Beauty sales have a way of convincing me I need a ton of new products I’d never even heard of, only for most of them to end up untouched in a drawer. CVS’s Fall Epic Beauty Event is a little easier to justify because a lot of what’s included is stuff I already buy anyway.

From August 16 through August 29, CVS is offering $10 off a $30+ beauty and personal care purchase with a single digital coupon. That covers a pretty large part of the store, including makeup, skincare, hair care, body care, SPF, shaving products, and even oral care.

And instead of rattling off every product included in the event, I went through the sale and pulled out the things I actually use, plus a few easy ways to get a cart over that $30 threshold without buying random shit you don’t need.

Start With the Makeup Bag

Two e.l.f. products immediately make my daily driver list. The Halo Glow Silky Powder Highlighter in Flamingold is a CVS exclusive, and it’s the inexpensive makeup product I’d rather stock up on when there’s a coupon floating around. I also use the e.l.f. Soft Glam Cream Bronzer Stick, which is creamy, easy to blend, and less intimidating than trying to sculpt your face with a giant powder palette. As much as I love a huge palette, the stick is way easier to throw in a makeup bag when I’m on the road or traveling.

Then Hit the Shower

This is probably where I could build most of my $30 cart without trying.

I use Tree Hut’s body scrubs, specifically the Golden Vanilla version featured in the sale to exfoliate my skin, followed by the tried and true Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion when my skin needs hydration, and that’s literally everyday. Neither is a luxury, boujee product, but both are my bathroom staples that I eventually have to replace.

Same goes for Lume Sweat Control Antiperspirant Deodorant, another product currently sitting in my rotation. If you’ve been curious about Lume but balked a little at spending more than standard drugstore-deodorant money on it, a storewide coupon is a much more appealing time to try it.

And here’s a shopping strategy I fully endorse: If your beauty cart lands at $26 or $28, don’t add some lipstick you’ll forget about in a drawer. Add toothpaste… because apparently healthy teeth are part of beauty. Sensodyne Clinical White Enamel Strengthening Toothpaste is included in the event, and I already use it. Future you is going to need toothpaste anyway. I’m not lying when I say I bulk buy these for my teeth.

My Get-Unready Lineup Is in Here, Too

CVS also managed to include several products from the part of my nighttime routine where I’m mostly trying to remove everything I put on my face earlier.

I keep Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes around for quick makeup removal, and Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water is another longtime staple. Neither requires much explanation: They remove makeup, and I keep buying them.

Then there are Hero Mighty Patch Original acne patches, which are one of those products I like having around before I actually need one. These are hydrocolloid patches designed to absorb fluid from pimples while keeping me from messing with them—which, frankly, may be their most valuable contribution.

Don’t Forget Hair Care

The hair category also has two things I genuinely use: TRESemmé Workable Hairspray and Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil.

They’re very different products, obviously. TRESemmé is the finishing step when I want my hair to stay where I put it; Mielle is more of a scalp-and-hair-care product that I work into my routine before washing it off in the shower. But they’re both good examples of why this particular sale is useful: You can mix completely different beauty and personal-care categories to reach the $30 minimum instead of having to buy three products from one brand.

How to Shop the CVS Epic Beauty Event

The offer runs August 16 through August 29, 2026. The main deal is: Spend at least $30 on qualifying beauty and personal-care products and get $10 off with the digital coupon.

ExtraCare membership is free, and members can load CVS offers to their account before checking out. You can shop in store, order online for free store pickup—often ready within about an hour—or use same-day delivery on eligible products and ZIP codes. Standard shipping is generally free once your order hits $35.

My move would be to use the sale to restock the boring-but-necessary stuff I already know I’ll use, then sneak in something a little more fun while I’m at it. Toothpaste, deodorant, micellar water… and, fine, a new highlighter.