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Beauty

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

From mascara and blush to lipstick and liners, we've rounded up the newest and best drugstore beauty buys.
By Flare
The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

Drugstore beauty from Flare

“Since I’m blessed with both extremely pale skin and some redness around the cheeks, I rely solely on bronzers for colour. For this pressed powdered, a little went a long way (especially on my skintone), and I appreciated that the matte finish gave a natural faux-glow rather than a lot of sparkle.” -Vanessa Taylor, Fashion & Beauty Director. Quo Matte Bronzer in Light Tan, $19, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“Not only do I love the colour, but this at-home gel polish was super easy and smooth to apply, and each coat dried quickly. Three coats (two polish and one top) ended up being pretty thick, causing my nails to chip sooner than expected, so next time, I’ll stick to one coat of colour instead.” – Erinn Stewart, Assistant Fashion & Beauty Editor. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Street Flair, $12, Sally Hansen.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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“Truthfully, I’m not really an eye shadow person, but I do like to amp up my usual mascara and eyeliner routine for a night out. I swept a light shimmery shade from this palette on the inner corner of my eyes and my brow bones, and ran a dark bronze shade along my lash lines and outer corners of my eyes. To my surprise, I got great pigmentation and little fall out, although I would recommend layering them over a primer if you have oily lids.” -Simone Chiappetta, Beauty Intern. Rimmel Magnif’eyes Eyeshadow Contour Palette, $15, Rimmel London.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“The struggle against dry, chapped, burning lips is realer than ever for me this winter, and I recently read that some of the ingredients in a salve I used to swear by are actually more drying. Cue my frantic search for a new go-to hydrating lippie, and enter this balm. It coated my lips with a soothing, protective layer of natural fruit oils, and gave just a hint of colour. My fave part, though? The cherry scent that takes me right back to grade school.” -Charlotte Herrold, Managing Editor. Revlon Kiss Balm in Sweet Cherry, $7, Revlon.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“I am usually a liquid liner fan, but I am definitely adding this pencil to my kit. It goes on smoothly and the subtle dark purple tone really highlighted my brown eyes and, bonus, it’s waterproof and totally safe for use on your inner lower lid!” -Ishani Nath, Associate Features Editor. Marcelle Kohl Eyeliner in Black Plum, $12, Marcelle.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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“I often regret doing a vibrant lip at work because touch-ups are soooooo hard (JK, I’m lazy) but this one lasted through many cups of tea and a latte. The colour was super-saturated, the texture is in that sweet spot between gloss and stick, and the finish is so perfectly creamy, you forget you’re wearing anything (until you catch a glimpse of your fine-ass pout in the mirror). A major drugstore win.” -Jennifer Berry, Staff Writer. L’Oréal Infallible Lip Paint in Bewitching Bordeaux, $13, London Drugs.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“The day after I tried this liquid foundation compact, I called my sisters and said they had to try it. It evened out my complexion with very little work, it gave my dehydrated skin a dewy finish without looking greasy, and it lasted from 7 a.m. to midnight. I may just kiss my trusty bottle foundation goodbye.” -Sejal Kapadia Pocha, Fashion & Beauty Contributor. Maybelline Dream Cushion Fresh Face Liquid Foundation in True Beige, $16, Maybelline.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“Rimmel has been my go-to mascara as of late (I basically cried when my Wonder’Lash Volume Colourist tube finished) so I was very excited to give their latest a shot. I found this one similar to their other formulas— a couple of coats gave my lashes clump-free length and volume, but nothing too OTT. By night, everything was still in place just as it was in the morning. It passes!” -Erinn Stewart, Assistant Fashion & Beauty Editor. Rimmel Scandaleyes Reloaded Mascara in Very Black, $9, Amazon.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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I love Quo’s concealer, so I was pretty excited to try this foundation that promised to mattify my oily skin. It applied it with a beauty blender, and it had just the right amount of semi-full coverage I’m into. It didn’t feel heavy at all, and it didn’t budge, even after a long day of running around. My nose did start to get a little shiny towards the day’s end, but it was nothing a quick blot couldn’t fix.” -Tara MacInnis, Associate Fashion & Beauty Editor. Quo Matte Revolution Foundation in 1, $24, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“I was skeptical about the world of strobing until I recently tried a few illuminating prods and saw the (high)light. I’m currently using a liquid highlighter from a department store brand that I love and I have to hand it to Maybelline – their drugstore dupe is seriously good, giving you just the right amount of radiance without leaving you shining like a disco ball.” -Jennifer Berry, Staff Writer. Maybelline FaceStudio Master Strobing Liquid Illuminating Highlighter in Light, $13, Maybelline.