Best UK Drugstore Beauty Products Launching in 2020
27 Next-Level Drugstore Beauty Products You Won’t Want to Miss in 2020
As POPSUGAR editors, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. If you buy a product we have recommended, we may receive affiliate commission, which in turn supports our work.
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 paracetamol and deodorant at Boots or Superdrug — for less than what you'd pay for a box of Lemsip.
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 toothpaste tubes, new mascaras to obsess over, cheap-as-hell skincare, and more.
Ahead, check out the best drugstore beauty products we're buying right now — because the only thing you'll be getting from all that online scrolling is carpal tunnel.
— Additional reporting by Tori Crowther
Sunny Razors
Sunny is a new brand, launching exclusively at Boots, with the aim of taking the faff out of shaving. With simplicity at its core, there are just two Sunny Razors (£8) to choose from: teal and pink. In addition to the razor handles, the brand offers refill blade packs to help reduce unnecessary waste, as well as two shaving creams: a gel and a mousse formula. So far, we've tried the Sunny Shaving Gel (which has a delicious cucumber scent) and the pretty pink razor, and we're in agreement that it's as easy and uncomplicated as promised. The non-grip handle and angle of the razor reduces any chance of nasty slips or cuts, and you get a superclose, smooth shave, thanks to the five-bladed razor head.
Vaseline Intensive Care Hand Cream + Anti-Bac
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vaseline relaunched its Vaseline Intensive Care Hand Cream + Anti-Bac (£4). It's formulated with all the hydrating ingredients found in other Vaseline hand creams, but with the addition of antibacterial ones as well. Its lightweight gel-cream texture dries into the hands quickly and leaves a clean yet not overpowering scent. Although, it's important to note that this is not a substitute for proper handwashing or using hand sanitising gel.
Sun Bum
If you've never heard of Sun Bum, well, let us introduce you to your new favourite sunscreens. Started in Florida by a group of surfers, the once indie brand specialises in both chemical and physical sunscreens that are vegan, reef-friendly, paraben free, and smell like the beach in a bottle (a warm, sweet blend of coconut and bananas we'd say).
In May 2020, Sun Bum arrived in the UK via Boots, which now stocks a few of the brand's best-sellers, including its Sunscreen Lotion (in SPF 30 and 50), SPF 30 Sunscreen Face Stick (great for kids), SPF 30 Lip Balm, and the Sun Bum SPF 30 Sunscreen Spray (£18), which also comes in SPF 50.
Dove DermaSpa Summer Revived Gradual Self-Tan Body Mousse
The newest addition to the brand's DermaSpa Summer Revived Self Tan Range is the Dove DermaSpa Summer Revived Gradual Self-Tan Body Mousse (£10), which comes in two shades: Fair to Medium, and Medium to Dark. The airy, hydrating, gradual fake tan formula layers nicely (so you can easily build up to the colour you want) and dries quickly, so you can spread it on and go about your business — whether that's going to work, hanging out at the park, or heading to bed.
Bondi Sands Coconut and Sea Salt Scrub
Your journey to smooth skin, ready for a fresh application of false tan is on aisle 2, and it comes in the form of Bondi Sands Coconut and Sea Salt Scrub (£13). This newbie from the Australian brand helps to exfoliate away dead skin and old, patchy tan, making the perfect base for a fresh layer of tan to give you the best glow yet.
L'Oréal Paris Skin Paradise Tinted Water-Cream
Tinted moisturiser has been around for a long time, but with the launch of L'Oréal Paris Skin Paradise Tinted Water-Cream (£11), the brand introduces us to the new-and-improved 2020 version of the classic product. As the name suggests, the tinted liquid is water based and contains glycerin, sodium hyaluronate, witch hazel water, and aloe vera leaf, all of which contribute to the formula's ability to keep your skin hydrated and glowy throughout the day. Couple that with the liquid's dewy texture and sheer, mineral pigments, and you have a tinted moisturiser that leaves your skin looking plump and radiant — like you just slathered a rich moisturiser all over it.
While the pigments are on the lighter side, they aren't as sheer as your typical tinted moisturiser. Rather, the coverage level falls somewhere between a tinted moisturiser and a light foundation, and can easily be built up to medium coverage if you add additional layers with your fingers or a brush. What is really magical about this formula, though, is while it covers up redness and pigmentation issues, you definitely still sense the natural texture of your skin underneath, and the high points of your face — cheekbones, especially — don't lose their natural luminosity.
The Tinted Water Cream comes in 10 shades — two for fair skin, two for light skin, three medium hues, and two deep tones — and while the brand promises that the shades easily adapt to different skin tones because of their sheerness, we'd still like to see the number of shades available increase in the future.
