Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit

If you want to start wearing makeup but feel overwhelmed by the number of product choices and high prices, we have a list of affordable products for makeup beginners. From foundation to eyeshadow, the following products should work for a variety of occasions, skin types and styles. They also all come in at under $20* so you don’t have to bust your budget.

Looking for a long-wear foundation that’s suitable for all skin types? The Revlon ColorStay foundation has formulations for both oily/combo and normal/dry skin types. ColorStay contains skin-caring ingredients to help hydrate or nourish and protect skin. It’s medium coverage offers a lightweight feel. With a range of diverse shades, you’re sure to find your perfect match.

The Fit Me concealer from Maybelline is perfect for almost any purpose, whether it’s covering dark circles or acne. With an oil free formulation, it won’t clog pores. And at less than $5, it’s great for those on a tight budget.

Elf’s High Definition Powder works great for all skin types. It sets makeup while giving the face a soft luminance. The effect is similar to much more expensive setting powders. This powder works for budget conscious buyers as well, coming in at less than $10.

Milani’s setting mist does three jobs for the price of one. It can be used to prime the face, correct by reducing the appearance of imperfections and set makeup for up to 16 hours. At around $10, it’s a steal compared to similar products.

The Color Icon Blush from Wet n Wild gives a natural, healthy color and goes on smoothly. The formula is comparable to high end products. It contains moisturizing jojoba oil for a natural glow. At less than $5 for most shades, you can pick up a few colors to try out.

Rimmel Powder Natural Bronzer

A bronzer can be used for all-over glow and color or for contouring. Rimmel’s Natural Bronzer has a matte finish, making it perfect for bronzing and contouring.

Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighting Powder

Wet n Wild has a range of affordable, high quality makeup items. The MegaGlo Highlighter is a standout. For a smooth, naturally luminous glow this highlighter makes the perfect addition to your kit. The range of shades ensures you’ll find the right highlighter for your skin tone.

This gloss from Maybelline has hyaluronic acid to give a healthy, full look to the lips. It adds high shine with a non-sticky formula and rivals much more expensive glosses.

The slim lip pencil from NYX is a must-have for lining and filling lips. It’s long-lasting creamy formula makes for comfortable and easy application. This satin finish pencil works well alone or under lipstick or gloss.

NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Tinted Eyebrow Mascara

Most people tend to go through eyebrow products quickly, so don’t overspend on high end brow products when you can find affordable options. The NYX tinted eyebrow mascara makes doing brows easy by adding color and setting the brows in one step.

Essence Lash Princess Mascara

There’s no need to splurge on mascara when Essence Lash Princess gives a false lash effect for under $10. This viral mascara deserves all the hype- it provides amazing volume and length without clumps.

The e.l.f. no budge retractable eyeliner is the best eyeliner you can get for the money, coming in at around $5. It’s great for the lash line, water line or lid. The formula is designed to be creamy and ultra-pigmented. It’s also vegan and cruelty free.

If many eyeshadow palettes are way out of your budget, take a look at the Wet n Wild Color Icon palettes. Whether you want a nude look or something with a bit of color, you’ll find quality shadows all in one affordable palette. At less than $10, you probably can’t find a better shadow palette deal.

If you follow makeup influencers, it’s easy to feel discouraged about the high cost of popular products. But drugstore brands like e.l.f., Wet n Wild and Essence offer a lot of affordable and high quality makeup. The highly rated products above prove you don’t have to shell out a lot of money to create a beautiful look.

*Price at time of publication. All Amazon links are affiliate.