Long before I created Modern Fifty TV, I was a very poor, very frugal beauty enthusiast who could only afford drugstore makeup. And that was perfectly fine. Because regardless of what anyone says, drugstore makeup is excellent, and I still use it daily (seriously—right now, I’m wearing almost exclusively drugstore products on my face). Still, I’m not going to pretend that all drugstore makeup is created equal, just like not all expensive, high-end makeup is automatically “good”—every formula is different. And good vs. bad can change drastically even within a single brand.
But because nobody has time (or money) to play a game of Risk, I went ahead and broke down my absolute favorite—really, truly — makeup products of all time, from the best drugstore liquid lipstick to the best high-end concealer, below.
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FACE
- Bye-Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer – A perfect concealer for my dark circles with texture. I use “20.0 Medium (N)”.
- Bye-Bye Pores Airbrush Loose Setting Powder
- Elf Perfect Finish HD Powder
- Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ – a foundation that works well for my mid-50s dry skin! I use “Light”.
BLUSH
EYES
- NYX Esspresso eyebrow powder pencil
- Essence eyebrow gel mascara 02 Browny – My favorite brow gel. And it costs less than $5!
- Essence Long-lasting eye pencil (18h+waterproof “Black Fever”)
- Essence Get Big! Lashes Volume Boost Mascara (clump-free) – Waterproof? Soft lashes? No smudging or flaking? Length $ Volume? This mascara checks ALL of the boxes!!
- L’Oreal Paris Telescopic Mascara
LIPSTICK
- L’Oréal Paris Lip Plumper Colour Riche Plump and Shine Lipstick in Watermelon is one of my all-time favorites – one of the most perfect creamy & moisturizing lipstick formulas.
- Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk – One of my favorite neutral lipstick formulas
BRUSHES
- MORPHE – M433 – for transitional color
- MORPHE – M441 – for transitional color
- MORPHE – M431 – pencil brush
- MORPHE – M506 – smaller tapered brush for the crease
- MORPHE – M213 – eye smudger brush
- Elf Flawless Concealer Brush⠀
ALL BEAUTY POSTS:
- Trying Viral NYX Jumbo Lash! On Mature Hooded Eyes
- Easy Winged Eyeliner Tutorial for Mature Hooded Eyes for Beginners
- Anniversary Glam Up Makeup Look
- How To Look More Alert In The Morning
- Jennifer Lawrence Inspired Look Makeup For Mature Women
- Makeup Kit For Over 50 Beginners
- Simple Chic Makeup Look For Hooded Eyes
- 8 Most Popular Makeup Tips For Wrinkled Eyelids
- The Ultimate In-Depth Cut Crease Tutorial For Mature Hooded Eyes!
- An Honest Essence Salut Paris Palette Review
- 3 Colorful Summer Eye Makeup Looks For Mature Hooded Eyes.
- Makeup Tips For Aging Hooded Eyes
- Makeup Tips for Aging Hooded Eyes (step-by-step)
- Bright Blue Summer Makeup Idea For Mature Hooded Eyes
- How to Apply Powder Eyeshadow with Your Fingers On Mature Hooded Eyes (with video)
- How to Minimize the Appearance of Crepey Skin Under The Eyes?
- 5 Minutes Simple Makeup for Mature Hooded Uneven Eyes
- How to Hide Age Spots on Your Face without a Lot of Makeup
- How to Apply One Color Cream Eyeshadow (For Mature, Hooded Eyes) (with video)
- Full Face Drugstore Makeup for Mature Skin (with video)
- Review of IT Cosmetics your skin but better CC cream (with video)
- 5 Elegant Natural Makeup Inspiration Ideas for Women over 50
- Simple Everyday Natural Makeup Tutorial for Mature Skin (with video)
BODY
Vaseline Intensive Care hand and body lotion – This lotion WORKS!
FACE
MORNING
- Garnier Ombrelle Sunscreen Face Sun Protection Ultra – Fluid Lotion SPF 60 – the sunscreen every sensitive, dry-skin gal needs!
- COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence – this Essence has transformed my skin
- Olay Regenerist Night Recovery Cream – a fantastic daytime, hydrating cream lightweight and wears well under makeup.
- The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA – Super Effective Exfoliator for sensitive skin.
EVENING
- CLINIQUE Take The Day Away Cleansing Balm – Removes makeup before cleansing.
- Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water – Worth the hype. Removes even stubborn makeup.
- The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% – 1st step post-cleanse to keep pores refined & skin clear.
- Avene XeraCalm A.D. lipid-replenishing balm – This has become my staple evening moisturizer.
all SKINCARE blog posts:
- Guide to Properly Layering The Ordinary Products
- My in-depth Morning Skincare Routine for Mature Skin Evening Skincare Routine 2020 for Older Skin
- 4 best face moisturizers for dry mature skin on a budget
- How to buy a good quality skincare product
- Does Skincare Work?
- 10 habits to slow down the skin aging process.
- Smell and Memories – Perfume in Cosmetics
- Is it okay to use Vitamin C and Retinol together at the same time during your skincare routine?
- 6 Things About Lactic Acid or Secrets to A Youthful-Looking Skin
- Benefits of vitamin C in skincare – THE ANTI-AGING BEAUTY DETECTIVE
- What is the best makeup remover for dry mature skin?
- Ingredient spotlight: NIACINAMIDE
- Ingredient spotlight: KINETIN from a compound group known as CYTOKININ
- Ingredient Spotlight: RESVERATROL
- Antiaging creams and serums aren’t just hype
- Guide to Properly Layering The Ordinary Products
- How to buy a good quality skincare product
- Benefits of vitamin C in skincare
- What is the best makeup remover for dry mature skin?
HAIR
Raquel Welch Wig “Summer” – RL19/23SS Shaded Biscuit⠀
12.0mm Hoop Earrings in 14K White Gold – One of my most asked-about pieces of jewelry. I adore it!
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