Drugstore Primers and Foundations

I am a firm believer in drugstore products. I have oily skin and finding a foundation that works for me has not been an easy task. I have tried many foundations both drugstore and high end throughout the past couple of years, trying to decide what I like best for my particular skin type. I want to share the drugstore foundations that have worked for me. I love that these products are affordable and can be purchased right at your local drugstore, if you live in an area like me that does not have a store that sells high end foundation you can just go out and buy. For me to get a high end foundation I have to either order online or drive and hour plus to the store. I would also like to stress the concept of quality over price; a high price tag does not necessarily mean that it is a better product. Some of these foundations I have liked way better than the high end foundations I've tried. Primers are also a big deal for me. I have tried many primers that are supposed to prolong your makeup, or keep you matte, or blur your pores and imperfections. I am going to share the drugstore primers that I like and explain what I feel that they do for my skin. For me, it does make a difference if I do not wear a primer. I will say that I have had a harder time finding a primer in the drugstore than a foundation; it was hard to make myself try something other than my all time favorite Makeup Forever HD step 1 smoothing primer. I will discuss that particular product in my favorite high end face products at a later date. Without further ado, let's start reviewing the drugstore products!

Foundations

• Revlon Colorstay 24 hour Makeup for Oily/Combination skin. My winter shade is 150 “Buff”. For me this foundation lasts all day, with minor powder touch ups around the 8 hour mark when it isn’t hot outside and I am sweating. Some days I have to have my makeup on for a rather long period of time, longer than makeup should probably be worn. If I put this on in the morning around 7:00am and don’t get to take it off until I am out of my night class at 9:30pm, it usually still looks presentable. Many foundations I have tried would be melting off of my face with places where there was skin peaking through underneath, and the foundation would be completely gone around the sides of my nose. This is one of the few foundations I have found with this type of staying-power with my oily skin. I love the finish of this foundation, and it does not irritate my skin in any way, not to mention that the price is wonderful so the quality! I highly recommend this for anyone with oily or combination skin. It can also be found in another formula for those with dry skin. I apply this one by putting the product on the back of my hand and then putting it onto my face with a brush. Then I press it into my skin with a beauty blender or real techniques beauty sponge in pouncing motions. This is a key step for me, as it presses the foundation into my skin even more and creates an airbrushed flawless appearance while also prolong the life of the foundation. 

This is Revlon Colorstay 24 hr makeup for oily/combo skin. As you can see, this product is well used. I am on my fourth bottle. I have found that Walmart usually had the lowest price for this foundation, though if you are unsure if you are going to like it I would recommend CVS or Walgreens; they are better about accepting makeup returns.

Maybelline Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation was a surprising hit for me. It is not made specifically for oily skin, and I picked it up on a whim. The description says that the breakthrough texture fuses with skin and creates a finish so impeccable yet undetectable. It is medium to full coverage and ideal for normal skin. It has a vertical dripper made to drop the foundation onto your fingertips and apply to the face. I however do not like apply foundation with my fingers, so the dripper applicator is not something I am found of. I personally like to shake the bottle, unscrew the top with the dripper attached and set it aside. Then I pour the foundation on to the back of my hand carefully; it is a very runny formula. Then I apply it with a brush to my face and pounce it into my skin with a damp beauty sponge. I often apply two layers of this foundation because it is not as thick as the others I use, and I have found that it looks better and lasts longer with two layers. Applying two layers can make the foundation cakey so the beauty sponge is important to avoid that. I am in the shade ivory. I do find that this oxidizes slightly and tends to turn a little darker after being worn for a while, so if you think a shade might be too light I would recommend trying it anyways. For this one it is better to lean towards too light than to dark. I will say that it does not last as long for me as the other, but I like to use it on days when I will not be wearing my makeup for as long. Walmart is where I picked mine up, but I have noticed that they are often sold out of some shade. 

