Pharmacy finds for a whole new arsenal of artifice

June 26, 2020

Beauty• BY: Delia von Neuschatz

Having been “fresh faced” for months during the lockdown has made me crave some manmade color. A sweep of blush, a stroke of mascara and perhaps most of all, a dab of lipstick go a long way towards making one feel (and look) like less of a zombie rising from the graveyard mist. And tired of the same old, same old, I wanted a product overhaul. With that desire in mind, I ran to the nearest Sephora as soon as it opened.

Understandably, customers are not allowed to touch the products, much less sample them. Eyeliners and lip glosses are plucked out by employees who dutifully swipe them on their gloved hands so you can better determine the color. Needless to say, this is not the ideal way of determining whether a product works for you and can lead to some expensive mistakes which is what happened to me.

As I wanted a whole new arsenal of artifice, I wondered what drugstores had to offer in terms of gently-priced, but high quality products. Happily, I found quite a few on my own and also with the help of Klaudia Granados, a very knowledgeable Cosmetics Manager and 14-year veteran of CVS. Here are my discoveries:

Primer and Foundation

I don’t really use primer or foundation, preferring a tinted sunscreen instead (more on that below), but for those of you who do, The Poreless Putty Primer from e.l.f. ($8.00) is very popular with makeup aficionados, according to Klaudia, as a spot-on dupe for Tatcha’s much lauded Silk Canvas Primer ($52). It smoothes over imperfections for a flawless look, providing grip for all-day wear and moisturizes to boot. And, the line is vegan and cruelty free.

**Revlon’s PhotoReady Candid Natural Finish Anti-Pollution Foundation ($11.99)** is another of Klaudia’s favorites. With a creamy, moisturizing texture, it blends invisibly to even out skin tone, providing medium, natural-looking coverage. According to Revlon, it contains “anti-pollution, antioxidant, anti-blue light ingredients” and leaves out “oils, parabens, phthalates, synthetic dies and fragrances.”

For those of you who don’t like to wear foundation, but still want to even out the complexion, Klaudia recommends **Almay’s SmartShade Skintone Matching Makeup ($14.49).** This hydrating lotion comes out white and matches your skin color with a light, luminous tint. It also has an SPF.

Personally, I prefer to use a tinted sunscreen like **Anthelios 50 from La Roche-Posay ($33.50)** because I feel like a sunscreen provides better sun protection than a lotion with an SPF. I have been faithful to La Roche Posay’ face sunscreens for years.

The Anthelios sunscreen is not very moisturizing, though, so I like to add a drop of **Loréal’s Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream ($7.99).** This is a recent find for me. I used to use Charlotte Tilbury’s Wonderglow Face Primer ($55) but vastly prefer this one from L’Oréal because it moisturizes and brightens. I feel like it helps even out my skin tone too. For me, it’s a keeper.

Concealer

Cheeks

Another product I like from **L.A. Girl** is their **Just Blushing** range of blushes ($5.29). The highly pigmented formula will last all day. I find that the Just Radiant shade is a good match for Nars’ famous Orgasm ($30).

Speaking of Nars’ Orgasm, honorable mention to another very pretty dupe goes to **Pixi’s Glow-y Powder in Rome Rose ($16).**

Continuing with the glowing theme, Klaudia reveals that the Megaglow Highlighting Powder ($4.99) from cruelty free **Wet n Wild** is very popular among her customers. With a slew of moisturizing ingredients like vitamin E, murumuru seed butter, shea butter and argan oil, it melds nicely while nourishing the skin.

It’s summer time and who doesn’t like to have a sun kissed look, especially after spending weeks and weeks indoors? So, if you’re looking for a tanned complexion, but don’t want to risk the sun damage, the Butter Bronzers from Physicians Formula ($11.99) are a good pick.

Packed with no fewer than three types of butter (murumuru, cupuaçu and tucuma), **Butter Bronzers from Physicians Formula** combines the properties of a powder and cream bronzer, blending beautifully into the skin. The line is hypoallergenic, paraben free, gluten free, oil-free, vegan. cruelty free.

For those of you seeking a mascara that will hold a curl, look no further. For years, I have wandered this desert, faithfully sticking to Shu Uemura’s Ultimate Natural Mascara ($29) which does an OK job. But, now, I don’t think I will ever stray from Maybelline Lash Sensational Curvitude ($10.79).

Not only does it hold an all-day curl on my fine, straight lashes – considerably better than Shu Uemura’s ever did – but it does so while it lengthens without clumping. Note: waterproof mascaras are better at holding a curl than washable ones and indeed I found that to be true here. While the waterproof one has more curling power, the washable one provides a very nice lift with the benefit of being easier to remove. Either one works for me. Some beauty bloggers have complained that the brush is too springy, even flimsy. Who cares? It does exactly what it advertises and I am a complete convert. If you’re not looking for curl specifically, the regular **Mabelline Lash Sensational** is excellent, adding a good amount of lift and even holding some curl. It’s been called a shoe-in for the oft-touted Hypnôse mascara from Lancôme ($27.50). My only gripe? The size. That fat tube takes up a lot of real estate in a makeup bag.

Fuller eyebrows are a breeze with the **Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pencil and Brush from NYX ($11.00).** Why? Because, as Klaudia points out, the thicker angled tip makes application easier and the brush (as opposed to the usual spoolie) results in better blending.

Lips

I’m always on the lookout for a nude or natural lip pencil that doesn’t have a lot of pink in it. Even Charlotte Tilbury’s Lip Cheat lip liner in Iconic Nude ($16) which is decidedly beige when swiped on a tissue or gloved hand, reads pink on me. That color just doesn’t work well with my pale, olive-toned skin. But then, I don’t want something with too much brown in it either as the ‘90s are a distant memory.