Create a natural look using drugstore makeup

Life is expensive. Whether you’re still in school, raising a family or saving for retirement, it can be difficult to justify spending hard-earned money on little things. Take makeup, for example. High-end brands carry high price tags, but spending $50 or more for mascara, which should be discarded after 90 days, doesn’t fit most people’s budgets.

Many drugstore brands offer pleasing results at a more palatable price point. The following tutorial showcases some of the most popular contemporary brands, including NYX, Maybelline, Revlon and e.l.f. — which stands for “eyes, lips, face." This look focuses on natural-looking eyes. Neutral colors and softly winged liner amplify the eye’s shape, and your lips get treated to a kiss of gloss.

Materials
- Brown cake eyebrow powder (NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder, Brunette)
- Angled eyebrow brush
- Bronzing powder (e.l.f. Primer-Infused Bronzer, Forever Sunkissed)
- Fluffy blending brush
- Ash brown matte eye shadow (e.l.f. Mad For Matte Summer Breeze Eyeshadow Palette)
- Flat eye shadow brush
- Gold metallic highlighter (Maybelline Face studio Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter, Molten Gold)
- Black eyeliner (Revlon ColorStay Liquid Eyeliner)
- Black mascara (Maybelline Volum' Express The Colossal Big Shot Mascara)
- Reddish-brown lip pencil (NYX Slim Lip Pencil, Nutmeg)
- Warm peach lip gloss (NYX Intense Butter Gloss, Tres Leches)

Instructions
1. Outline your eyebrows with brown cake eyebrow powder using the angled eyebrow brush, and then fill in any sparse areas.

2. Give your eye depth by brushing bronzing powder into the crease with a fluffy blending brush.

3. Darken the outer corner of the eyelid by applying ash brown eye shadow with a flat eye shadow brush. Pat the pigment onto the lid first, and then use the fluffy blending brush to diffuse any harsh edges.

4. Apply gold metallic highlighter on the inner two-thirds of the lid with a flat eye shadow brush. Tip: Patting the pigment in place reduces the likelihood of fallout and ensures the lid is well-coated.

5. Create a small wing with black eyeliner, then line the upper lid.

6. Apply one or two coats of black mascara to the upper and lower lashes. Tip: Wiggling the wand at the base of the lashes, and then gently brushing upward will ensure your lashes are fully coated.

7. Complete this natural look by lining your lips with reddish-brown lip pencil, and filling them in with warm peach lip gloss.

Stay pretty!