If this year's barrage of new drugstore launches can tell us anything, it's that 2016 is going to be a great year for affordable beauty. Mass brands have upped the ante in nearly every category, and we're seeing a host of innovative products that aren't just reasonably priced, but seriously deliver in quality, too. Ahead, we’ve rounded up the new drugstore products our editors are already hooked on.
Last month, two new hues joined E.L.F.'s Gotta Glow Lip Tint lineup: Perfect Peach and Perfect Berry. Like the brand's original lip tint, these moisturizing balms offer a sheer wash of color perfect for those no-makeup makeup days.
E.L.F. Gotta Glow Lip Tint, $6, available at E.L.F.
Demi Lovato designed this palette, which includes just about every shade you'd ever need to create a natural or smoky eye look. The lighter shades even double as highlighters, and the darker ones can be used as eyeliners when wet.
New York Color Lovatics By Demi, $6.99, available at Target.
This spring, we dare you to nix your go-to black liner in favor of a shade with a lil' more punch. This one delivers an opaque periwinkle color that looks incredible traced along the upper lashline.
Wet n Wild Megaliner Liquid Eyeliner in A Case Of Blue, $3.99, available at Wet n Wild.
Sonia Kashuk partnered with artist Dana Louise Kirkpatrick to create a radiant powder that looks just as beautiful on the skin as it does in the compact.
Sonia Kashuk Knock Out Beauty Skin Glow, $19.99, available at Target.
These creamy lipsticks prove that you don't have to sacrifice pigment for moisture. One swipe of the bullet onto bare lips provides rich color — but you can also blot it out with your fingers for a more natural-looking stain.
Rimmel London The Only One Lipstick in Under My Spell, $5.99, available at Ulta.
If you're willing to break the rules, this palette will be the most versatile tool in your kit. Brush on the colors separately to contour your face, swirl them together to create a sun-kissed bronzer, or take them to your eyes for the prettiest natural smoky eye ever.
Iman Cosmetics Luxury Contour Trio, $16, available at Iman Cosmetics.
CoverGirl's new baked blushes don't just look like cool moon rocks — they also impart a subtle radiance when dusted onto the apples of the cheeks.
COVERGIRL Tru Blend Blush in Medium Rose, $9.99, available at Ulta.
Neutrogena released a daytime version of its popular Hydro Boost Gel Cream. It boasts the same lightweight hydration, but adds a little SPF into the mix for added protection. (We still recommend smoothing a dedicated sunscreen on top of it.)
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel With Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15, $18.99, available at Neutrogena.
We've been itching (literally) for Eucerin to release its own in-shower moisturizer. The slick lotion can be rubbed on in the shower and rinsed off before hopping out. The result is thoroughly hydrated skin and no sticky residue.
Eucerin In-Shower Moisturizer Body Lotion, $10.99, available at Target.
The cool-toned contouring half of this palette is ideal for sculpting the face while the sheer, pearly highlighter half provides a glowy, lit-from-within effect.
L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Contour Contour & Highlight Palette, $12.99, available at Drugstore.com.
This new brush from Wet n Wild has super-soft, synthetic hairs that pick up just the right amount of product. Unfortunately, it's sold out at the moment but Wet n Wild assured us that a new stock will be available in early April.
Wet n Wild Contour Brush, $0.99, available at Wet n Wild.
Essie did a little crowdsourcing and asked its fans which discontinued nail colors they’d like to see again. The result? The Retro Revival Collection. Our favorite of the bunch is Starry Starry Night: a beautiful shimmery navy that at one point was being sold for over $250 on eBay!
Essie Retro Revival Collection in Starry Starry Night, $8.50, available at Essie.
For those of you who wear waterproof makeup but still want the gentle effect of using a micellar water to remove it, this formula is the way to go. Simply give the bottle a shake, and sweep the liquid onto your face using a cotton pad to remove a day’s worth of foundation, concealer, and even waterproof mascara.