•  L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation is another top foundation for me. I am in the shade 101 Classic Ivory, which is a little to pink so I like to mix it with 102 Shell Beige to make the perfect shade for me. That might sound a little high maintenance but I like getting as close to the right color as possible. The description given by L’Oreal for this foundation is long lasting buildable coverage, air-light barely there feel, with a flawless demi matte finish. This to me is the perfect description for how this foundation looks and feels. It is perfect for those of us with oily skin. It is very matte and because of this can be tricky to apply. I highly recommend using a damp beauty blender or real techniques beauty sponge. The moisture will make the foundation easier to apply and will avoid the dreaded caking that can easily happen with a thick foundation. I put the product on the back of my hand (shades 101 and 102 and mix them together), then I apply the foundation on my face in dots or lines with my finger and blend it out quickly with the sponge. It also claims to last 24 hours and find that it has about the same staying power as the Revlon Colorstay. It has buildable coverage to cover any imperfections; I personally only use one layer and love it. This is a totally matte foundation though, so if you like dewiness I would stay away from this. I usually purchase mine at Walmart, because again that is where it is the cheapest. Don't forget about their return policies though; if you are unsure about your shade and want try it at home with the potential to return it I would recommend biting the bullet and paying for it at CVS or Walgreens. 

Now for primers! 

• The Rimmel Stay Matte Primer exceeded my expectations. I have a friend who is oily and suggested that I try it, so I did. I was expecting it to just keep eliminate the oil for a small amount of time while slightly mattifying my face for foundation; I was wrong. This primer is ultra lightweight as the description suggests. It slightly minimizes my pores (I struggle with large pores in my T-Zone), and controls shine for at least up to 6 hours and sometimes 8 with the right foundation. It creates a matte complexion for me and does not feel heavy like the silicon-y feeling primers do. It is said that this can be used alone, under, or over foundation. Used alone it would mattify the face to eliminate shine without foundation. Used under it is simply a primer, like I use it for. I am not one to use a cream product like this over foundation, so I am not sure that I will ever try that. I am picky about primers, so loving this one as much as I do is a BIG deal. If you are someone who needs oil control and/or pore minimizing, I would recommend this one. The price is wonderful and there is really only a twenty to thirty cent difference in the price between Walmart and the other drugstore. I personally purchased mine at CVS but have seen it in any store that sells Rimmel products. 

As you can see, mine has some wear and tear. I use it at least 4 days a week, it is such a good primer for a great price!

• The L’Oreal Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer is usually a product reached for by people who are more dry skinned. I decided that I wanted to try it anyways because many beauty gurus on youtube have used this and rave about how it is such good quality for a drugstore product. Many of them said that it just makes your skin glow and look so healthy, which persuaded me to try it even though my skin does not need any help in they dewiness department. I purchased mine in the summer I hope that it would make me look glowing and like my skin was just beaming; I am glad that I did. It added a boost to my complexion and blended well into my skin. It made my skin look alive and worked well under foundation as well as mixed in with my foundation. It is said to smooth texture and tone to make your complexion natural-looking. It can be used under foundation, mixed in with foundation, and on top of foundation as a highlighter; I have tried all three ways. Under foundation it gives an added boost to make your skin look alive and fresh. Mixed in it kicks up any foundation to give an added glow, this is recommend for this with combination or dry skin. I only mix it in with thicker foundations, because I am afraid it would not work well with my oily skin. On top of foundation it gives a subtle highlight that is good for those who are looking for a delicate glow. I personally like my highlight to be beaming, so using it on top of foundation is not a method I enjoy for myself. I do however like to use it in the summer all over my face with no foundation and just a bronzer on top of it. It gives a barrier on your skin before using the bronzer and gives a healthy glowing complexion without using foundation. I purchased mine at Walmart, but as with all of the other products it can be found at most any drugstore such as CVS or Walgreens. I will say that it is on the more pricey side for a drugstore product, but it is good quality and will definitely be worth it for those who long for that glowing complexion. 

