$28 or Less: Beauty Editors Share Their Desert-Island Drugstore Beauty Products

Welcome to Drugstore Heroes, a monthly series in which we spotlight the often-overlooked and under-hyped drugstore beauty products that industry experts count on. From editors to content creators and even celebs, we’re asking tastemakers to share their top recommendations for affordable, yet effective products. Get ready to see the best of drugstore beauty, period.

Drugstore beauty product GIF

(Image credit: GIF by Audrey Hedlund)

The drugstore beauty aisle is an interesting place. There are hidden gems, but they're, well...hidden. It usually takes time and effort—not to mention some much-needed patience—to find them. In this way, shopping for drugstore beauty products is a lot like thrifting. If you want to find that one diamond-in-the-rough item, you often need to work for it. But who really wants to do that? With hundreds of products lining the shelves, it can feel overwhelming, even dizzying, to make an attempt. For this reason, many drugstore beauty products that are well worth their weight in gold go undiscovered.

To right this wrong, we're kicking off a new monthly series called Drugstore Heroes, in which we'll ask experts to share their favorite, desert-island drugstore items. The goal is to cut through the noise and limit the trial-and-error necessary to find the best budget-friendly products. Welcome to our first installment.

Meet the Experts

(Image credit: Graphic by Audrey Hedlund)

Who better to kick things off than our very own beauty editors? They're constantly researching and testing new formulas (drugstore included). They have a good—no, great—grasp on what sets a product apart from the rest.

Their skincare, makeup, and haircare collections are the epitome of high-low. Sure, there might be luxury lipstick in their makeup bags, but it's next to a budget-friendly lip liner. Or, there might be a high-tech serum on their bathroom countertop, but they lather on a drugstore sunscreen once their faces are dry. A high-priced hair oil sits next to a $5 dry shampoo. You get the picture. Ahead, see every desert-island drugstore beauty product we swear by, from a $12 natural-looking foundation to the ultimate at-home manicure set.

Beauty editor Kaitlyn McLintock

(Image credit: Kaitlyn McLintock)

Kaitlyn McLintock wearing Revlon Colorstay Foundation.

Kaitlyn McLintock's drugstore beauty receipt

(Image credit: Original graphic by Audrey Hedlund)

Associate Beauty Editor Shawna Hudson

(Image credit: Shawna Hudson)

Shawna Hudson's drugstore beauty receipt

(Image credit: Original graphic by Audrey Hedlund)

Senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider

(Image credit: Jamie Schneider)

Jamie Schneider wearing Covergirl Clean Fresh Brow Nano Eyebrow Pencil.

Jamie Schneider's drugstore beauty receipt

(Image credit: Original graphic by Audrey Hedlund)

Assistant beauty editor Maya Thomas

(Image credit: Maya Thomas)

Maya Thomas's drugstore beauty receipt

(Image credit: Original graphic by Audrey Hedlund)
Kaitlyn McLintock
Associate Beauty Editor

Kaitlyn McLintock is an Associate Beauty Editor atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing . Although she covers a wide range of topics across a variety of categories, she specializes in celebrity interviews and skincare and wellness content. Having lived in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, she recently relocated back to her home state of Michigan where she works remotely. Prior toBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing , she freelanced for a variety of industry-leading digital publications, including InStyle, The Zoe Report, Bustle, Hello Giggles, and Coveteur. Before that, she held a long-term internship and subsequent contributor position at Byrdie. When she's not writing, researching, or testing Wholesale Replica Bag and greatest beauty products, she's working her way through an ever-growing book collection, swimming in the Great Lakes, or spending time with family.