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If there are two things I get asked about most they would have to be 1.) foundation for brown skin tones and 2.) getting quality, inexpensive beauty products. Well, today’s post will cover both! I’ve been trying out some really great foundations over the last several weeks, that also happen to be from the drugstore, so I thought I’d share. Pretty generous of me, no? Ha! The first items come from Black Opal, a long-time brown girl staple. I haven’t tried any of their face products in ages, and celeb beauty guru Sam Fine raves about their stick foundation, so I was glad to receive some samples of their True Color Liquid Foundation, $9 and Flawless Perfecting Concealer, $5.

Black Opal True Color Foundation was very lightweight and gave light to buildable medium coverage, that dried down to a soft matte finish. It comes in 7 gorgeous shades, and I received samples in Truly Topaz, Nutmeg and Beautiful Bronze:

From left to right: Truly Topaz, Nutmeg and Beautiful Bronze

You can see from the photo how nice a finish the foundation dries down to. Each of the shades I got would look very natural on a range of brown skin tones. This foundation is great for those who are looking for light coverage, or are new to foundation makeup. Black Opal products have become hard to come by in a lot of areas, but the brand launched a great new website where you can purchase their whole collection.

I also received samples of the Flawless Perfecting Concealer in Honey, Tan and Beautiful Bronze:

Black Opal Flawless Concealer

From left to right: Honey, Tan and Beautiful Bronze

I found this concealer to give moderate to full coverage. One layer will cover a blemish beautifully, but a dark spot would take a couple more carefully blended layers. Personally, I wouldn’t use this on the under eye area, as I prefer a more emollient concealer for such a delicate area, and this is fairly matte. For the rest of the face, I didn’t find it to be budge proof on its own, so be sure to add a dusting of powder on top. Overall, this concealer can’t be beat for 5 bucks! Visit BlackOpalBeauty.com to purchase or find in your area.

While in Wal-Mart earlier this summer I picked up a bottle of an oldie, but goodie – Revlon ColorStay Liquid Makeup, $13. I haven’t worn it since it first came out eons ago, but I was in need of a lighter foundation for the hot summer weather. I needed something that wouldn’t melt off my face, so I gave it a go! I got the foundation in the shade Caramel, a medium brown shade with warm, golden undertones.

Revlon ColorsStay Liquid Makeup in Caramel

Revlon ColorStay Liquid Foundation comes in a formula for Normal/Dry skin and another for Combination/Oily skin, which is the one I got. It gives light to moderate coverage, depending on how much you apply. One thing you must do with this foundation (at least the combination/oily version) is to blend, blend, blend! The formula dries down super fast so you must apply and blend as you go. Applying it all over and then trying to blend it will not work. Period! Also, I found a traditional foundation brush works best with this. This foundation comes in four brown girl friendly shades: Caramel, Cappuccino, Mahogany and Mocha.

There you have it! I was pleased with these items and definitely recommend them the next time you’re in a pinch or are in the market for an inexpensive foundation or concealer. These don’t disappoint! Have a favorite budget-friendly foundation or concealer? Share it with the other readers in the comments!