Top Drug Store Lip Product Brands

Finding a good lipstick or lip gloss can be difficult, most either bleed, fade too quickly, aren't pigmented enough or dry out your lips. It's even harder to find quality lip products for a price that won't burn a hole into your wallet. I've tried and tested out just about every drug store brand out there over the years and then some. It helped that at one point I was working as a beauty advisor and as part of my job I would get discounts and free samples. As a result of my previous job I've been able to come up with a list of brands that offer quality lip products for affordable prices.

Almay: Almay is one of my favorite brands for just about everything. There's two lip products by Almay that I really love, one is their Ideal lip gloss that comes in seven shades and sell for about $5. What I like about this lip gloss is it's high shine, thickness without being sticky textured and high pigmentation, which is rare in lip gloss. The staying power is fairly better than most lip glosses because of it's thick consistency. The other Almay lip product that I like is their Hydracolor lipstick. This product retails for about $5 as well and comes in 32 colors. What I like about this product is that it has an SPF 15, the color is vibrant, and it goes on very smoothly. It has a sort of satin feel to it when applied to the lips, very light and doesn't pull on my lips as I drag it across. Both products are packed full of goodies to keep the lips nourish and moisturized.

Neutrogena: Neutrogena is another favorite brand of mine that has never failed me when it comes to skin care. Two of my favorite products of theirs is their MoistureShine lip sheer lipstick and their MoistureShine gloss. Their MoistureShine lip sheer lipstick comes in 16 colors and retails for about $8. What I like about this lipstick is that it has an SPF 20 and has a cooling sensation to it. The pigmentation is good, it's not so rich that the colors show up too dark on the lips. It's just enough pigmentation to cover the lips. The staying power is pretty good too but it won't last all day. Their MoistureShine lip gloss is much like their lipstick in the same line when it comes to pigmentation. It's shiny as in glossy but not over powering with shine. It's pigmented just enough to the cover the lips and the staying power is moderate. It has a sticky texture to it when applied so it does tend to stay on the lips just a little longer than super sheer lip glosses. This lip gloss comes in 14 colors and retails for about $6. Like Almay, both products are specially designed to nourish and keep the lips moisturized.

NYX: NYX is a brand I recently discovered that sells amazingly rich colored lipsticks in the most eclectic colors I've ever seen offered by any brand. I love their round lipstick line and their jumbo lipstick pencils, both products sell for about $3 to $3.50 each. Unfortunately you won't find this brand in many drug stores. You can find NYX products online through CherryCulture.com, NYXcosmetics.com or in person at ULTA stores. What I love about NYX lip products aside from their prices is the color selection. The last time I counted they offered over 100 colors to choose from. I also love the creamy, velvety texture that both products have. Their lipsticks are rich in color and glides on effortlessly. It's made to keep the lips moisturized and protect it from peeling. It's also one of the few brands of lipstick that doesn't sink into the lines on my lips making them more noticeable. The staying power is phenomenal. Even after I wiped the product off my lips some color still remains, so I would recommend using makeup removal pads if you want to get it completely off.

E.L.F: I saved the best for last. E.L.F, or Eyes Lips Face is a brand of makeup that sells most of their line for just a dollar. They have a mineral and professional studio line that sells for more but all of their products are very affordable and cruelty-free. Many of their lip products, especially lip glosses aren't very good and tend to have poor pigmentation but their mineral lipstick is the exception. Their mineral lipstick comes in 16 colors to choose from and only costs $5. What I like about this product is the sleek packaging, the colors are soft but very pigmented, it glides onto the lips easily and has lasting power. This lipstick is also specially formulated to keep the lips moisturized and is free of parabens, preservatives and chemical dyes.

I can't promise the same results but these are the products and brands that have worked well for me. Almay and Neutrogena can be found at an drug store, Wal-Mart and Target stores. NYX products can be found on the sites I have mentioned above as well as in stores at ULTA, but ULTA.com doesn't sell NYX products. E.L.F products can be found in select stores but those stores will most likely not carry everything that E.L.F has to offer so I would recommend ordering off of their website at www.eyeslipsface.com. For a better deal on E.L.F cosmetics I would recommend searching online for their coupons.