Copyright New York Magazine

Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Hannah Kim, Retailers Here at the Strategist, we love hearing about everyday stuff that actually works. That line of thinking extends to the drugstore beauty products in our medicine cabinets, shower caddies, and makeup bags. In our new series “Beauty Aisle,” we’ll be talking to folks in the beauty industry — aestheticians, hairstylists, makeup artists, dermatologists, and the like — about the go-to affordable products they keep stocked. For this installment, Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro chatted with Soko Glam and Then I Met You founder Charlotte Cho about the drugstore products she loves. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Aquaphor Healing Ointment $11 $14 now 21% off $11 I use it for everything. I use it for my two kids. I use it for scrapes. I use it for slugging, for cracked skin on my heels. I use it around my nose during cold season. It’s one of those multiuse products that’s always handy to have near you. I get the small tubes that are more sanitary. They’re also more travel friendly; I could throw one in a diaper bag or something. I’ve been using it for years and years but not really before I had kids. After having kids, I discovered it and it became a staple. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Aveeno Baby Daily Moisture Body Lotion $10 $16 now 38% off $10 I use it all the time. I love how it’s fragrance free. I love the pump-bottle style. I like the texture; I like how it sinks into the skin. I like how there’s no greasiness. I am a repeat purchaser. I actually had to buy the Aveeno eczema therapy lotion recently for my second daughter who has eczema. We’ve been applying that all over her eczema spots, and that has been very helpful. It’s something that I trust and I’ve seen results with, even on eczema. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. Whenever I have discoloration, redness from a breakout, or if I need a quick, simple concealer that needs to color-correct to create a more even base, I love using this. I love the texture. I love how light it is. I don’t feel like it clogs my pores. It feels lighter than concealer, and it gives me this airbrushed glow. It feels like skin care and makeup in one. It’s a perfect hybrid. I also like that it’s small: really easy to throw into your makeup bag. I feel like other concealers out there make you look dry and really accentuate your eyes, but this helps deal with color-correcting. I don’t need a lot of coverage, so it’s perfect for me. I think people who might need a lot more coverage may want to stick with a concealer. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $13 Bubble is a trending brand that has really cute packaging. I just love how it looks on my vanity, but I also like how it’s mineral and it doesn’t sting my eyes. It’s very lightweight. I’m really obsessed with K-beauty sunscreens, obviously, but I would say that this one is pretty good and comparable. Just last week, I was on a business trip and I was planning to fly in and fly out, but I ended up getting canceled, so I had to go to Walmart because I didn’t bring anything with me, and I was able to pick up Bubble products. I feel like I could trust the formula to be something that is quality. It’s wearable, it’s lightweight. It feels like it sinks into the skin quickly. It feels almost like K-beauty sunscreen. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. This one is my dupe of the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, which is one of my favorite products. But if you’re looking for a drugstore find, this is a really nice highlighter. E.l.f. has good formulas. They are trusted, too, and have really good pricing. You can use it as a highlighter; you can use it as a skin tint; you can use it as a concealer. It’s just nice to have as a multiuse balm for shine or that glow. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. L’Oréal Paris Elvive 8 Second Wonder Water $12 now 8% off $11 My hair feels super-silky after I use it. Sometimes a hair mask feels like it weighs your hair down; it feels soft, but it also feels heavy on it. With this, there’s no heavy buildup to achieve that glassy, silky hair. It feels like an in-shower gloss. I would say that it feels like a full salon treatment but in seconds. Your hair just feels and looks super-nice out of the shower. You shampoo and then you use this as a quick treatment in lieu of your conditioner. You don’t even have to leave it on that long. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. $22 First of all, I love the founder behind this brand and what the brand stands for. This is a solid cream that has ceramides in it. I’m an esthetician and I make products, so I just love the way it feels in the moisture at the end of a routine. It feels like the texture is lightweight enough that it doesn’t feel heavy and just sits on the surface of my skin. I am really into the price point. It’s a tried-and-true moisturizer that’s good for all skin types, whether you’re dry or oily, because it’s not too heavy. You still need to keep the moisture in your skin even when you’re oily. Saved View Want to be emailed when products you’ve saved are over 20% off? Success! You'll get an email when something you've saved goes on sale. Yes New! You can now save this product for later. I’m lazy when it comes to applying body lotion after a shower, so I love this oil-based cleanser because it’s so rich. It leaves my skin soft and moisturized right out of the shower and I don’t need to do anything extra. More From The Strategist Ask Kim France: I’m Really Confused About Pants! An Advent Calendar for Every Kind of Person I’ve Been Sleeping So Well Since I Started Spraying Magnesium on My Feet The Best Clean Anti-Aging Skin-care Routine, According to Experts See All The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. What Soko Glam Founder Charlotte Cho Buys at the Drugstore