In the all-pervasive digital world, buying beauty products online is as easy as the click of a button. And yet, there's something oddly satisfying about finding a breakout-busting face wash or lipstick in a just-right shade of pink nestled between the soda and toilet paper aisles at the drugstore — for less than what you'd pay for a 12-pack of Charmin.
You don't have to subscribe to the same products you've been seeing for years, either; 2020 is already brimming with a handful of new and affordable beauty buys you'll want to snag during your next trip. We're talking eco-conscious hair stylers, softening lip treatments, cheap-as-hell makeup, and more.
Ahead, check out the best drugstore beauty products we'll be buying in the new year — because the only thing you'll be getting from all that online scrolling is carpal tunnel.
The most sinister thing to happen to makeup in 2020 thus far is also the most spellbinding: NYX Professional makeup teamed up with Netflix to launch the NYX x Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Spellbook Palette ($35), so now all your mesmerizing eyeshadow looks come courtesy of your favorite teenage witch.
Unlike the anti-frizz sheets that saved your hair from static years ago, the Dove Go Active Dry Shampoo Sheets ($5) is infused with tapioca starch to serve another purpose: sop up next-day oil and grease.
As far as ingredients go, retinol is a bit of a show off — effectively boosting cell turnover for brighter, clearer skin. It can also be pretty pricey, which makes its debut in the CeraVe Retinol Face Serum For Post-Acne Marks ($20) especially enticing.
Looking for a grade-A mascara that rivals the best on the market . . . for a fraction of the price? You'll find it in the Maybelline Falsies Lash Lift Washable Mascara ($10), which has an hourglass-shaped bristle brush to effectively fatten lashes with just a few swipes.
The avocado, kale, matcha, and green tea definitely make the SheaMoisture Power Greens Hair Tea Rinse ($10) sound like a green juice for your hair, but you'll actually use the formula on your scalp like you would a toner for your face: precleanse.
It's not just a cute, carton-shaped launch from Pond's; the brand's Vitamin Micellar Wipes Hydrate ($6, launching end of January) also contains aloe and vitamin B3 to gently whisk away any trace of makeup.
The Tresemme Pro Pure Invisible Styler ($6) is a volumizing spray in more eco-conscious form. It's water-based and housed in eco-friendly aerodynamic packaging that uses an air pump to release the product (versus an aerosol), so you can feel good any time you want to pump up the volume.
If you've ever wanted to gift your skin a hit of sunshine, the La Roche Posay Vitamin C 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum ($40) gets the job done. The formula contains a high dose of brightening vitamin C, plus exfoliating salicylic acid and hydrating hyaluronic acid for a more even-toned visage.
They say only a Gemini can appreciate something so two-sided, but the Revlon Colorstay Browlights Pencil & Eyebrow Highlighter ($10) begs to differ: one end contains two colors to simultaneously define and illuminate your brows, while the other has a brush to help you blend both looks together.
The Pantene Waterless Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist ($7) looks like a New Year's celebration in a bottle, but in actuality, the lightweight formula contains jojoba and omega-9s that hydrate hair like an oil, without the gross greasy feeling.
Like its bestselling moisturizer, the Jergens Argan Oil-Infused Body Wash ($6, available in February) is ridiculously hydrating and smells like a coconut paradise . . . only the best results in this instance comes after a shower.
What would you get if you combined Glossier's bestselling Cloud Paint with a cheaper price point? The answer is the Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush ($8), a sheer-but-buildable flush that comes in six colors and warms up when you apply it to skin with your fingertips.
Kind of like everyone's handy Tide To Go stick, the Neutrogena Makeup Remover Stick For Makeup Mistakes ($10) helps clean up any messes you make along the I-tried-a-wild-cat-eye-and-failed journey — which can only encourage you to keep on keeping on.
Because life is just a little more fun when you mix sh*t up, the Glow Boost Fresh-Mix Sheet Mask with Vitamin C ($4) lets you cocktail your own face mask; just add a droplet (or three) onto the included sheet mask, depending on just how much you want to glow up in 2020.
An entirely new brand under the Unilever umbrella, Emerge is a clean option with no parabens or sulfates for textured hair. One of our favorites from the affordable line: the low-lather Emerge Cleansing & Detangling Shampoo ($7), which detangles and hydrates without breaking the bank.
St. Ives's Soothing Cannabis Sativa Body Cream ($6) marks the first time the brand has released a hemp seed oil product, but it's actually the antioxidant-rich matcha that heightens the hydration factor here.
This is not your mother's full-coverage formula: the CoverGirl Clean Fresh Skin Milk Foundation ($12) is so lightweight, you can barely tell you're wearing anything at all. (If you want to, though, it's totally buildable.)
We love everything about this brand's Love Beauty and Planet Hemp Seed Conditioner ($7), but the fact that its hemp seed oil is sustainably sourced makes it all the more special.
One whiff of the Herbal Essences bio:renew Mango & Aloe Curl Cream ($6) will transport you straight to the tropics, while the aloe vera-infused formula helps lock in moisture and define curls.
Think of the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Oxybenzone-Free Sunscreen Mist SPF 55 ($17) like the best-ever last step to your beauty routine: the formula sets makeup like a dream but also leaves a veil of protection that keeps you in the clear all day long.
We're totally heart-eyed over the new NYX Professional Makeup Shout Loud Satin Lipstick ($9), because not only are the 24 available shades gorgeous but each one comes with a finish that's hydrating yet long-wearing.
Second-day hair needn't a layer of residue to prove its efficacy. In fact, the Garnier Fructis Invisible Coco Colada Dry Shampoo ($5) proves just the opposite: it spots up oil without a trace.
While there could admittedly be more shades in its collection, we do love the cushion-tip applicator, creamy texture, and SPF 30 in Physician's Formula Natural Defense Concealer ($11).
Dandruff getting you down this Winter? The Nexxus Scalp Inergy Leave-In Treatment ($15) is formulated to soothe and hydrate the scalp, so you can stop worrying about cold-weather flakes.
The Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Collagen Protecting & Brightening Moisturizer ($24) contains vitamin C and tri-peptide collagen to plump skin and brighten skin. After just a single use, your skin has a nice, dewy glow.
We're all for a multitasking shower product. The Olay Rinse Off Body Conditioner ($6) nourishes and moisturizes skin while saving you time in your body-care routine. Simply apply it liberally to clean, wet skin, rinse, and towel off for deep hydration.
Ampoules are a different and unique way to deliver the same skin-care ingredients from your serum that you love. The L'Oréal Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.9% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Replumping Ampoules ($25) contains seven doses of pure hyaluronic acid to hydrate and plump skin.
Tinted balms are a great multi-use product to keep in your makeup bag. The Pixi by Petra On-the-Glow Blush Juicy ($18) has a moisturizing formula that melts into skin and leaves your complexion with a glowing wash of color.
The E.l.f. Cosmetics Matte Putty Primer ($8) is already an editor-favorite. It makes pores, an oily T-zone, and pretty much any imperfection you're trying to cover completely vanish. The matte formulation is the latest version of the brand's bestselling putty primer.
For just $5, the Essence What The Fake! Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara ($5) gives you seriously dramatic lashes. It's enriched with nylon fibers to add length and thickness to your lashes with each coat.