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-In-1 Makeup Remover and Cleanser, $8.99, available at Garnier.
Cushion compacts continue to rule in 2016, and this mass-market version is a really nice alternative to the pricier department-store ones. It feels light and creamy, and gives a natural finish to the skin, but be warned: If you’re looking for full coverage, you’ll need a concealer. It doesn’t hide much and has a limited shade range.
Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free All-In-1 ABC Cushion Foundation SPF 50, $16.95, available at Physicians Formula.
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COVERGIRL’s LashBlast mascaras have always held their own in a sea of fancy department store products, and its latest Plumpify version is no different. The volumizing formula beefs up your lashes for maximum volume, while the spiral-shaped brush coats each itty-bitty lash and lifts them up sky high. And it all costs less than lunch. Yeah, we’ll take two, please.
Dove is launching a super-hydrating, dry oil-infused formula that gently cleanses the skin without stripping it of any moisture.
Dove Dry Oil Moisture Body Wash, $6.99, available in March at CVS; Dove Dry Oil Moisture Body Bar, $3.79, available in March at CVS.
Finally! A drugstore contour kit that pays off in texture and pigment. This trio comes with a contour shade (which you can also use as a bronzer), blush, and highlighter. The best part? It’s the perfect size for throwing into your makeup bag for weekend getaways.
Maybelline FaceStudio Master Contour, $12.99, available at Ulta.
In all our years in the beauty industry, the words “matte” and “gloss” have never gone together. So when we first laid eyes on these lip products, we were...perplexed. We tried them out, expecting them to be glorified liquid lipsticks, but we were so wrong. “Matte Gloss” is the perfect way to describe these lippies: The finish is matte, and yet the texture remains buttery and flexible on our lips all day.
L'Oréal Infallible Pro Matte Gloss in Shanghai Scarlet, $9.99, available at Ulta.
Here's a fancy-feeling cleansing balm that won’t break the bank. Scoop a bit of it into your hands and massage it onto dry skin to gently remove stubborn makeup and daily grime.
E.L.F. Hydrating Gel Melt Cleanser, $10, available at E.L.F..
This palette includes just about every shade you could possibly need to create a myriad of different eye looks. Plus, we think the packaging rivals that of a lot of the high-end palettes in our makeup collections.
Milani Everyday Eyes Powder Eyeshadow Collection in Plum Basics, $9.99, available at CVS.
Nyx has always killed it when it comes to blushes, and the brand’s latest offering is no exception. This ombré blush comes in eight shades that are pigmented but easy to blend.
Nyx Ombré Blush in Insta Flame, $10, available in February at Nyx.
These matte lipsticks have a unique gel-like texture that stays put all day and doesn’t feel drying, like many similar formulas.
Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Color, $8.99, available at Ulta.
Those of you who love Dickinson’s original alcohol-free toner will adore the brand's newest launch, which throws aloe vera and vitamin E into the mix.
Dickinson's Hydrating Toner, $5.97, available at Walmart.
At last, some bright colors from our natural friends at Burt’s Bees. We love the shade Sunset Cruise for an everyday look and Magenta Rush when we want something bolder. And isn’t the packaging badass? We love the fact that it’s made from recycled materials!
Burt's Bees Lipstick, $9, available at Burt's Bees.
We like to think of this foundation as a “lively matte” — one that controls oil without making our skin look flat, like so many other matte foundations do. It glides on like a dream, and you can blend it in with a brush, sponge, or your fingers, in a matter of seconds. Oh, and did we mention it doesn’t cling to dry patches?
Maybelline Dream Velvet Soft-Matte Hydrating Foundation, $10.99, available at Drugstore.com.
We flipped out when we heard Pixi was launching more skin-care goodies in the coming year. As devoted fans of the brand’s cult-classic toner Glow Tonic, we were eager to get our hands on the entire Glow line. These peel pads are by far our favorite item. Once a week, sweep a pad over your face, neck, and décolletage, and then rinse off with water to reveal brighter skin and eradicate dry patches.
