5 of My Favorite Drugstore Beauty Products of All Time

I love saving money when it comes to makeup and beauty products. Sure, you can spend $70 on a GOOP endorsed moisturizer and see results but I have found there is almost always a cheaper dupe out there. Most people don't have the means to get weekly facials or have their makeup done professionally every day, so that's when you need to research the best products that work for you. Below are five of my favorite beauty products of all time that I always go back to and swear by.

1. Pond's Dry Skin Cream $4.99

I cannot stress enough how this moisturizer has changed my skin for the better. Once when I was 10 years old, I went on a trip to Utah with my sisters and dad. If you don't know about Utah's climate, it can get very dry and affect every part of you. My face dried out so bad it looked like I had scales. When I got back home to California, my mom showed me Pond's. I tried out other moisturizers but nothing quite hits like Pond's Dry Skin Cream. I know some common complaints are that it's extremely greasy feeling but it's hypoallergenic, doesn't clog pores and is good for even the most sensitive skin. There is a reason Pond's has been around for so long--it works! I personally only love the dry skin cream, as I have attempted to use the cold cream and it didn't have the same effect on my skin. Pond's has been focused on cosmetics since 1910 and is biggest in Spain and Asia (where skincare is huge) so I completely trust and swear by it. It is such a heavy cream that I always put on after washing my face and I love that greased glow afterwards.

2. Revolution Highlighter $7.00

My first tryst with highlighter started in 2012 when Benefit's Watts Up! Cream Highlighter was EVERYWHERE. I remember trying it out at its sample size and keeping it for over a year because I couldn't afford the full-size. I come from the golden age of contouring and highlighting so I know what works and what doesn't. I have gotten so many compliments on the Revolution highlighter (I wear the shade Just My Type) because it has enough pigment to stand out but not look grainy or really show the texture of your skin if it's a bad skin day. It's a more recent favorite, only going back a couple years, but I have tried out so many different highlighters that this one is a steady favorite.

3. Bio Oil $12.99

This is a controversial pick, just because some people swear by this oil and others say it's a complete sham. Bio-Oil has mostly been marketed to people as a stretch-mark and scar eraser, swearing that it will dull the appearance or completely rid these "imperfections." I bought this on Amazon (it's at Walgreens and Target too) three years ago because I was gaining weight from being a newlywed and started getting stretch marks for the first time since I was 17. Though I religiously rubbed this into my stretch marks and on my stomach to prevent stretch marks, I didn't notice a visible difference. However, my skin felt soft and moisturized. Keeping your skin moisturized keeps it healthy and youthful, so I have kept using it even though it didn't magically erase old stretch marks. There are Amazon reviews swearing it prevented stretch marks during pregnancy or got rid of the stretch marks from 15 years ago but we all have to remember genetics and diet play a big part in someone's skin journey. Between this and cocoa butter, I feel my skin is taken care of.

4. Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara $7.29

Another beauty product that my mom showed me--Maybelline Full 'N Soft Mascara. I used to have a huge obsession with mascara when I was in middle school and high school. I would buy every single new mascara you could find at a drug store and test them out. This mascara wand isn't giant, angular, or thin (which causes those spider lashes I hate) but is the perfect medium brush size that gets a soft look without making them too fake looking. I have blonde eye lashes and am scared of the lash curler but this mascara makes them dark and full.

5. Maybelline Brow Fast Sculpt $8.00

Maybe I really love Maybelline but just listen--I still haven't perfected my eye brows. I have seen women completely pluck away their brows and draw them on each morning and I can't do that every day. Who knew brows needed so many tools and products to look full and even? I don't pluck them because they don't grow, and I never went through the Dip Brow phase from 5 years ago so I still don't know what I am doing. I found that the Maybelline Brow Fast Sculpt has been the most consistently dependable brow product for me. It's similar to Glossier's Boy Brow but not as expensive and more accessible which is really my motto for beauty.