The Best Drugstore Beauty Finds of 2020

HELLO HELLO !

Today I have curated a very specific list of products that I am obsessed with. & wait for it- drumroll please: they’re all drugstore finds

YES DRUGSTORE.

This blog started out as primarily tips & tricks for the babe on the budget. There I was in college, beyond broke, bartending & literally never having money for anything. Like sooo broke but still wanted beauty items though. Anyway, it is really important to keep talking about budget finds on the blog because for most of my life I’ve had to get really creative.

Still, to this day, I’m a high & low girl. If something is super pricey but worth it, I’ll buy it. If it’s not worth it ( ahem, looking at you overpriced mascara ) then I’m sticking with the drugstore find, thank you very much.

Also let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than a Caboodle from the drugstore ( more on Caboodles here ). The drugstore just nails it a lot of the time.

OK SO: here are some products I’ve rounded up that I think you guys will be obsessed with. I’ve tried them, my team has tried them, readers have tried them- they’re the empties that you keep buying again & again. AND they’re also super Instagrammy which doesn’t hurt a flea.

With that, let’s break down each item & why I think they’re worth the buy.

Lauryn’s Latest Top Drugstore Finds:

♡ Rosebud Lip Balm

This is a throwback.

I first heard about this from Mary-Kate & Ashley literally 100 years ago. They raved about this in a beauty article in Vogue & I never forgot their product recommendation.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised to know that you can find this at the drugstore.

It comes in this white little vintage container & it smells delicious. It’s one of those ones you don’t want to share with your friends though, because you have to stick your finger in it or mush your lips around in the tin- you know what I mean. Smells like a minted rose & if you’re not into that you could always do the mandarin rose one.

This is honestly the best lip balm- like Mary-Kate & Ashley totally knew what they were talking about- SURPRISE SURPRISE. This is filled with botanicals that make your lips all plump, it’s gluten & cruelty-free & perfect to throw in your handbag.

You’ll feel like an Olsen twin & when you take a pic all you have to do is say “prune” & you’ll basically be an Olsen triplet.

( Little backstory on prune: whenever the Oslens take a pic, they say “prune” to pout their lips. No, I’m not making this up. I know, you learn something new every day )

Anyway, pucker up your minted rose lips, say “prune” & you’re good to go.

♡ Dolce & Gabbana Perfume

I’ve been wearing this since high school & I’ll never forget the day I found out about it. One of the cool older girls pulled it out of her mini Coach handbag & gave it a spritz. Since then the distinct blue cap never left my mind.

I ran to the store & smelled it, immediately fell in love & never looked back. You can’t go wrong with this perfume. It’s so fresh & not overbearing. When I discovered it was at the drugstore, I freaked out.

If you’re looking for specifics, it’s kinda like a Sicilian citron mixed with the happiness of a Granny Smith apple. It’s a #1 best seller & is known to evoke the spirit of Italy, which we love of course.

This is definitely a day time perfume in my opinion. Highly recommend.

♡ Salt Rock Lamp

Do I really need to explain this one though? We’ve gone over how amazing salt rock lamps are so many times. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I saw that Walmart had them in stock. Just to go over all the amazing benefits again:

♡ natural antihistamine

♡ good for digestion

♡ improves metabolism

♡ reduces stress hormones

♡ lowers cortisol

♡ good for vascular health

♡ balances electrolytes

♡ prevents muscle cramping

♡ supports a healthy nervous system

♡ improves sleep

♡ reduces electromagnetic radiation

♡ reduces static electricity

You need.

♡ Bath Soak

Weirdly enough, we have an Aquarius baby, so it shouldn’t surprise you that I wanted to be in the water my whole pregnancy. I’ve taken a shower or bath every single night before bed & to find something at the drugstore that was free of parabens, GMOs, synthetics, & cruelty-free has been IDEAL- lemme tell ya.

Do you guys remember how I hang eucalyptus on my bathroom shower head? ( If you don’t remember, I like to buy a bushel of eucalyptus from the farmer’s market & tie it to my shower head for the most luxurious shower ever- more here ). Anyway, between the eucalyptus shower & these bath salts that have this amazing citrus & eucalyptus scent, it’s like this whole spa magical situation going on in my bathroom.

These salts are made with epsom salt, organic olive oil & 100% pure essential oils. SUPER soothing on your muscles & literally such a good drugstore find.

♡ L’Oréal Lash Paradise

This is the new Great Lash mascara basically. HOT PINK & green packaged Great Lash was insanely popular in high school, but this one is even better. Not only better, but better on fake drugstore lashes. I love a falsie, & I’m very detail oriented about how the mascara lays on that falsie. This one lays very feathery & flirty. Plus, it opens the eye, which we love.