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“Even after years of perfecting my eye flick, on some mornings it goes ridiculously fat and uneven. But with the super thin tip on this brush, you really can’t go wrong. A friend who I hadn’t seen for months asked me how I get my eyeliner so perfect. Of course, I did a little happy dance in my head.” -Sejal Kapadia Pocha, Fashion & Beauty Contributor. L’Oréal Infallible Eyeliner Paint in Black Party, $13, London Drugs.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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“On weekends, my makeup routine consists of the bare minimum. I like to look polished without wearing a lot of makeup, so I skip foundation and reach for a tinted moisturizer and blush. I applied a swipe of this onto the apples of my cheeks, and it gave me a pretty flushed look with a subtle gold sheen, without looking like I was wearing any blush at all.” -Simone Chiappetta, Beauty Intern. Revlon Insta-Blush in Rose Gold Kiss, $13, Revlon.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“This primer is light, creamy and provides just the right base for anything from a hint of colour to an all-out glam look. I wore it to a recent all-day birthday party and it kept my eye makeup looking v. fresh, even after 10 hours of festivities.” -Ishani Nath, Associate Features Editor. Essence Eyeshadow & Primer, $6, Essence.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“If I knew how to master a smokey eye (#thestruggleisreal), this is the product I’d reach for. It goes on fairly sheer, but can be built up to a more intense charcoal. I also loved the subtle shimmer that added a bit of glam to my makeup look on a night out.” -Erinn Stewart, Assistant Fashion & Beauty Editor. Joe Fresh Eyeshadow in Meteor, $6, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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“I like to think I’m low maintenance when it comes to makeup but when I *actually* tally up the products I need in the morning, I worry I’m approaching diva status. A primer that goes on between moisturizer and foundation is fast becoming one of those essentials. This drugstore dynamo didn’t disappoint, leaving me with a smooth and uniform base for my makeup. What’s one more step anyway, right?” -Jennifer Berry, Staff Writer. Quo Nourish + Prime Hydrating Primer, $24, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“I’m pretty fair, which means nude lipsticks tend to wash out my complexion. But this one had rosy in the name so I went for it, and much to my surprise, it looked great. It ended up being just a few shades darker than my actual lip colour, it glided on with ease, and wore almost like a lip balm. Looks like I found my go-to nude lippie.” -Tara MacInnis, Associate Fashion & Beauty Editor. Marcelle Rouge Xpression Velvet Gel Lipstick in Rosy Nude, $12, Marcelle.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“This little crayon is one of those can’t-live-without multitaskers perfect for frequent flyers. It’s brow wax and pencil in one, so you can shape and fill in your arches in one swipe. Its staying power is also pretty impressive: after a sweaty workout, I actually got a compliment on my “perfect” brows at the smoothie bar!” -Charlotte Herrold, Managing Editor. Joe Fresh Universal Brow Crayon, $12, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

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“If you have itsy-bitsy brows like me that never seem to grow, you take your brow products seriously. I applied this mascara directly to the hairs and got an instant thickening and tinting effect. I found they stayed in place all day, and didn’t wear off like some powdered brow products can.” -Vanessa Taylor, Fashion & Beauty Director. Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow Shape + Define Brow Mascara in Honey Brown, $11, Covergirl.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

“Lately, I’ve been using a highlighting blush in a relatively bright pink shade, which I’m getting a little tired of, so this blush’s matte and more subdued hue was a welcome change. A few swipes of the velvety formula left behind just enough of a natural, winter-y glow that lasted all day.” -Tara MacInnis, Associate Fashion & Beauty Editor. Essence Satin Touch Blush in Satin Coral, $4, Shoppers Drug Mart.

The best new drugstore makeup this winter, starting at just $4

More:
The best drugstore moisturizers to take on your dry winter skin
10 of our favourite hand creams for winter
The best paraben-free shampoos and conditioners

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