Celebrity Makeup Artist Pati Dubroff Shops the Drugstore

Photo: Chris Craymer/ Trunk Archive

Makeup artist Pati Dubroff, whose clients include Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Miley Cyrus, and Naomi Watts, is one of Hollywood’s go-to gurus. She’s best known for making women look like “themselves, only better,” thanks to meticulous skin care coupled with skin-perfecting makeup. So we asked Dubroff to take our shop the drugstore challenge: armed with $50 and encyclopedic product knowledge, she offered plenty of tips for how to make the products below work extra hard.

Here are her drugstore-picks-in-a-pinch (many of which she really does use):

Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Day Lotion ($18)
That kind of took up a big chunk of the money. But skin moisture is important!” Dubroff says. “I consider it a decent natural brand and it’s great that it’s widely available.”

L’oreal Paris True Match Super Blendable Crayon Concealer ($9)
After prepping skin, the next step is to even things out. If you don’t have foundation, this crayon works. “I would sheer it out with the moisturizer and use it a little more like a light foundation coverage, or if I had something stubborn to cover I would concentrate it on concealing,” Dubroff says. “Same thing under the eye; it’s really nice for quickie touch-ups. (It’s in my kit.)”

L’oreal Paris Voluminous Butterfly Mascara ($7)
Dubroff calls mascara a necessity for opening up the eye. “This one is a nice, bright, full-coverage mascara,” she said. “It doesn’t flake, which is super key. I use it in real life.”

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Sultry ($8)
In a pinch, Dubroff recommends using a lip product to double as a blush.I like this one because it’s not glossy and it gives full coverage,” she says. “And it’s a really good lip color for everyday.”

New York Color Individual Eyes Eye Shadow Compact in Union Square ($5)
This modestly priced product is a potential powerhouse. “It has great matte colors, a highlighter cream, and also an eye shadow base. That base could take away some dark circles on the inner corner of the eye and the highlighter could be used on the tops of the cheekbones,” Dubroff says. “This was a happy discovery!”

Total spent: $47.00