TOP 10: What drugstore cult beauty favourites are worth the hype?

Everyone has their favourites.

The products that they've repurchased at least five times. The products that they always get asked about by strangers every time they use them. The products that if they were discontinued, it. Would. Go. Down.

These drugstore favourites are beauty products that are sworn by a large portion of the makeup community, but which ones are must-haves? Because we all know the feeling of buying something from someone's recommendation and being disappointed. 

So I've rounded up ten drugstore beauty products that get raved about to find out if they're really worth the hype!

Essie Nail Lacquer

I remember when Essie was first released in Australia and the beauty community went crazy! A huge favourite among nail artists and beauty lovers alike overseas, Essie is easily one of the most popular nail polish lines worldwide.

They have a massive range of shades available at Priceline and all of the colours I own (pictured below: Go Ginza, Urban Jungle and Raspberry) are extremely creamy, fully opaque after two coats and take at least a few days before they start to chip (even then it's very small!).

Worth the hype? Yes!

Australis AC On Tour Kit

If there's one makeup release that's had the beauty world divided, it's the Australis contour and highlighting palette. This kit comes with three highlight shades and three matte bronzers. For only $16.95 you're definitely getting a lot of bang for your buck, but if you don't contour on a regular basis (like me), it tends to just sit on your vanity unused.

I personally find the bronzers a bit too dark (they're almost too pigmented that contouring can become pretty difficult) for my complexion and I find myself only ever using the banana yellow shade for setting my under eye concealer. While I don't touch this palette for anything other than that, it's still a good buy for beginners looking to give contouring a go. You can see my full review here.

Worth the hype? No.

Lucas Papaw Ointment

While this isn't strictly a beauty item, it's easily the best lip balm I have ever used. The Lucas Papaw Ointment is primarily used to help soothe dry and chapped skin, so it makes sense that it would make your lips feel amazing too!

I've tried so many lip balms and this is the only one that really makes a noticeable difference to my lips. I slather it on at night and when I wake up in morning my lips are so, so soft! It will forever and always be a repurchase for me and I highly recommend (especially as we're coming into winter) that you give it a go if your lips need a little TLC.

Worth the hype? Yes!

Australis Velourlips

Ah, the Velourlips. You either love them or you hate them! Half of the beauty community swear that they are the best long lasting matte lip products they own, and the other half complain that they're too chalky and drying. I can see the point from both sides.

They're definitely shine-free and last for ages on the lips, but when it comes to matte lips, I prefer lipstick formulas over lip paints as I'm in the latter half of the community that finds these too drying. They tend to emphasise dry areas on your lips. That said, there is a huge range of fun colours (like purple!) but I'm not really tempted to add more of these to my collection when there are other matte lip products that I like more.

Worth the hype? No.

Essence Lipliner

The Essence Lipliners get so much love, and it isn't hard to see why! They're incredibly creamy to the point where you can comfortably wear them by themselves and they're literally only two dollars. 

While there are only six colours in the range, all of them are definitely worth picking up. These sell out pretty quickly (and the ones that are left in the display are often used - ick!), but if you can get you hands on them, I highly recommend you do. And I mean, come on. Six lip liners for $12? DONE.

Worth the hype? Yes!

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mega Volume Mascara

This is a fairly new player to the game, but L'Oreal's Miss Manga Mascara has quickly won over so many people! I've heard so many reviews rave about this doll-eye effect mascara and it definitely deserves the credit.

The bendy wand (you can see the joint pictured below) allows for precise lash-coating, and the conical-shaped brush really separates and lengthens lashes for that kawaii look. It's taken me a while to find a drugstore mascara that I really, really like, but this is it! See my full review here.

Maybelline New York Color Tattoos

For just $11.95, the quality of Maybelline's Color Tattoos is absolutely incredible. These cream eyeshadow pots are highly pigmented, easy to blend and gorgeously high-shine. I've even heard people say that they're a great drugstore alternative for the MAC Paint Pots!

The best-loved heroes of the range are easily Barely Branded (a pale, shimmery champagne colour) and Bad To The Bronze (a highly metallic bronze) and both make great bases for powder eyeshadow as they do not budge! Plus you can apply them with your fingertips and it looks good with very, very minimal effort. Win win!

Worth the hype? Yes!

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer

I used to really not like this stuff. When I first used it, I found the concealer very watery and not pigmented enough to conceal dark circles. But I persevered and after a few more uses, the formula became creamier and more consistent, and my mind changed!

The Instant Age Rewind Concealer is great for lightening up my under eye area but I will say that when it comes to actually hiding dark circles, it's not that flash. If you're after a highlighting concealer, this one is great, but as far as concealing under eye darkness, it's not really pigmented enough and there are better ones out there. 

Worth the hype? No.

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes

The Real Techniques brushes are probably the only professional-grade makeup brushes available at the drugstore and while they're a little bit more expensive than what you expect, they are quite good. The bristles are soft, do a great job of blending and are multipurpose.

I own the Blush Brush and the Expert Face Brush, and both have served me pretty well. The Blush Brush picks up quite a lot of pigment and is super soft on the skin when I'm blending. And the Expert Face Brush is SUCH a good one for buffing out liquid foundation for a flawless finish. 

Worth the hype? Yes!

Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Water

I don't even use makeup wipes anymore. THIS STUFF IS RIDICULOUSLY GOOD. The capital letters prove it! The Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Water breaks down the makeup on your face so well that there's no need for harsh rubbing on your skin. It removes everything, from waterproof mascara to your matte-est lipsticks.

While there are other cleansing waters out there, this one is easily the best. It not only does a fantastic job of removing makeup, but it also acts as a great cleanser and toner that you don't even need to rinse off. You can see my full review here.

Worth the hype? Yes!

Look out for next week's post, where I explore which high-end beauty products are worth the hype!

Which products do you think are worth or not worth the hype? What would you add to my list? Let me know in the comments below!