13 Walmart Makeup Products That Are Affordable and Effective

Best Primer

Flower Beauty In Your Prime Primer

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Yes, you need a primer, and yes, it should definitely be this one. From Drew Barrymore’s line (which makes some of our all-time favorite affordable makeup goods), this formula smooths skin and ups the staying power of your makeup. There are also three variants to choose from—hydrating, illuminating, and pore-minimizing—so there’s a little something for everyone.

Price at time of publish: $15

Key Ingredients: Dimethicone Crosspolymer | Skin Type: All | Dosage: Daily as needed | Size: 1.0 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Sheer Foundation

CoverGirl Fresh Skin Milk Foundation

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Scibelli says this is one of his favorite new complexion products. “Although it says foundation, it’s made with hydrating coconut and aloe and goes on super sheer, more like a tinted moisturizer,” he says. You can use it as an everyday base to help even out your skin tone or use it as a concealer and just dab onto strategic areas, he adds. Either way, it leaves what he calls, “a beautiful, skin-like finish.”

Price at time of publish: $14

Coverage: Light | Shade Range: Fair to Deep Dark | Finish: Dewy | Size: 1.0 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Full Coverage Foundation

Maybelline Dream Radiant Liquid Hydrating Foundation

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On the flip side, if you’re looking for a foundation that has some more coverage to it, Scibelli recommends this guy, which he says is comparable to a luxury formula. It’s infused with both hyaluronic acid and collagen, never a bad thing, and comes in 20 shades. It is super pigmented, so if you want to sheer it out a bit, try Scibelli’s tip and mix a few drops with a bit of moisturizer.

Price at time of publish: $5

Coverage: Medium | Shade Range: Fair to Deep Dark | Finish: Radiant, Natural | Size: 1.0 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Concealer

Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer

4.8

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One of the all-time best-selling drugstore concealers, ever, this classic truly can’t be beaten. Indeed, it works beautifully under the eyes and has a daily sheer formula that counteracts darkness and shadows without ever looking cakey or mask-like. But it’s great for using on other areas of the face, too, no matter whether you’re trying to camo blemishes or dark spots. Bonus points for the included sponge applicator that makes blending a breeze.

Price at time of publish: $11

Coverage Level: Lightweight | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 18 | Size: 0.2 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Blush

Revlon Photoready Insta-Blush Stick

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Super sheer and extremely blendable, this blush is pretty much foolproof. Swipe it onto the apples of your cheeks, then rub it with your fingertips (no tools required) for the optimal amount of just-pinched color. Even though it goes on like a cream, it dries down like a powder, making it great for all skin types.

Price at time of publish: $13

Finish: Sheer | Colors: 4 | Size: 0.24 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Bronzer

Rimmel Natural Bronzer

4.7

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To look effortlessly sun-kissed without ever stepping foot in the sun (and risking sun damage, ahem), dust on this bronzer. All four tones blend beautifully into the skin and aren’t in the least bit orange-y, so you never have to worry about looking like an Oompa-Loompa. Also nice: It’s waterproof, and claims to last up to 10 hours.

Price at time of publish: $10

Skin Type: All | Finish: Matte | Colors: 4 | Size: 0.49 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Highlighter

Physicians Formula Butter Highlighter

4.9

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This aptly-named product does indeed go on like buttah. Credit three different types of butter—murumuru, cupuacu, and tucuma—that give its beautifully creamy texture, which dries down to a nice powdery finish. Light-diffusing particles make the highlighting effect shimmery and radiant without ever veering into disco ball territory.

Price at time of publish: $12

Type: Blendable | Finish: Radiant | Shades: 4 | Size: 0.17 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Lipstick

Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon Lipstick

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This is a take on the brand’s long-lasting liquid lipstick, offering the same mind-blowing staying power (truly, it doesn’t budge) but in what we find to be an easier-to-apply crayon format. While the finish is matte, it’s not drying, and there are over 20 shades to choose from. Given the affordable price, we strongly suggest picking up more than one.

Price at time of publish: $11

Type: Liquid | Active Ingredients: Trimethylsiloxyphenyl Dimethicone, Isohexadecane | Finish: Matte | Colors: 29 | Size: 0.04 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Multi-Tasker

Aquaphor Lip Repair

4.5

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While you won’t find this in the makeup aisle, it easily could live there. Of course, it serves all of those functions you’ve obviously used it for in the past: protecting chapped lips, alleviating irritation on the skin, hydrating dry cuticles, you get the picture. But it can—and should—be worked into your makeup routine, too. Scibelli says it’s a staple in his makeup kit; he uses it as a base to mix powder pigments with and turn them into cream formulas. You can even dab some onto cheekbones in place of a highlighter or layer it over lipstick to add sheen.

Price at time of publish: $5

Active Ingredients: Petrolatum, Avobenzone | Size: 0.3 oz. | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Mascara

L'Oréal Paris Voluminous Original Mascara

4.4

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Scibelli is a big fan of drugstore mascaras in general (as are we), but this classic is one of his favorites. The formula adds volume, while the fluffy brush grips and curls the lashes upwards at the same time, he says, adding that it’s also smudge-free. He loves the carbon black shade, though there are eight colors to choose from.

Price at time of publish: $11

Benefits: Resists clumping, softens, and builds lashes | Size: 0.26 oz. | Shades: 20 | Waterproof: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Eyeshadow

e.l.f. Cosmetics Need it Nude Eyeshadow Palette

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We guarantee you’ll reach for this palette of 10, super wearable, beautifully neutral shadows time after time after time. Ranging from creamy tans to shimmery champagnes to deep chocolate, this checks all of our neutral eye boxes. Not to mention that the versatile formula can easily be used wet as a liner, and the pigment is buildable, too.

Price at time of publish: $17

Finish: Shimmery | Size: 0.49 oz. | Shades: 10 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Brow Pencil

NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil

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“This is one of my favorite drugstore finds because it’s really comparable to many luxury brow pencils. The precision point is great for zeroing in on exactly the spots you need to fill it, and then you can blend in the color with the spoolie brush on the other end,” says Scibelli. He also calls out the range of undertones, a notable point when it comes to brow products, many of which come in a limited array of shades, and the impressive staying power.

Price at time of publish: $11

Type: Pencil | Size: 0.003 oz. | Shades: 8 | Free of: Parabens, Alcohol | Cruelty-Free: Yes