I hear from many of you who say you enter a drugstore, and you're just overwhelmed by the amount of different products, and you're just not sure how to approach the situation. I totally understand. When I first started buying my first few makeup products, I was very hesitant to branch out... it's really kind of scary at first! But at the same time, I have some viewers who have the opposite issue... they want everything on the shelves! So in this blog I wanted to offer some tips to improve your drugstore experience.
5 Tips for Drugstore Makeup Shopping
- Don't buy from the first brand you see. As you browse the aisles, you may instantly see something you want, let's say... a great smoky eyeshadow palette. Before you get your heart set on purchasing it, take it with you and compare it to similar items from the other brands. Is there a better deal? A better packaged product? A product with even better shade selection? It may take a little longer, but comparison shopping can be the difference between buying a new favorite product and something that will sit untouched in your makeup drawer.
- Bring a foundation that is a close match. One of my most frequently asked questions is: How do you find the right shade of foundation in the drugstore? Since you can't swatch the colors, I think you need to bring a foundation from home (in the jar/container) that is a close match. If the shade you own isn't quite right, all you need to know is what's wrong with it-- then you can find something slightly lighter, or slightly darker. Finding the right shade is only half the battle- you also need the right formula. This is based on skin-type. If you have oily skin, look for foundations that claim to be "oil free", "shine free" or "matte". If your skin is dry, look for foundations that claim to give a "luminous" look, or have a "moisturizing" or "hydrating" quality. Those are all common buzzwords when it comes to foundation.
- Now and then, try something totally different. Never tried a red lipstick? Or green eyeshadow? Or bronzer? The drugstore is the perfect place to experiment. There are many ultra low-cost brands like N.Y.C., Wet & Wild, or Jordana that have a nice selection of shades... but the products are very inexpensive. If you don't like it, you aren't losing a lot of money, but you have the freedom to experiment and find a potentially awesome product that looks great on you! You won't know if you don't try. So now and then, pick up something you've never tried before!
- Make sure you get your deal. Many drugstores will have "buy one get one free", or "buy one get one half off" deal, or any type of discount on beauty products. No offense to Walgreens or CVS or any type of drugstore (I got nothin' but love for the drugstores!), but now and then, I've gone through the check out and later glanced at my receipt, only to find that I bought 2 instead of getting one free. Or I paid full price when it should've been 75% off. There is nothing wrong with saying, "I'm pretty sure there's a bogo on these"... to the clerk, or just ask if there is indeed still a deal. Sometimes the deals are over and they forget to take the little signs down in the aisles. When you go to Walgreens, you can see on the little screen if the "BOGO" went through when a product is scanned. We sometimes have to be our own watchdog when it comes to these deals.
- Research online and take notes. There is a WEALTH of makeup knowledge on the internet. If you see a commercial on TV and think, "man, that looks cool! But I don't know if I want it"... look up a review online! Not to toot my own horn, but I have dozens and dozens of reviews on drugstore products, and lots of "Shopping List Ideas" videos and hauls and "Emily Awards" that give honest, straightforward info on products. If you see me give something a strong review and it's an item you think you might need, jot it down on a notepad! Also, if people ask me about a product that I haven't reviewed, I'll often refer them to a site called Makeup Alley. There are tons of reviews there, but the site always averages the grade that the products recieve so you can quickly see if a product was great, average, or bad. I'm offering this tip as "drugstore" advice, because there's often nobody there in the makeup aisle to describe a product to you like there is in a department store- so it helps to go to the store prepared.
Hope you enjoyed these tips! Let me know how your next trip to the drugstore goes! Have an awesome day everyone!
♥
Emily
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