For many celebrities in the public eye, having a lock on their beauty routine is basically a part of their jobs. So we're always curious to know about the products that they use to keep their skin glowing and hair looking sleek and shiny.
The problem is though, celebrities aren't exactly known for having affordable beauty routines. But every so often, when we get the chance to speak with a star for our Shopping Diaries series, they'll reveal to us a drugstore product that's a staple in their routine.
Singer Carrie Underwood, for example, told us about her go-to affordable moisturizer that you can find "anywhere," and model and actress Brooke Shields revealed the beauty find that she "always" picks up from the drugstore.
Keep reading to discover more affordable picks from Mindy Kaling, Drew Barrymore and more.
Celebrity favorite drugstore beauty products
Nivea Shimmer Lip Care Moisturizing Lip Balm
Searching for the perfect multi-purpose lip product? Broadway star and actress Kristin Chenoweth loves this lip balm, which does more than just add moisture to your pout. “I love the Nivea [lip balm] in pink shimmer," she told us. "It makes me look like I sort of have on makeup when I don’t want to do anything.”
Virgin Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a staple in many people's beauty routines, including Priyanka Chopra Jonas. “I’m obsessed with coconut oil,” the actress and entrepreneur said. “My grandmother passed when she was 94 and she used no other products except coconut oil and she had like four wrinkles on her face.” She added that it can be heavy to use on the face for people with certain skin types, “but I definitely use coconut oil for my body and for a head massage.”
L’Oréal Bambi Eye Mascara
One of Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt’s go-to mascaras just so happens to be a drugstore favorite! “Everybody always asks me what mascara I use and my CVS find has been hands-down the best one,” she said.
The brand says that the brush lifts and curls each lash without clumping or flaking.
Lumify Redness Reliever Eye Drops
“My eyes are always bloodshot, with or without sleep,” actress and model Brooke Shields said. So she always keeps the Lumify redness-relieving eye drops in her bag. “It brightens my eyes in seconds,” she added.
Cetaphil Face Wash for Combination to Oily Skin
When we spoke with actress and writer Mindy Kaling, she not only shared some of her favorite gifts, but she also walked us through practically her entire skin care routine, including the affordable cleanser she uses. “I have two that I use," she said. "One is just Cetaphil for oily skin, which is not expensive, you can get it in any supermarket. And then the other one I like is a little bit more luxurious, but not even super expensive, is this one by Dr. Sarmela Sunder. She has a polishing cleanser which is really great.”
Now Solutions Vitamin E-Oil
During our Zoom interview with Drew Barrymore, the actress and talk show host carried her camera from her bedroom into the bathroom, so we could get a look inside her cabinet to see the beauty products she actually uses. And this affordable vitamin E oil was one of them. “It doesn’t have any other ingredients in it except for olive oil, and unfortunately, a lot of them have a lot of stuff in them, so this is my favorite brand,” she said.
Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
Chenoweth raved to us about Bio-Oil's skin care oil and lotion, saying that she's a fan of "everything Bio-Oil.” She said the oil is great for her “dry crepey skin.”“I also like to put it in any parts that feel wrinkly to me. And I swear, I swear it works. They don’t want us to know it works! But I swear it’s literally helping.”
Sally Hansen Hair Remover Wax Strip Kit
Yes, even Shields picks up Sally Hansen's wax strips from the drugstore. “I’ll always pick one up ... if I don’t have time to get a bikini wax or if I’m looking at my top lip and I’m like uh oh, when did that happen?” she told us.
E.l.f. Flawless Face 6-Piece Brush Collection
You may not know it, but TV personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel is a big fan of drugstore beauty products. She's gained a huge following on TikTok by posting her beauty favorites, including plenty of affordable finds. And she shared some with us when we spoke with her.
“E.l.f. has really great brushes,” Frankel said. This six-pack comes with multiple options for applying eyeshadow, contour and more.
Neeutrogena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup Foundation, SPF 20
“If it’s like something that’s tried and true, meaning foundations that have been around forever, or concealer or mascara, the really big drugstore brands do it better than anyone,” Frankel said “Because they are based off research and development teams, and if it’s some new gimmick, they might not be the best. But Neutrogena is excellent at products that are touching your skin.”
She previously revealed on TikTok that this SPF foundation from Neutrogena is as good as the foundation from more expensive brands.
Weleda Skin Food Original Ultra-Rich Cream
Underwood called Weleda’s popular rich Skin Food Cream a “good moisturizer.” “It’s not even expensive, but it’s easy, you can kind of find it anywhere and it does a good job.”
Crest 3D Whitestrips
From hand warmers to Listerine tablets, Erin Andrews revealed to us some of the items that she uses to stay game-day ready — including these teeth whitening strips. “I’m always doing [Crest White Strips], because I’m a coffee drinker and wine drinker,” she said.
How we choose these products
We have interviewed dozens of celebrities as part of our celebrity Shopping Diaries series. We selected the best drugstore products based on their recommendations in these interviews.