I’ve had problems before where mascara doesn’t flatter the eye shape, but this one does, while giving you length & volume. I like my mascara dark, so I always go for ‘blackest black.’ L’Oréal Paris Voluminous Lash Paradise Washable Mascara has a smooth glide formula & 200+ bristles. This mascara makes you feel like Farrah Fawcett in a red bikini circa 1980.

♡ Rose Quartz Roller

If you haven’t heard of gua sha yet, let me fill you in:

“Facial gua sha is a massage technique designed to relieve tension in the muscles of the face, boost blood circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage to banish bloat. It helps break up fascia — the connective tissue that hugs muscles but can sometimes interfere with optimal circulation — and can even help to make your face look slimmer ( albeit temporarily ). Devotees swear by its ability to ward off headaches and jaw pain and brighten skin ( due to the boost in circulation ). Some even consider it a Botox alternative for its ability to unkink settled-in muscle folds.” – source

It’s so rejuvenating & repairs all your cells while fighting inflammation- which we always want. It’s an ancient Chinese practice & it just WORKS!

Gua sha tools usually come in jade & rose quartz. I like rose quartz because Cleopatra used soak in a bath with rose quartz. Obviously I’m gonna copy Cleopatra. When doing this at home, the key is to always work from the inside of the face then go outwards. And ALWAYS scrape UP, never down. Don’t ever pull your face down. This is so important, I can’t say it enough

Make sure you use an oil with your gua sha tools, too.

♡ Ardell Lashes

ADDICTED to these. Ardell #113 lashes, specifically. These are perfect & won’t make you look like an 80’s porn star. They’re super fun & flirty & easy to apply. I’ve been using them for years, & trust me they’re THE best.

HOT TIP: it is also fun to leave them around the house to creep out your significant other. Sorry Michael, get over it. These are very easy to apply ( scope a how-to here ) & I like to prime, curl, prime again, then use mascara.

♡ Watermelon Face Serum

Oooohhh this one is GOOD. First of all, how cute is the bottle? If you want a high-end glow on a drugstore budget, this is for you. The reviews on this are all 5 stars, people are obsessed, & so I HAD to try it.

It smells absolutely delicious & it’s filled with vitamins & antioxidants & the best part is that it’s only $8.94. It is really nice as a primer for makeup or to put on before bed.

Anything that smells like a watermelon Jolly Rancher ?? I’m in.

♡ ELF Blotting Mist

I’ve talked about ELF products before. This is a touch up spray that helps absorb excess oil & it’s infused with this special clay that really takes the shine away. I like to keep it a little dewy so the reason I like this mist, is it still leaves you dewy without feeling super shiny.

It’s vegan & cruelty-free, plus it smells right.

Another ELF product you can’t miss…

♡ ELF Blotting Powder

Again, if you run shiny, this blotting powder is the way to go.

You can keep this in your handbag on a date night so you don’t get too oily & I feel like it’s a good powder to travel with, especially in humid climates. A lot of people with acne have used this product & said that it actually has helped make their acne better.

If you’re into looking like you don’t wear a lot of makeup, this product is for you too. It leaves your skin super soft after applying. & HELLO !! How pretty is the packaging?

♡ EOS Lip Balm

This is another great lip balm that’s found at the drugstore. I personally like the sweet mint flavor, but the main reason I like it is that it has SPF 30. Also, the packaging is super cute.

If you aren’t a fan of mint you can also try honeydew or strawberry sorbet. Rest assured you’ll be protecting your lips while also having a sweet treat. Fab to throw in your handbag.

♡ Patchology Lip Gels

These are absolutely incredible if you want to plump up your pout. They’re these transparent pink lip masks that fit perfectly over your lips & hydrate while plumping them up.

I like to put these in the fridge so they’re nice & cool. I’ll slap them on my lips, then slap on some eye pads too.

Just a side note: if you aren’t putting your skin care in the fridge you need to be! You can get yourself a mini skin care fridge like me ( more here ) or make some space in your actual fridge. Try it, it makes all the difference. Trust me.

So TA-DA: those are my top drugstore picks. We will be doing these posts frequently because it’s important to share gems you can find on a budget on The Skinny Confidential.

You should know that all of these items can be found at Walmart ( you know I love Walmart but like who doesn’t ). It’s so fun to go peruse the beauty section when you have some spare time & want to try new things. But if we’re being honest, it’s EVEN more fun sitting down on the couch to watch Curb Your Enthusiasm & ordering from Walmart online ( they do free shipping over $35 !! ).

Anyway, I would love to know what drugstore finds you guys are into lately. I’m off to throw on a chilled lip mask & rose quartz roll my face.

Hope you all had a productive Friday.

Peace, love & drugstore finds.

x, lauryn

+ be sure to check out more amazing drugstore finds here.

++ if you’re looking for a fun gift to give your girlfriend, scope this post.

+ this post is in collaboration with Walmart. as always, all opinions are my own.

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