13 Drugstore Beauty Products Makeup Artists Swear By

Most of the makeup artists we spoke to agreed that L’Oreal’s Voluminous mascara is a must-have in their makeup kits. “I love L’Oreal’s Voluminous,” Lori Hamlin Penske of New York City told HuffPost. “I totally swear by it. I have YSL and Armani, I have all of them, for different things, but that’s my go-to for everyday and I actually carry a few in my bag at all times so I can just give them to the client.”

Amanda Shackleton, a makeup artist also based in New York City, said she likes the big, chunky brush, but noted it can cause a few clumps. However, she has a simple solution. “What I do is, once I’m done with the first couple coats, I wipe off the brush and then I use it to blend out any kind of chunks,” she said. “But it’s the best mascara out there. I’ve tried all of the Dior ones and everything, and that is the one that is in my kit nonstop.”

Shackleton also said she sometimes mixes Voluminous with Maybelline Great Lash (the one in the pink tube that almost everyone has). “That one has been in my kit since I started being a makeup artist and I still keep it in there,” she said. “I love that for definition in the eyelashes, but not necessarily for thickness.” By combining the two ― Great Lash first, followed by Voluminous ― “it just creates this really pretty look,” she said.

“Basically, you don’t have to spend $50 to get a great mascara,” New York City makeup artist Amy Zdunowski-Roeder told HuffPost, adding that she, too, loves L’Oreal Voluminous. “[It works] just as well as anything you buy at Barneys or a department store."

L'Oreal Voluminous mascara, $7.99 at Walgreens

Amanda Christan Burran, a Hudson Valley, New York-based makeup artist who focuses on using organic and nontoxic cosmetics, said she loves Physicians Formula’s Organic Wear mascaras.

“It’s super dark, it goes on really well, the tubes are cool. That one’s amazing,” she said. “You can get ones that have little fibers in them that make it look like you have false lashes. You can get one that’s strong impact, like super black. You can get one that’s a little bit more natural. It’s kind of cool, because they’ve got maybe six or seven different formulas, and they’re all organic.”

Physicians Formula Organic Wear mascara, $9.99 at Walgreens

Jen Navaro, a New York-based makeup artist represented by Jump Management, swears by the Pacifica Dream Big Lash Extending 7-in-1 mascara.

"Love this brand, which is 100 percent vegan and cruelty free!" she said. "Also this is my favorite mascara because it doesn’t irritate my eyes, you can get a lot of volume and a lot of length as well with just a few coats using their adjustable brush.”

Pacifica Dream Big Lash Extending 7-in-1 Mascara, $11.29 at Target

Burran also said she’s a fan of Physicians Formula’s tinted moisturizers and bronzers, particularly the Butter Bronzer, which she said “looks really cool, and it’s a super nice, natural formula.”

Physicians Formula Butter Bronzer, $14.95 at Walgreens

“Lashes are kind of my thing,” Hamlin Penske told HuffPost, adding that she’s always used false lashes from the drugstore.

“I would definitely swear by the Ardell individual lashes, and then I also have a drugstore glue I use by Duo, but I always buy the dark tone. That’s a little secret,” she said. "[The glue also] comes in white and clear, but I just find the darker tone blends in more easily.”

(And yes, Hamlin Penske also loves L’Oreal’s Voluminous to finish off her lash looks.)

Ardell Professional Individuals starter kit, $7.96 at Walmart

Shackleton said she loves Revlon’s ColorBurst lip products, as they come in plenty of colors that she feels are very modern.

“You can get them in stains, you can get them as really matte, long-wear ones, which are the ones I usually use, and they’re about maybe $9,” she said. “They really compare to some of the bigger counter brands. Those are mostly what I’m using right now for lips, because they last so long and the colors are so good, and they’re really easy to put on.”

Revlon ColorBurst lip products , $6.69 at Target

Zdunowski-Roeder told HuffPost her go-to drugstore lipsticks are the Rimmel London Lasting Finish lipsticks by Kate Moss, which she called “exceptional.” She also praised the line for its offering of “great nudes of all shades.”

Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss lipstick, $5.99 at Walgreens

Hamlin Penske said she loves the Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, which she’s found especially useful when working with male clients, as they tend to love a quick makeup removal option. Hamlin Penske noted that her 9-year-old daughter also makes use of the wipes as she loves to play around with makeup.

Simple cleansing facial wipes, $4.49 at Target

One of Shackleton’s top drugstore beauty picks is the Milani Blur Stick.

“You can use it for a bunch of different things,” Shackleton said. “You can use it as a primer, you can use it to fill in lines, you can use it for oil absorption and as a makeup extender.”

“It’s got a little bit of a silky feel,” she added. “It’s really kind of a primer stick, but it does more than just a primer. And it’s cheap.”

Milani Blur Stick, $11.99 at Target

When it comes to setting powders, Shackleton said she always carries Coty Airspun Loose Powder in her makeup kit, and she’s done so for years.

“Everybody uses foundation and primer and contour and highlighter, but nobody uses powder on their skin,” Shackleton said. “This is the one I recommend to people if they don’t want to spend a fortune and they want something that’s just really light. They have two different kinds now ― a light formula, that’s just to set things, and they also have one that’s extra coverage, so if someone has more problem skin they could use that.”

Coty Airspun loose powder, $7.99 at Walgreens

Zdunowski-Roeder's go-to drugstore brow pencil is the Maybelline EyeStudio Micro eyebrow pencil.

“[It's] fabulous because it is thin enough to make the tiniest of lines, which looks so natural on the brow," she said. "It’s foolproof with the spoolie on the end to help with blending.”

Maybelline EyeStudio Micro Eyebrow Pencil, $6.99 at Target

Navaro said she swears by the NYX Epic Ink eyeliner.

″[I] love that NYX is a cruelty-free brand and a lot of their products are vegan!” she said, noting that drugstores that carry NYX “are a great place to run in and grab your cruelty-free makeup wears.”

What she especially loves about the liner, she said, is the fact that it makes cat-eye application easy and the formula is great for long wear.

NYX Epic Ink Eyeliner, $7.99 at CVS

″I’m sort of a black eyeliner junkie and I have a spectrum from Wet n Wild to Tom Ford, and I have to say, the ones you buy at the drugstore actually last longer," Zdunowski-Roeder said.

Her top pick is the Revlon ColorStay eyeliner. “You can cry, sweat, swim whatever and it will stay on!” she said.

Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner, $8.79 at Walgreens