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Heidi Yeung

You’ve probably taken a financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic and are thinking twice before splashing out for that expensive make-up palette or night cream. To help your money go further, here are some things you definitely never have to stray beyond a drugstore to find, global crisis or no global crisis.
Lip balm
Whether it’s Drunk Elephant or Nivea, the primary ingredients are always going to be a variety of oils and shea butter. Why spend US$18 on a product that does the exact same thing as a US$3 product?
Some drugstore brands, like Burt’s Bees, have such great lip care products at affordable prices you can even get a regular lip balm, one with SPF for the day, and one with a tint for a touch of glam, and still spend less than what you’d pay for a single high-end one.

Face wash
Absolutely you should invest in good skincare, but you can cut costs on cleansers: they don’t stay on your skin for long. As long as you pick a formula suited to your skin type, there will be something at the drugstore that can treat any concern you might have.
Whether you have sensitive or acne-prone skin, oily or dry, the key is to understand your skin and pick a cleanser with the right ingredients to care for it.

Affordable brands are also doing an amazing job with infusing their products with the right active ingredients, and you’ll often find high quality AHA, BHA, or even retinol at your nearest drugstore.
Save your money for a serum or moisturiser with finer ingredients or more thorough research – that product stays on your face for hours after all!

Sunscreen
Are Supergoop! or Shiseido sunscreens worth the money? Well, they’re incredibly elegant formulas that feel great on your skin, and if you have the money to spend, why not? But honestly, you needn’t spend much on SPF. There are plenty of good quality sunscreens at the chemist.
Whether you’re spending US$12 or US$60, the primary ingredients of a physical sunscreen are still going to be titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, and chemical sunscreen formulas aren’t going to vary that much either regardless of price point. Even if it’s face SPF, options from the drugstore are dependable, affordable, and will hurt less when you reapply throughout the day … you are reapplying throughout the day, right? Yes, of course you are.

Shampoo
Similar logic to cleansers, if you must be frugal with your hair care, let it be with shampoo. Because, again, unlike a conditioner or hair mask, it isn’t going to stay on your scalp or tresses for very long. It’s still important to look for something that suits your hair type, and to avoid sulphates, parabens and silicones if you can, but other than that, drugstore brands aren’t shoddy when it comes to shampoo.
Spend more on your conditioner instead, and on a mask you use once a week or once a fortnight to really nourish your hair and address its needs.

Mascara
It’s no secret in the beauty world that mascara is one of those categories where drugstore brands beat high end brands. Not to say that pricier brands aren’t making good ones, but with OG brands like Maybelline and L’Oreal making mascaras that hold a curl, and lengthen and volumise your lashes without smudging or flaking, why would you want to spend five to 10 times the money on one that will do the exact same thing?
Maybe you’ll want to indulge in Marc Jacobs or Yves Saint Laurent if you’re after a colourful mascara for a statement look, but if classic black or brown is all you need, just go for something that won’t hurt your wallet.


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Beauty

Look great for less: 5 beauty products from the drugstore to rival luxury brands

Beauty products from the drugstore are just as effective as higher-end products. Photo: Shutterstock

Burt's Bees lip balm

CeraVe face cleanser

Neutrogena sunscreen

Maybelline Mascara

Pantene shampoo

Skin care products from the drugstore are just as effective as high-end products, and in some cases, work better. Photo: Shutterstock

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Tang Tze-ching puts up a sign saying the nail salon she works at in New Town Mall, Mong Kok, will be closed for 14 days because of government rules designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Photo: May Tse

Jian Li International Medical Beauty Group in Causeway Bay. Hong Kong consumers rushed to beauty parlours to get treatment before they are closed for 14 days to further contain the coronavirus outbreak. 09APR20 SCMP / Felix Wong

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Lifestyle

Fashion & Beauty


Instead of splashing out on expensive skin care products, you can find essentials in the drugstore that work just as well
Buy cheaper shampoo and spend more on conditioner, and do the same with cleansers and moisturiser



Here are five affordable skincare and beauty products that won’t break your coronavirus-hit bank balance.


Skincare

Coronavirus pandemic

Look great for less: 5 beauty products from the drugstore to rival luxury brands

Instead of splashing out on expensive skin care products, you can find essentials in the drugstore that work just as well Buy cheaper shampoo and spend more on conditioner, and do the same with cleansers and moisturiser

Instead of splashing out on expensive skin care products, you can find essentials in the drugstore that work just as well

Buy cheaper shampoo and spend more on conditioner, and do the same with cleansers and moisturiser