Max Factor Miracle Second Skin
Legendary makeup artist Wendy Rowe (who is creative director for Max Factor) worked with the brand for over a year to create the new Max Factor Miracle Second Skin (£13). A skin-care/makeup hybrid, it's like the 2020 version of a BB cream — so elegant, smarter, and a lot more luxurious. "It gives the perfect amount of coverage to even out skin tone and cover imperfections, without being heavy or cakey," Rowe said in a press release for the launch. "It leaves a natural, second-skin finish. It's flexible, buildable, and it makes you feel incredible." And because it's also infused with coconut milk and both pre- and probiotics, it'll help keep the skin underneath it feeling incredible, too.
Maybelline New York Falsies Lash Lift Mascara
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 Mascara (£10), which has an hourglass-shaped bristle brush to effectively fatten lashes with just a few swipes.
Essence What The Fake! Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara
For just £4, the Essence What The Fake! Volumizing & Lengthening Mascara (£4) gives you seriously dramatic lashes. It's enriched with nylon fibres to add length and thickness to your lashes with each coat.
Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara
This year, Fenty Beauty finally launched a mascara, and we cannot wait to coat our lashes with this newbie. The Fenty Beauty Full Frontal Mascara (£21) has a long-wear, water-resistant formula and a supersmart, dual-sided flat-to-fat wand, which allows each and every lash to be coated in just a few swipes.
Pixi On-the-Glow Blush Juicy
Tinted balms are a great multi-use product to keep in your makeup bag. The Pixi On-the-Glow Blush in Juicy (£18) has a moisturising formula that melts into skin and leaves your cheeks with a glowing wash of peachy-coral.
Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush
What would you get if you combined Glossier's bestselling Cloud Paint with a cheaper price point? The answer is the Maybelline New York Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush (£9), a sheer-but-buildable flush that comes in six colours and warms up when you apply it to skin with your fingertips.
E.L.F. Luminous and Matte Putty Primers
In the U.S., E.L.F's original Poreless Putty Primer sold out an impressive 10 times. The unique makeup-priming balm has been described as a less expensive dupe for Tatcha's Silk Canvas Primer, which also happens to fly off the shelves quite a bit. Excitingly, for the new decade, the brand has treated us with two new versions of the much-loved product. The E.L.F. Luminous Putty Primer (£8) adds hyaluronic acid and vegan collagen into the mix to keep skin hydrated and looking radiant throughout the day. The E.L.F. Matte Putty Primer (£8), on the other hand, uses kaolin clay and white charcoal to keep excess oil from making you look shiny and breaking down your makeup into a cake-y, streaky mess.
E.L.F. Hydrating Camo Concealer
E.L.F. Hydrating Camo Concealer (£6) is a silkier, lighter-weight texture than the brand's original Camo Concealer. It's a great option for people who like full coverage but are worried about flaking and dryness.
Neutrogena Clear and Soothe Jelly Micellar Makeup Remover
Called Clear & Soothe, the newest range from Neutrogena is formulated for those with spot-prone, sensitive skin. All four products in the line — a foaming cleanser, a micellar cleanser, a toning mist, and a moisturiser — are infused with turmeric, an ingredient lauded for the fact it's an antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory. Our favourite of the bunch has to be the Neutrogena Clear and Soothe Jelly Micellar Makeup Remover (£6), which gently gets rid of dirt and makeup (even the waterproof kind!) without leaving the skin feeling greasy or oily.
No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate
The No7 Advanced Retinol 1.5% Complex Night Concentrate (£25) is a big deal for No7, as it's the brand's first product to contain retinol in a product. Sure, the Protect & Perfect line contains retinyl palmitate, but that's a weaker form of vitamin A that isn't as effective at speeding up cell turnover. This is because for retinyl palmitate to work, once it enters the skin it must be converted to retinol, which then needs to be converted into retinoic acid. If you're already starting off with retinol, it only needs to be converted into retinoic acid. "Retinol is one step closer to retinoic acid than retinyl palmitate," Dr Mike Bell, head of science research at No7, sums up nicely.
