What is it that’s so alluring about buying makeup? Despite the fact that I have enough eye shadow, foundation, blush, and mascara to sink a small ship, every time I walk into the makeup aisle of a drugstore or a Walmart, I have to force myself not to buy more. And at an Ulta or a Sephora, you can forget it—my stipend for the month is gone. Truth be told I really don’t even wear all that much makeup, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to purchase more whenever I see it. If you’re a girl in your twenties, like me, I’m sure you can relate to the problem of wanting to buy makeup but not being able to afford the good stuff on a college budget. So, keep reading to find out the different drugstore makeup products that I swear by (I’m writing this with my makeup bag sitting open next to me, so rest assured that I use all of these products on a regular basis).

Face Makeup

To be honest, face makeup is the one thing I tend to splurge on because I have really sensitive skin. So, foundation-wise, I use bare minerals powder foundation (in shade fairly light, or N10), at $30 a pop, pictured here:

But that’s it for expensive makeup. Here's the cheap-ish:

L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Powder

This is the BEST powder I have come by thus far. I used to not like pressed powder until I discovered this stuff (thanks to my roommate, Lyss, who is also my makeup mentor). This not only eradicates shine with its quality matte finish, it also functions kind of like a powder foundation in that it evens out imperfections in the skin. For $7.99, it’s more than worth it. Plus one container of it lasts FOREVER.

e.l.f. Golden Bronzer

I’m not a huge bronzer person because I despise face contouring and “sun-kissed glows” that actually look like shining beacons of face-mud, but this is one bronzer that I don’t hate. It has a subtle glow and it isn’t too matte (so you can avoid looking dirty), and best of all, it’s cheap. Oh, and the palette is really pretty. If you’re not familiar with it, e.l.f. is an amazing makeup brand from which I frequently purchase products. I have seen the line at a few CVS stores, but for the most part, this line seems to be exclusive to Target—a perfect excuse to go to Target.

Hard Candy Glamoflauge Heavy-Duty Concealer

And by heavy duty, I mean heavy duty. You don’t mess around with this stuff unless you have some serious zits, and even then, you only need a pin-sized amount. I find this extremely comparable to Makeup Forever Full Cover Concealer (pictured below), which, for the record, costs about $35 per tube. The Glamoflauge version, which is exactly the same size, costs $6. And $35-$6=$29 left over for Chipotle, beer, or a down payment on one of your ridiculously priced schoolbooks. If you don’t have this in your makeup arsenal, I suggest picking it up at your local Walmart asap.

Mascara

L’Oréal Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara

I can’t tell you how many compliments I receive on my eyelashes when I wear this mascara. It’s technically a volumizing mascara, but it also lengthens and lifts really well. It’s available in a bunch of different colors (and, as with most mascaras, they all look basically the same), but I like the Black Angel version of the product, which has a slightly different colored tube and actually seems to make my eyelashes darker (but I could just be imagining that).

Maybelline Stiletto Ultimate Length Mascara

Like its name implies, this mascara really makes your eyelashes look long. Plus I love how the tubes are black with red bottoms, like a pair of Louboutins (which is nice since this mascara is the closest I’ll probably ever get to owning a pair of Louboutins).

L’Oréal Voluminous Superstar Red Carpet Black Flash Reflecting Mascara

Although the name is a bit of a mouthful, this mascara is another L’Oréal hit for the books. I picked this out at random a couple of weeks ago for the simple fact that I felt like trying something new and it happened to be on the shelf next to the Manga mascara (aforementioned) that I normally buy. I’m embarrassed to mention that the $13 price tag made me hesitate a bit, like the extra five bucks was going to break my wallet. However, I still bought it. I like this one because it’s two-sided (it has a white priming mascara on one side, and a black finishing mascara on the other side). The only downside with it is that I think it’ll dry out more quickly because having two-in-one means less product on each side. Still, give it a shot.

Eyebrow Stuff

Maybelline Define-A-Brow Eyebrow Pencil

I feel it’s necessary to include that I have tried just about every eyebrow pencil, powder, and mascara known to man, and this pencil is the only one I keep returning to (this, too, was introduced to me by my wonderful roommate). It’s super natural looking, easy to use, and it comes in a million different shades. I use medium brown, but it’s pretty dark, so make sure you use it sparingly so you don’t end up looking like every other girl with drawn-on cartoon brows. It also has a nice little eyebrow comb on one side, which doubles as an eyelash comb if your mascara is clumpy. I love this pencil so much that it’s really the only product I need in my Eyebrow section.

I take that back. I also really like this brow-setting clear gel that I recently discovered, Rimmel London Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel:

I like to put this on over my brow pencil because I feel like it kind of sets my brows and keeps them in place throughout the day.

Lipstick

Maybelline Color Sensational Creamy Matte (Craving Coral)

Bought for me by my makeup guru roomie because she thought it would look good with my skin tone, this lipstick has been a staple of mine for years now. It’s the perfect color, a bright, coral-y red that demands attention and instantly adds sex appeal to any look. It also smells amazing and lasts forever. I have full intentions of trying many more shades from Maybelline’s matte lipstick line.

Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick (Born With It)

Another win from Maybelline…. This one also smells amazing, and is called Born With It because it’s supposed to be really natural looking. When I bought it I assumed it would be a nude lipstick (like one of Kylie’s matte nudes), but it’s really more of a sheer gloss-type lipstick. I should have figured that out since it’s not from the matte line, but no matter. Even though it’s not what I was expecting, I’m still happy I ended up with it because I absolutely hate lip gloss and this gives me the shimmery gloss look without all of the stickiness. The one thing I would say about it is that the shininess doesn’t last very long, so you have to reapply fairly often if you want to keep your shiny lips, but it leaves behind a pretty pink tinge regardless.

Wet n’ Wild MegaLast Lip Color (Bare It All)

This is more what I was envisioning when I bought the Maybelline “Born With It” lipstick, above: a creamy, neutral matte comparable to Kylie’s Dolce K lip kit (I’m guessing, anyway, because I don’t care enough/have enough money to wait for Ky to restock her lipsticks; also I hate that bitch). Other people have compared it to Mac’s velvet teddy matte lipstick, but that’s another one I haven’t tried due to my aforementioned lack of makeup budget. HOWEVER, Wet n’ Wild’s Bare It All is a great shade; super natural looking (but not as sheer as the Maybelline one); plus it lasts a while and you barely even need a mirror to apply it. The best thing of all? It cost me two effing dollars.

So there's your quick-and-easy-guide for knowing which makeup products to get at the drugstore if you're a cheap bitch like me. You're welcome.