The Only Drugstore Makeup You Should Buy This Year (2024)

Who says you have to spend a ton on quality makeup? Drugstore beauty products are getting better and better, with more shades, styles and effective formulations being offered every year. And because of the wallet-friendly price tags, drugstore makeup is also the best way to play around with new looks and trends.

Here, we've rounded up the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab's top-tested drugstore makeup products and brands, including formulas backed by the trusted Good Housekeeping Seal, as well as picks from our beauty editors and celebrity makeup artists Maya René and Kristofer Buckle. These affordable mascara, concealer, foundation, highlighter and primer finds will leave you looking flawless and ready for the day (or night!) no matter your budget, and are all available to shop online right now.

If your lids tend to get oily throughout the day, this is the perfect eyeshadow palette. "These set especially well, so they don't move around the way other cream shadows can," says Buckle. "Also, the pigment particles aren't too sparkly, just subtly gleaming."

This is a moisturizer, SPF and sheer foundation all in one! GH beauty pros like that the BB cream has a lightweight texture and blends easily into skin for a flawless, no-makeup finish. Beauty Lab testers agreed. “I loved everything about this product, mainly how natural it looked,” one said.

Say goodbye to tugging, since this kohl pencil liner glides on smoothly and with precision. In our Lab tests, it earned the highest score for its impressive staying power. In fact, one consumer found it so budge-proof they forgot they had it on. "This liner allowed me to go throughout the day without having to touch up even once!"

In our Beauty Lab's concealer study, makeup artists gave NYX's budget-friendly formula good scores for being easy to apply and spreading well on skin. Ideal if you're looking for sheer coverage (medium at most), it comes in 20 skin tone shades and three color corrector options.

Our Beauty Lab chemists Sabina Wizemann and Danusia Wnek unanimously agree this bronzer is a must-have: it's super creamy while offering a light, blendable glow. If you prefer natural makeup, this sheer option suits those "no-makeup" makeup days. "One of the best parts is the fragrance," says Wnek. "It literally smells like a day at the beach."

Keep your makeup in place all day long by dusting this classic Coty powder over your face with a fluffy makeup brush. "It goes on incredibly evenly and easily; it's always been one of the best-textured translucent powders on the market," explains Buckle.

Define your arches with this L’Oréal Paris waterproof brow gel that lasts up to 48 hours. A Good Housekeeping Seal star, it's available in seven colors and comes with a dual-end brush, which makes it easy to control how dark your arches look while still getting a precise shape. In a consumer study, testers said the long-wearing color didn’t transfer or smudge, even resisting sweat!

Not only did this CoverGirl blush earn a GH Beauty Award, but it's also a Good Housekeeping Seal star. This classic drugstore pick easily blends into skin for a natural-looking pop of color. Choose from 15 shades!

A winner of the GH Beauty Lab's Beauty Breakthrough Awards, Flower's affordable palette is the ultimate luxe for less pick. Testers were blown away after trying it out. "These velvety powders are on par with high-end brands," one tester said. Another shared her trick for using the shades as brightening eyeshadows.

Give yourself gorgeous, long lashes without ever picking up a tube of eyelash glue. CoverGirl's under-$10 pick performed better than competitors triple its price in Beauty Lab tests. An extra-large brush with small plastic bristles makes it easy to apply, and it comes in three shades. Not to mention, it's our beauty director's holy grail mascara!

This inexpensive mist from e.l.f. is formulated with aloe, green tea, cucumber and vitamins A, C and E, so you'll get a moisture boost and long-lasting makeup. We also like that it's alcohol-free, which makes it great for people with sensitive skin.

This Maybelline formula was rated the best mascara in our GH Beauty Lab's recent study. It offers a smooth, clump-free application. Consumers loved its natural, subtle look, and appreciated that it didn't smudge throughout the day. “This did a great job at separating and lengthening my eyelashes," one tester said.

Whether you love a bold cat eye or more understated look, CoverGirl’s drugstore liquid liner can do it all. The formula glides on lids smoothly and resists fading throughout the day, according to GH Beauty Lab testing. “It behaved like a waterproof eyeliner, but when you wanted to take it off, it came off with ease and left no traces behind,” one tester said.

Essie's cult-favorite lacquer was a winner in the GH Beauty Lab's nail polish study. The 2020 Beauty Award winner stays chip-free, dries quickly, comes in every color imaginable, and is super shiny. Testers and experts alike raved about its glossy finish and the high shine throughout the entire duration of wear.