It has seriously been a great year for new drugstore makeup! We got so many beauty hits over the past twelve months that have made their way into my personal daily routine, becoming staples in my collection.
Out of everything released this year, these five products stand out as the best drugstore makeup of 2023. A few are viral TikTok favorites and are totally worth the hype, others just impressed me so much to earn a permanent spot in my beauty bag.
1. Maybelline SuperStay 24H Skin Tint + Vitamin C
There were several foundation and skin tint releases this year, but I don’t think any top the performance of the Maybelline SuperStay Skin Tint. This product exceeded my expectations in both coverage and wear time. Despite being called a tint, it’s buildable up to medium-full coverage while maintaining a lightweight feel. It also lasts incredibly well, even through sweat and humidity. I personally tested it during a long, humid day and night dancing at the Eras Tour, where it still looked amazing at the end of the show! You can read my full Maybelline SuperStay Skin Tint review here with a before and after photo… I even ran 2 miles while wearing it!
2. e.l.f. Cosmetics Suntouchable! Woah Glow Sunscreen Primer
It can be really difficult to find SPF that looks great alone and under makeup, but e.l.f. hit it out of the park with this one! The Woah Glow Sunscreen Primer adds a radiant glow to the skin while protecting it with broad spectrum SPF 30. Alone it gives your skin a dewy freshness, under makeup it gives you a healthy looking glow that’s not over the top.
3. Milani Gilded Eyeshadow Sticks
This year more than ever, I’ve been wearing simple eye looks, mostly created with eyeshadow sticks. I love how easy they are to swipe on and blend out with the fingers, and the Gilded Eyeshadow Sticks from Milani were a welcome addition to my collection. They have great staying power, strong color payoff and blend effortlessly. Check out my ranking of the best drugstore eyeshadow sticks in this blog post.
4. ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lip (Reformulated)
While this product may look familiar from years ago, the ColourPop Ultra Blotted Lips were rereleased by the brand this year. They now have a more comfortable, hydrating formula that’s also less prone to feathering. Ever since they relaunched, they’ve been a staple of mine— especially the shade “Still An Icon” (shown above), which is a your-lips-but-better shade on me. The blotted finish is smooth and softly matte without looking or feeling dry, and the creamy texture helps reduce the appearance of my lip lines for a fuller look.
5. Kiss imPRESS Press On Falsies
These may take the cake for my favorite beauty release of 2023, and probably of the last five years to be honest! These Press On Falsies are lash clusters that you stick on without glue, and can last 24 hours (or longer) if you’re careful. Not only do I love the ease of application, but I also think the finished product looks so much cleaner than strip lashes. Since the clusters are applied underneath your natural lashes, there are no visible bands when you close your eyes. You can read my full Kiss imPRESS Press on Falsies review and watch my 24 hour product test here.
Did you discover any new makeup favorites in 2023?
– Miranda
