I usually round down when people ask how long it takes me to do my makeup. The truth is, it’s a soothing routine and I love to take my time. It can be anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on how hard I am trying. I don’t wear a ton of makeup—but am very particular in how I apply it. Some days I wear eye shadow and liner, some days just one or the other, some days neither. Certain things require more foundation, some less. I’m not much of a lip person but that can change, as well.

I’m not very picky about my products, but I do swear by one thing—drugstore mascara. I guess this isn’t really something I can "swear by"—it’s not necessarily a unique or surprising product. Yet, I have a lot of friends who don’t seem to understand my likings. I can totally see the appeal of Diorshow and Lancome, but at the end of the day, I have way too much fun experimenting to shell out those kinds of funds. With drugstore mascara, I feel as if my options are endless.

Just like many girls, my first mascara was Maybelline Greatlash. It was great. I would swipe it on before hopping in my middle school carpool and felt as if my long-term crush definitely noticed my grown-up eyes. For many years, my sister wore the Covergirl mascara that comes in the fat orange tube. Following in her footsteps, I made the transition around freshman year of high school. The mascara was just fine, but I loved the feeling of trying a new product even more than the product itself. As soon as I got my license, I was stopping by Walgreen’s twice a week to see all the fun things I could find. To me, the cheaper, the better. I’ve tried countless metallic eyeliners and colored mascaras from unknown brands. Each time is more exciting than the last. The best part is, I never spent a fortune on anything.

I have many friends who have never bought anything other than drugstore makeup, and many friends who would never dare buy outside of Dior or Chanel. In my opinion, a good mix is the best. I’ve never had the greatest skin, so it took me a while to find a foundation I was happy with and often that is the kind of thing you have to pay up for. But I love to have fun with my eyes and my blush and my brows, and I look forward to finding new brands. My favorite right now is e.l.f., which I can only really find at Target. The majority of their makeup products are under $10 and packaged simply.

My favorite drugstore product of all time is the L’Oréal HiP color chrome eyeliner, in Silver Lightning. As I’ve said, I love to play up my eyes. Drugstore makeup can offer something for everyone—every color, every pigment, every style.