Iconic Makeup Looks That Can Be Easily Recreated With Drugstore Products
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If you're as celebrity-obsessed as we are, then you probably know a thing or two about iconic beauty looks. You know, the ones cemented in your brain for eternity that you randomly think about late at night. We typically turn to movies when thinking about legendary makeup we want to recreate.
Take Drew Barrymore's entrance as Danielle in "Ever After," for example: She locks eyes with the prince while decked out in butterfly wings, a brocade dress, and tons of gold glitter and crystals. Or Cher Horowitz's icy beauty in "Clueless," where her plaid suits and feather boas are complemented by sparkly inner eye corners, gloss, and lots of liner. We'll always live for Zooey Deschanel's '50s-inspired cat eye in "500 Days of Summer." And you can still catch us thinking about Marilyn Monroe's perfect red lip in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes."
Those are moments in time, but nothing quite says iconic like a signature red carpet look. Think of Jennifer Aniston traversing red carpets back in the '90s; she always wore some iteration of a gorgeous slip dress and glowy, lit-from-within makeup. Beyonce's gold-dusted eyelids and all that glitter-speckled gloss live rent-free in our minds. We'll always adore Gwyneth Paltrow's minimalistic beauty aesthetic when she accepted her Oscar for best actress in 1999 (yes, that pink Ralph Lauren dress, too).
You can find us recreating legendary celebrity makeup looks until further notice; except this time, we're using shockingly-good drugstore products.
How to recreate Jennifer Lopez's signature glowy makeup
Jennifer Lopez is known for her iconic glow. The triple threat shines brighter than a diamond. Brighter than a whole constellation, even. Of course, the "Let's Get Loud" singer has countless professional makeup artists at her disposal. They give her that sunlit, gorgeous luminosity, no matter if it's a sweltering summer day or frigid winter night. How do we get it for ourselves?
While J.Lo has been known to love luxe beauty buys like Dior's Diorskin Forever Perfect Foundation ($52) and La Mer's Crème de la Mer Moisturizing Cream ($190 per ounce) (via ET), you don't need to spend much to get her iconic makeup look. There are a few cheapies she loves, too. Let's start off with L'Oréal Paris' Makeup Infallible Up to 24HR Pro-Glow Foundation ($5.48), which the queen herself wore for her appearance at the Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2017 (via The Zoe Report). Its medium, creamy coverage is perfect for a hydrated, lit-from-within glow that covers just enough.
Per The Zoe Report, the star used L'Oréal's Pocket Palette Eye Shadow in French Biscuit ($9.99) for her sparkly, smokey eye. She also swiped on the brand's Voluminous Original Mascara ($8.99), which she is known to love (via She Finds). Your go-to bronzer goes a long way when finished off with L'Oréal's True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer ($14.99) and a nude gloss.
Taylor Swift's signature red lip will always be iconic
Is there any makeup move more instantly iconic than Taylor Swift's red lip? Ever since her "Red" album, the singer often references a crimson pout. As explained by The Zoe Report, Swift has written about red lips in at least six chart-topping songs. It's definitely influenced us on multiple occasions to swipe on MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick, and it's no wonder the "Wildest Dreams" singer has a whole roster of favorite scarlet lipsticks, too.
More surprising though? The platinum-selling star actually has a slew of drugstore makeup items she can't get enough of. Per Byrdie, Swift absolutely adores Covergirl's Exhibitionist Cream Lipstick in Hot ($5.49). It's a bright-red, fiery shade we will be adding to our own shopping carts stat. While it has a blue base, this lippie is known to be a fantastic pairing for a wide range of skin tones. Better yet, it works great for everything from extra-glam grocery shopping to sizzling date nights with your significant other (wear it with a red dress for extra spice!).
Swift told Stylecaster that she is also a big-time proponent of Covergirl's Lash Blast Mascara ($6.19). "My favorite is LashBlast mascara. I went to four magazine shoots in a row and all the makeup artists were using it, so I've been using it ever since," she gushed. Finish off your look with a flick of jet-black gel liner, and you're good to go!
Nab Kim Kardashian's signature smokey eye using drugstore products
We'll never get over Kim Kardashian's signature smokey eye and nude lip combo, which put techniques like contouring and an über-defined brow on the map. The "Kardashian beauty look" is all about neutrals, high-as-can-be cheekbones, fluttery lashes, and — of course — the perfect touch of lip gloss. If you want to recreate her look using drugstore beauty buys, you'll be surprised to know Kardashian herself has an endless list of cheapies she absolutely adores.
Kardashian shared all her favorite drugstore makeup items on her app in 2018 (via Health). "There are so many amazing products you can get for less than $10," she admitted. For example, L'Oréal Paris' Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black ($6.82) "really lifts and separates each lash." Kardashian also loves Milani Cosmetics' Baked Blush in Luminoso ($6.50) for a peachy, slightly-sparkly glow on the apples of her cheeks. Round out a Kim K-esque smokey eye with L'Oréal's Infallible 24 Hour Shadow in shade Bronzed Taupe ($6.46) and Revlon's ColorStay Eye Liner in Black ($8.49).
The star's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic told People that he loves using No7's Lift & Luminate Foundation ($15.99) on his celeb clients, making it another must-have. Then there's Ardell's individual lashes ($6.95), which he described as "the most natural-looking" on the market. Meanwhile, Milani's XL All-Over Bronzer ($14.99) is perfect for that snatched Kardashian contour (via InStyle).
Olivia Rodrigo's natural look is easily achievable
Olivia Rodrigo captured our heart with her album "Sour." She exploded onto the music scene in 2021 with bangers like "good 4 U," the emotional "drivers license," and, of course, utmost bop "deja vu." Rodrigo's voice is soothing yet absolutely cutting coupled with her smart, poetic lyricism. Just like her music, her signature makeup look is raw, natural, and absolutely fresh.
Her easy aesthetic allows her skin to show through — always revealing exactly who she is. We love how the "traitor" singer's look is so in line with her music, brand, and personality, and you can bet we want to look just as fresh-faced on our next outing. Here's how: The chanteuse revealed that she uses a sheer-cherry, hydrating balm over a sharp lip liner and lipstick combo in a Beauty Secrets video for Vogue. She also is much more likely to apply a creamy blush over a dramatic contour.
When it comes to drugstore buys, Rodrigo loves Burt's Bees Lip Balm ($3.59) after a good lip scrub (via Elite Daily). To get her look for less, try applying hints of NYX's Bare With Me Hydrating Face & Body Concealer Serum wherever needed ($11); it combines skincare with glowy, slightly sheer coverage. For fluffy, defined brows, try the fragrance-free, hypoallergenic Almay's Brow Styler Brow Mascara ($8.39), and go for a black felt-tip liner like Wet n Wild's Megalast Breakup-Proof Liquid Eyeliner ($5.29) for a "brutal"-approved, winged cat-eye.