This next product is not actually a primer, but was made popular as a primer by NikkiTutorials.  It is the Nivea Men’s Post Shave Balm. Yes I said MENS SHAVE BALM. Listen, hear me out and don’t knock it til you try it. NikkiTutorials has used this product in many of her videos and included it in her favorite products of 2015. Jaclyn Hill has also mentioned this product in a video or two.  If you do not believe me that this works well as a primer, Kathleen Lights also has a primerwear test video using this product. It is such an affordable product at just above five dollars to seven dollars, and is a pretty big bottle at 3.3 oz. Most other drugstore foundations are 1 oz and cost the same or more than this product. Disclaimer: it does have a manly scent, but I personally do not care because it prolongs the life of my foundation tremendously. I purchased the sensitive version because my skin sometimes has reactions to products and I figured it was better to be safe with the sensitive style. I encourage you to try it out, many beauty gurus are using it and it seems to be great for any skin type. You get a lot of product for your money, and it works tremendously well. It only takes about a dime sized amount. I like to rub it all over my face until it gets tacky and then apply my foundation. You can find it at many drugstores, but I found it to be cheapest at Walmart. It is often sold out at Walmart because it has became so popular in the cosmetic industry. Walgreens is also good places to purchase this product, and there are sometimes coupons at Walgreens for this item! I have noticed that CVS has a knock of store brand for this product, but it does not come in sensitive and is the same price as the Nivea brand at my Walmart. 

These are just the drugstore facial products that I have tried so far and have worked for me. I encourage everyone to go out and find products that work for their skin type. Watch YouTube videos and do your research. The drugstore world of makeup is out there ready to be explored! Also a side note: if you shop for makeup at CVS often I would recommend joining the beauty rewards club. I often get rewards and save money off of beauty product purchases. 

Cleaning Makeup Brushes: Rinse Free Formula Cleaner

Cleaning your makeup brushes is important and should be done routinely. Clean makeup brushes are a key to flawless makeup application, and help prevent pesky face breakouts. I find this even more true with face brushes over eye shadow brushes, although both are equally important. When my face brushes are not caked with makeup the foundation application process is more effortless, and my foundation definitely has a better finish. I have used the method of antibacterial Dawn dish soap and olive oil before, but recently switched to using a rinse free solution that makes the process of cleaning the brushes much less daunting.  Here is the exact cleaner I used, if you want to try it out. I absolutely love that it has a nice vanilla scent and is quick drying, rinse free, cleansing and conditioning in one step, and much quicker than swirling the brushes in a soap/oil mixture and rinsing under the faucet. It comes in three different sizes: 4 oz, 8 oz, and 32 oz. I purchased the 4 oz at first just to test it out before splurging on the bigger one. Now that I know I like the product I will be repurchasing it in the larger size.

What you need for this process is:

• dirty makeup brushes 
• small bowl 
• rinse free formula brush cleaner such as Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner
• roll of paper towels 



all of my dirty brushes

• flat surface to work on 

Instructions:

1. Get about 4 layers of paper towels to work the brushes on and place them on your flat work surface

2. Pour cleaning solution into the small bowl 

Bowl, cleaner, & paper towels laid out

3. Place one paper towel aside to put the clean brushes on to dry (I like to do this even though it is quick drying. I prefer to let them sit over night.)

4. I like to start with my eye brushes first. Dip the brush bristles into the bowl of cleaner and then rub the brush onto the paper towel until there is nothing coming off of the brush. I like to rub in circles gently, careful not to harm the bristles. Sometimes it takes two dips in the cleaner to get it all the way clean. 

5. Place the clean brush on the paper towel you set aside. 

6. Repeat the steps 4 and 5 until you are finished with all of the eye brushes

Rub brush on paper towel

7. When I start my face brushes I like to dump out the cleaner and pour new into the bowl. I do this to ensure that the brushes are getting a good deep clean. 

8. The bigger brushes will soak up more of the cleaner, so be prepared to use more of it than with the small eye brushes. 

9. Repeat the same steps as with the eye brushes until they are clean.
10. Let them sit on the paper towel over night. The main reason I do this is because I like to air out the strong vanilla scent in this specific cleaner.

That is how much is left after cleaning all my brushes 

Here are all of the brushes laid out on the paper towel to dry. 

I have found this much more convenient that other brush cleaning methods and encourage you to try it out if you have a lot of brushes and wear makeup often!