"Hey, you! Yes, you, with the cart full of designer eyeshadow palettes and a-million-and-one lipstick shades! We’ve all seen enough YouTube tutorials and TikToks to know that there are plenty of hacks, dupes, and techniques that will save us all from spending our last coin. And although being new to makeup can be a little jarring, it’s important to pick your battles in Target’s makeup aisle. Believe it or not, you can find the perfect beauty products to ensure the best IG selfies (every single time) with these drugstore favorites.
When you’re just starting out with makeup, the first thing on your mind is probably foundation. To avoid looking cakey or feeling like your foundation is too heavy, try this lightweight one. This is available in 40 shades, so everyone can find their match. This glides on so easily and can be applied with a brush or sponge.
When it comes to concealer, you always want something that looks good under your eyes and all over your face as a spot treatment. This NYX concealer is so natural and blends smoothly into foundation, or it works really well on its own. It’s light under the eyes, but it also works well on blemishes and dark spots.
For setting your makeup into place so it lasts all day long, this loose powder is just as good as all the expensive versions. It’s available in a few shades to make sure it won’t make you look washed out regardless of your skin tone, and it never looks too heavy or cakey. Apply it lightly in the areas you want to set to take down shine and keep your foundation on all day.
A cream bronzer is the way to go if you’re new to makeup, and this one is totally beginner-friendly. It blends like a dream and looks very natural on the skin. This will just add a touch of color to your skin, and if your shade is on the cool side, you can also use it as a contour.
Our editor swears by this blush (and even likes it more than a viral expensive one!) because it’s so easy to blend and apply. If you’re afraid of looking like a clown after applying too much blush, this one is perfect because it is really subtle and looks natural on your skin, regardless of the color you get.
To add an extra glow to your skin, apply this highlighter to your cheekbones and other high points of the face. A lot of highlighters just add a cast of glitter all over your face, but not this one.
Neutral eyeshadow is a must in anyone’s collection, whether you’re doing a barely-there look or a smokey eye. Juvia’s Place eyeshadows are ideal because they are pigmented but blend in without much effort, and the shimmers are so gorgeous.
After testing 10 drugstore mascaras, our editor fell in love with this one, and it made its way into her regular rotation. She’s been using it nonstop because it lengthens and volumizes without clumping.
This eyeliner will do everything you need an eyeliner to do—at less than $10. You can line your waterline, do a wing, and even use the smudge brush to smudge it out into a smokey eye. You can’t go wrong.
This lip gloss is a near-exact dupe for some of the most sought-after, expensive lip glosses. It comes in tons of different shades, but we love the shade “Moon” for a natural look with a little shimmer.