Instagram's Favorite Makeup Artist Swears By These 5 (Fail-Safe) Drugstore Beauty Products


Welcome to Drugstore Heroes, a monthly series in which we spotlight the often-overlooked and under-hyped drugstore beauty products that industry experts count on. From editors to content creators and even celebs, we’re asking tastemakers to share their top recommendations for affordable, yet effective products. Get ready to see the best of drugstore beauty, period.

(Image credit: GIF by Jamie Brown)

Kelli Anne Sewell is one of my favorite makeup artists to follow on Instagram. I love seeing the looks she creates for her cool-girl clients, like Alix Earle and Alex Cooper. I love watching her viral makeup tutorials on Instagram, TikTok, and her app, Makeup by Kelli Anne. Most of all, I love her signature glowing makeup aesthetic. Using her own words, which I took from one of her TikTok tutorials, it’s “snatched but natural.”

Recently, I was scrolling through a few of her GRWM videos, and I noticed something—she seems to use drugstore makeup products almost as often as she uses luxury ones. In one video, I caught a glimpse of an affordable mascara. In another, there was a flash of a budget-friendly brow pencil. I even saw a cost-effective plumping lip gloss. As a beauty editor and long-time drugstore makeup devotee, I had to know more. What are the exact drugstore beauty products Sewell swears by? Does she use those drugstore beauty products on her cool-girl clientele? Spoiler alert: the answer is a resounding, “Yes.” Keep scrolling for her pro-level picks.

Kelli Anne Sewell

(Image credit: Kelli Anne Sewell)

First, I wanted to learn more about Sewell’s opinion of drugstore beauty products in general. As a celebrity makeup artist, she has access to the best in beauty—luxurious, high-end, and designer brands included. I was curious. Would she say her favorite drugstore products stack up against more expensive options? Are they *really* staples in her professional kit? And does she have any tips or tricks for navigating the overcrowded drugstore beauty aisles? See Sewell sounds off on these questions and more, below.