Pixi Glow Peel Pads, $22, available at Pixi.
This alcohol-free hairspray holds our curls and waves in place without making them feel dry or crunchy.
Pantene Airspray Alcohol Free Hairspray, $5.99, available at Drugstore.com.
Although we can’t say we’ve experienced any “lash-boosting” since using this product, we can attest to its efficacy as a kick-ass liner. The felt tip is loaded with product, meaning you won’t have to go over your line multiple times to get highly pigmented, long-lasting color.
Physicians Formula Eye Booster 2-In-1 Lash Boosting Ergonomic Felt-Tip Eyeliner, $11.95, available at Physicians Formula.
This moisturizer is light enough to use in the mornings (just remember to apply SPF after), but nourishing enough to use overnight. Plus, because of its whipped texture and coconut scent, it’s heavenly to apply.
Yes To Coconut Ultra Hydrating Facial Soufflé Moisturizer, $14.99, available at Yes To.
We especially love using this essence during the winter because it contains vitamin C to boost radiance when we're looking ultra-dull and hyaluronic acid to hydrate the skin when it's crazy-dry.
Lumene Bright Now Vitamin C Hyaluronic Essence, $25.99, available at CVS.
Another category in which Nyx kills it: lipsticks. This new addition to the brand's lip lineup gives a smooth punch of matte color, without the annoying dryness that often accompanies this type of formula.
Nyx Full Throttle Lipstick in Con Artist, $6.99, available at Ulta.
Although this foundation claims to offer sheer to medium coverage, we think it gives a lot more than that. A few dabs with the sponge are enough to cover your entire face and leave a beautiful, luminous glow.
L'Oréal True Match Lumi Cushion Foundation, $13.99, available at Ulta.
When we say this foams, we mean it: It really foams. Like, "poured Champagne into a glass and there’s foam everywhere" kind of foam. It’s not only fun to use, but a great gentle exfoliant for sensitive skin.
Bioré Baking Soda Cleansing Scrub, $8.49, available at Ulta.
The benefits of beer for the hair have been documented on this site before — brew actually works wonders to strengthen our tresses and add shine. Bröö has taken this concept one step further and created a line of craft beer-based hair products. Our favorite is its moisturizing conditioner, which is formulated specially for dry, damaged hair (a.k.a., ours).
Bröö Moisturizing Conditioner, $7.49, available at Target.
This lightweight, yet super-nourishing oil serum is both a great leave-in conditioner and perfect for smoothing flyaways.
L'Oréal Advanced Haircare Extraordinary Oil Lustrous Oil Serum, $6.99, available at L'Oréal.
OPI has launched a collection inspired by Hello Kitty (who, apparently, isn't actually a cat). We love the shade My Pal Joey, a beautiful royal blue that looks lovely on the nails and toes.
OPI Nail Lacquer in My Pal Joey, $9.50, available at Ulta.
Anyone who’s tried ColorStay knows that the foundation has no pump, which makes wasting product and creating a huge mess a common occurrence. But the brand has launched a new and improved version of the beloved foundation that not only has a higher SPF, but revamped packaging that — you guessed it — finally has a pump.
Revlon ColorStay Makeup for Combination/Oily Skin, $12.99, available at Revlon.
These eyeshadow singles are a joy to use because of their creamy texture and intense pigment. We just wish there were more colors to choose from!
Essence Mono Eyeshadow, $2.99, available at Ulta.
If you ask us, these chubby lip pencils are some of the most under-appreciated lippies in the drugstore. We love them because of their smooth and creamy formulation, so we were super-excited to hear that Neutrogena is expanding the color range.
Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick in Pink Nude, $8.99, available at Ulta.
Target is launching its own private polish line, which includes 38 shades. The best part? Each color’s name references reality TV in a hilarious way.
Defy & Inspire Wear Resistant Nail Lacquer in Mom the Manager, $7.49, available Jan. 17 at Target.
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