarely look natural on me. I prefer to use a pressed powder with an angled brush, then I comb them out." —Justine Carreon, Associate Market Editor, ELLE.com
NYX Nude Matte Shadow, $4.50; nyxcosmetics.com
ChapStick Classic Cherry Lip Balm
"I don't know if it's the middle schooler in me, but when it comes to a lip product, there's nothing I like better than the texture of a good, old fashioned ChapStick. I'll often use a lip stain and add a swipe of ChapStick on top of it to give my lips the extra moisture boost they need. Plus, who doesn't like that cherry taste?" —Sally Holmes, Deputy Editor, ELLE.com
ChapStick Classic Cherry Lip Balm, $1; shopchapstick.com
CoverGirl Lashblast Mascara
"One of the best pieces of beauty advice I ever got came from Jake Bailey, the late, great makeup artist who worked with Katy Perry, Selena Gomez, too many A-listers to count. He said that instead of buying a $30 mascara every three months, I should buy an $8 mascara every three weeks—and my lashes will look MUCH better for it. His point was that he'd see all his girls run out the door without fully screwing the mascara wand back in the tube (I mean, how often do you check that it's really on AIRTIGHT?), and inevitably the product inside would dry out within weeks and start looking clumpy...which is the worst. So instead of trying to stretch that fancy mascara out too long, find a great mascara that's also great-priced—like this one that gives you long but cleanly defined lashes—then buy it in bulk, and swap it out often." —Natalie Matthews, Senior Editor, ELLE.com
CoverGirl Lashblast Mascara, $8; covergirl.com
See more of the best drugstore mascaras.
12 BB Creams That Will Give You a Filter-Like Glow
15 Hair Masks to Give Your Hair Some TLC
The 16 Foundations ELLE Editors Swear By
ELLE Editors on Their Favorite Mascaras
