Our Top Favourite Drugstore Makeup Brands & Products

We uncover the best popular beauty buys (and hidden finds) at the local drugstores and tell you our faves

Often when you’re first getting into makeup your first thought could be, “Ugh, but everything’s so expensive!” when thinking of the products you have to buy. This is where your makeup-junkie friend comes in and tells you, “Not everything! If you head to any of the drugstores you’ll actually find some pretty great affordable stuff.”

And if you don’t have a friend who’s a beauty fanatic, let it be us – we will be your makeup-junkie friend.

We’ve raved about our top drugstore skincare and hair care picks, so now it’s only natural we talk about makeup next.

Check out the gallery for our top affordable makeup finds in Singapore!

With a Cleo 2017 Beauty Hall of Fame award for the ColorMeHappy Boldlicious HD Fuchsia Explosion as the Boldest and Brightest Lipstick, you know ColorMeHappy is a brand you’ve got to get your hands on! The new local brand carries made-in-Korea lipsticks that have had makeup artists and newbies alike swooning over them. Choose between two types of gift boxes to get the most bang for your buck: seven makeup artist gift boxes especially curated by top makeup artists in Singapore (Tang Yong, Susan Tee, the Cleo Chang and Candy Tiong) containing 2 lip products at $30 (U.P. $40), or five 3-in-1 gift boxes, including the Bridal Box and Pop Star Box that each have three products – a lipstick, a lip contour, and a lip shimmer, retailing at $35 (U.P. $55).

www.colormehappycosmetics.com

There’s been a mutual rave about Maybelline’s mascaras on our team. Three of us mamas swear by them, so we promise they’re good! We recommend Maybelline Great Lash (unfortunately only available overseas) for volume, and Maybelline Lash Sensational (or the Intense version that costs slightly less) for it is totally waterproof, basically Singapore-weather-proof and is never ever clumpy. Honourary mention: the Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer (available at most local drugstores and online), which is a magical little stick of liquid concealer that instantly brightens the complexion when applied to the undereyes and centre of the face. Blends like a dream!

This local brand has some truly great products! Their Long-Wearing Eyeliners are known to be very smooth upon application and need no sharpening. We also love their Hi-Definition Brow Liner, which has a flat, angled top that makes it so easy to carve out the desired brow shape! It also simultaneously tames the brow with its waxy texture, ensuring neat brows that last all day.

Great blushes in a variety of colours, from coral to light pink and warmer terracotta shades. The Healthy Mix Foundation has also become many a makeup-lover’s holy-grail foundation.

If their sleek packaging doesn’t already make you want to buy something from their range, perhaps the beautiful lipstick colours will. We have an advocate for the Revlon Matte Balm in Fiery Flamboyante here on the team – she says it’s a hot fave for date night! Their Ultra HD Matte Lipcolors are also great liquid lipsticks that come in shades that flatter every skintone, and are comfortable on the lips without being too drying.

Arguably the most underrated drusgtore brand, Catrice has such incredible finds that you’ll be shocked when you see the price tags. They’re just a fraction of what the other brands retail for! The eyeshadows and mascaras are top-shelf items for us. We love the Chocolate Nudes Eyeshadow Palette, Liquid Metal Eyeshadows and Absolute Eye Colors in particular, while you can also never go wrong with the Lashes to Kill mascaras which work on even the most stubborn, straight eyelashes.

For mamas who love a little more drama in their makeup but don’t want to part with big bucks, the Australis Metallix Eyeshadows (available in Watsons and Metro outlets) are great for bringing all the attention to your eyes with it’s smooth, creamy formula that dries and lasts all day without touchups. You can even just apply it with your fingers! The contour palette is also a great universal product that has many different shades in one palette, with a blendable formula that’s easy for everday use.

This Japanese brand is best known for their eyeliners and shimmery eyeshadows that help to achieve that perfectly pretty Japanese look. We are also in love with the Powderless Liquid foundation which applies nice and runny but dries into a powdery finish that lasts all day.

If you have short, straight lashes follow this mantra and practice it: eyelash curler, then Heroine Make Long and Curl Mascara (available at Sasa). It has tiny fibres in it that catch onto the ends of your natural lashes, making them appear longer!