Glowy & Affordable: The Perfect Drugstore Base Routine
You don’t need luxury products to get a radiant, flawless base. Glowy skin is all about hydration, technique, and layering products that work well together—and yes, the drugstore has everything you need. Here’s a step-by-step base routine using affordable products that leave you dewy, fresh, and camera-ready (for less than half the price).
Step 1: Primer That Grips and Glows
Product: e.l.f. Power Grip Primer
This $10 holy grail gives your skin a dewy base and locks your makeup in place all day. It has a slightly tacky finish that helps foundation stick without drying out your skin. It’s a dupe for higher-end gripping primers—and it actually works.
Bonus Option:
e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter – Use this under foundation for a Charlotte Tilbury-style glow on a budget.
Step 2: Skin-Like Foundation That’s Easy to Blend
Product: L’Oréal True Match Super-Blendable Foundation
It’s lightweight, hydrating, and has a natural radiant finish. It blends seamlessly with your skin and comes in a huge range of shades. If you want a glowy, breathable base that doesn’t feel cakey, this is the one.
Alternate Option:
Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation – Perfect for normal to dry skin and gives that glass-skin finish.
Step 3: Brighten Without Caking
Product: NYX Bare With Me Concealer Serum
This concealer is hydrating, lightweight, and buildable. It doesn’t settle into fine lines and keeps your under-eyes glowy and fresh. Bonus: It can double as a spot concealer or light coverage foundation.
Budget Option:
L.A. Girl HD Pro Conceal – Still iconic, especially for color correcting and brightening on a budget.
Step 4: Cream Blush That Melts into Skin
Product: e.l.f. Putty Blush
Affordable, buildable, and gives that flushed-from-within look. Apply with a dense brush or fingertips and blend upward. For a glossy finish, layer a little Vaseline or balm over top.
Step 5: Radiant Setting Powder (Yes, It Exists)
Product: Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder (in Light or Medium shades)
This powder sets your makeup while keeping that healthy skin glow. It blurs texture but doesn’t mattify you into flatness.
For Dry Skin:
Use a light hand and only apply under the eyes and in your smile lines—let the rest of your skin breathe.
Step 6: Highlight That Doesn’t Look Glittery
Product: Wet n Wild MegaGlo Highlighter (shade: Precious Petals or Blossom Glow)
It’s smooth, reflective, and gives a soft gleam without big chunks of shimmer. Perfect for cheekbones, brow bones, and the tip of your nose.
Step 7: Set It and Glow
Product: Milani Make It Last Setting Spray (Original or Dewy Finish)
This sets your makeup in place while melting all the layers together. The dewy version adds just enough glow to make your skin look hydrated—not oily.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need a $400 makeup haul to look radiant. With a few affordable staples and a routine that focuses on glow, hydration, and smart layering, you can build a flawless base that looks and feels expensive—without spending more than $60 total.
Stick around—The Wellness Diaries is your go-to guide for calm, clarity, and care.
