Well 2017 is officially winding down and what a year it has been for the makeup world. We’ve seen so many collabs, new brands, product launches, trends, etc. and I think it’s been so exciting to be apart of! Although a ton has happened in the beauty world as a whole, I want to focus only on drugstore products to recap for 2017!
If this is your first time visiting my blog, drugstore/affordable makeup is my jam and is the focus for the majority of my content. Not to say that I don’t love high-end products and brands, I just think affordable products and brands can be just as good if not better. I’m all about stretching my dollar and getting the best bang for my buck. Affordable makeup is a niche all by itself and I’m excited to continue exploring it in 2018!
But for now, I want to recap the best of the best products from 2017! Affordable brands sure have been stepping up their game and continue to close the gap on trends and products that high-end brands usually take the lead on. I think this year might be the best year yet as far as drugstore brands keeping up with trends and putting out killer products. Gone are the days when you had to wait months if not years for these brands to catch up or catch onto trends.
I tried to pick out products that launched in 2017 and I’m fairly certain that all of these did. It’s hard to go back and verify exactly when they launched but I’m pretty sure they were all new this year sometime. There wasn’t any rhyme or reason to why I chose these products. I didn’t pick one per category or anything like that. I just thought back to what I feel have been the best products to come out this year and ones that I would recommend for you try if you haven’t already.
My top 10 products are (in no particular order):
// Wet n Wild Photo Focus Foundation
This foundation might take the accolade of Most Surprising! Wet n Wild is a great brand but some of their products can be hit and miss. Especially with brands that are ultra-affordable (Wet n Wild, e.l.f, NYC, etc), I can get leery of products like foundation, concealer…some of the heavy hitters. Usually their lip products are a safe area. However, this foundation totally proved me wrong! Not only is it amazing, it’s like $6!
They came out with a select shade range and have since expanded upon that to include more. It’s long-lasting, blends easily and gives me a flawless finish with medium to buildable coverage. I think it’s great for all skin types. It’s hands down one of my favorite products from this brand!
// L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara
I’m sure this is no surprise as this has become a favorite for most people at this point but for good reason! This mascara really is worth all the hype it has received and truly stands out by leaps and bounds above the rest. L’Oreal came out with a gem and has really set the bar high. I use the waterproof formula to keep my lashes curled all day. It gives me full, voluminous curled lashes that don’t transfer or flake. The formula is easily removed with an oil-based makeup remover. All in all – it’s going to be hard to beat this product.
Check out my whole review of this mascara here
// L’Oreal Infallible Foundation Sponge
I’ve talked about this sponge before and it still reigns #1 as my favorite affordable makeup sponge! It knocked off the Real Techniques sponge that I was previously using. It’s really soft, doesn’t soak up a lot of product, multi-functional and easily works with almost any product in my collection. It’s really easy to clean and I usually keep mine for 3-4 months before replacing. It holds up really well after dozens of washes. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend purchasing it!
Flower Beauty is a hidden gem of a brand that really only exists at Walmart and on their own website. Even though their products aren’t widespread, they are so high quality and have some amazing finds. The brand recently launched these new powder blushes and they are fantastic!! The pigment is stunning and the quality and staying power reminds me of Tarte blushes which are some of the best as far as high-end products. Check out these blushes and this brand if you haven’t yet. Some other great products within the line are their lip products, highlighting palettes and face products.
// Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter
This highlighter took the beauty world by storm this year and put Maybelline on the map for the blinding highlight trend. The formula is rich and buttery with the pigmentation and glow-factor being unlike any other highlighter at the drugstore. They came out with only 1 shade in Molten Gold and have now since introduced a handful of other shades! One of their newer shades is a rose gold which I’m dying to try and think it would be well suited for my skin tone. This highlighter reminds me of Ofra’s Rodeo Drive which is a golden highlighter and cult favorite.
// Colourpop No Filter Concealer
Colourpop isn’t technically a drugstore brand but falls into the category of affordable makeup which is really the same thing to me. They introduced concealers to their brand for the first time and these babies are so nice! The coverage is great and they blend out so well on all of the foundations I’ve used them with so far. They have a really good shade range and best of all, these are like $6! When concealers are this cheap and amazing, I love to get multiple shades for no makeup days when I don’t want to wear foundation and also for cream contouring!
// Wet n Wild Liquid Catsuit Lipstick
Another gem by Wet n Wild this year was their collection of liquid lipsticks! These have become some of my favorite lip products to wear whether I wear them alone, paired with lip liner, topped with lip gloss or mixed with other formulas or shades. They are great any way. They have since expanded their shade range from the original launch. My personal favorite shade is Coral Corruption! I pair it with a dark peach lip liner and it lasts all day and doesn’t make my lips look cracky or gross. For only a few dollars, pick out a few shades to try!
// Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer
Just when I give up on Physicians Formula, they come out with a banger! I used to be die-hard for their bronzers years ago but ventured away because of bulky packaging, price and mediocre products. However, their Butter Bronzer reeled me back in dang it! The packaging is still bulky and the price is pretty high buuuutt…the formula is so amazing, the shades are incredibly flattering as bronzer or contour and THE SMELL!! I’m back people, I’m back…
// Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lipcolor
Another great liquid lipstick option from the drugstore is this collection! This is my other favorite formula. I would say the staying power is even better than the Wet n Wild ones and the shade range offers something completely different. There are bolds, neutrals and trendy colors alike. I honestly could buy them all because they are that good!
// L’Oreal Infallible Pro Glow Foundation
This is my go-to foundation at the moment! I fell in love with the Pro Matte Foundation early this year but actually started to notice that my skin wasn’t as oily as it used to be. I think it’s actually a little more combo/dry as I’m getting older. So naturally, I switched to the Pro Glow formula to give it a try and love it just as much! I was desiring a glowy natural finish but didn’t want anything too dewy or shiny. Because I’ve battled with oily skin most of my life, I wanted to tiptoe into the dewy foundation realm knowing that dewy can easily look oily and gross on the wrong skin type.
This foundation was a great starting point. It’s has a natural glowy finish but not too much so I feel like if I do still get a little oily in my t-zone by the end of the day, it isn’t going to look bad and my other makeup won’t slip and slide everywhere. Whether you have oily or dry skin, I recommend trying either the Pro Matte or Pro Glow formulas because either way, I don’t think you will be disappointed!
Those are my top 10! What have been your favorite products from the drugstore this year? Leave me a comment letting me know what they are and why you love them! I always love to know what other people are using and liking. Cheers to 2018 and a whole new year of makeup!
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