But the fact is, retinol has the downside of causing more irritation. What's so exciting about this product is what No7 paired the retinol with to make it less irritating. The 1.5% complex is made up of 0.3% retinol, the "sweet spot of retinol concentration" that Dr Bell and the scientists at the University of Manchester (who helped develop the serum) found a majority of people could tolerate during their extensive development process. The other 1.2% of the complex is what the brand calls a "retinol optimiser," a water-and-oil blend that encapsulates the retinol to both stabilise it and deliver it more efficiently through the surface layers of the skin. The formula also contains bisabolol, an ingredient derived from chamomile, to help soothe the skin, as well as Matrixyl 3000, a peptide blend that helps repair the fibril strings underneath dermis that help keep skin elastic and bouncy. "Matrixyl 3000 is our powerhouse in terms of [treating] wrinkles," says Dr Bell, "and it's the combination of the Matrixyl 3000 and the 1.5% complex that will transform the appearance of your skin."
La Roche Posay Vitamin C 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum
If you've ever wanted to gift your skin a hit of sunshine, the La Roche Posay Vitamin C 10% Pure Vitamin C Serum (£28.50) 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.
Simple Skincare Radiance Booster SPF 30
If you're looking for something to add to your moisturiser for extra some hydration, consider the new Simple Skincare Radiance Booster SPF 30 (£8). The unique formula applies like a lightweight serum but with the added benefits of SPF 30 to help protect against UVA and UVB rays.
Vichy Minéral 89 Fortifying Instant Recovery Mask
Inspired by the brand's hyaluronic acid serums, the Vichy Minéral 89 Fortifying Instant Recovery Mask (£8), also features the HA (as well as mineral water from France, which is in all of the brand's products), but packed onto a fibre sheet mask for a serious hit of hydration. It's a great way to perk up your skin if it's been considerably drier and dehydrated whilst in lockdown.
L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Serum
L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Hyaluronic Acid Serum (£25) has landed in the UK after a verysuccessful launch in the US; so successful, in fact, that, Stateside, one of these pretty dropper bottles sells every minute. The hyaluronic acid molecule retains a thousand times its weight in water, which, in turn helps to maintain moisture levels in the skin, keeping it feeling super hydrated. This serum (which you can read a full review of here) has been formulated with 1.5 percent concentration, which doesn't sound like a lot, but is actually the optimum amount to hydrate the skin without causing irritation. That means this formula is unlikely to cause any unwanted side effects even in sensitive skin
Aussie Blonde Hydration Purple Shampoo
It's crazy to think that Aussie, with its iconic purple bottles, hasn't had apurple-tinted shampoo to neutralise brassiness. That changes in 2020, with the launch of the Aussie Blonde Hydration Purple Shampoo (£6), which not only keeps hair soft, clean, and shiny, but also brightens up blonde, grey, and silver hair colours in just one wash.
Pantene Waterless Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist
The Pantene Waterless Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist (£10) 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.
Garnier Glow Boost Fresh-Mix Sheet Mask with Vitamin C
Because life is just a little more fun when you mix sh*t up, the Garnier 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 — the amount you use depends on how much you want to glow up in 2020.
John Frieda Hydrate and Recharge Deep Soak Masque
If you want incredibly soft hair, turn your attention to the new John Frieda Hydrate and Recharge Deep Soak Masque (£7). For best results (it's more effort but worth it!), apply a generous amount of the mask (though, a little goes a long way) and let soak in for a few hours. After rinsing it out, your hair will feel softer, a little less frizzy, and it will smell delicious.
Herbal Essences Bio Renew Hemp and Potent Aloe Sulphate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner
Herbal Essences has dropped its first sulphate-free shampoo and conditioner this year — Herbal Essences Bio Renew Hemp and Potent Aloe Sulphate-Free Shampoo (£6) and Herbal Essences Bio Renew Hemp and Potent Aloe Sulphate-Free Conditioner (£6) — finally providing an option from the range that is ideal for those who prefer to wash without the ingredient. Additionally, the colour-safe formula promises to help leave your hair soft and smooth.
L'Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Anti-Frizz Serum
Everyone we've ever spoken to who has tried the Elvive Great Lengths Serum has absolutely loved it. Now, the serum just got a sister, the L'Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Anti-Frizz Serum (£8), which promises all of the same benefits of the original Great Lengths Serum — repairing split ends and preventing damage — with the addition of heat protection, and frizz-taming properties.
Colgate Smile For Good Toothpaste
If your New Year's resolution was to make more environmentally conscious beauty choices, you might want to rethink the items in your tooth-brushing regimen. Colgate has introduced its first ever recyclable toothpaste tube with its Colgate Smile For Good Toothpaste (£4). Most toothpaste tubes today are made from sheets of plastic laminate, sandwiched around a thin layer of aluminium, which is totally unrecyclable. However, the new Smile For Good from Colgate uses High Density Polyethylene (which is used for milk and other plastic bottles), and is widely recyclable.
