Store-brand beauty products just as good as the high end stuff?

I'm always looking for great beauty buys in the drugstore (who isn't?), and this article lists a bunch of picks from chains that are supposed to be as effective as the expensive name-brand products.

Sometimes you can swap your products and it's not a big deal, but sometimes the cheap stuff is cheap for a reason. Lotions are thinner or greasier; face washes are less foamy etc.

I'll have to try some of these and see if I agree with the recommendations.
Do you have any drug store products that you like as much as the real thing?

Many people swear by Cover Girl mascara but I personally hate it and think the Almay or Maybelline full n soft kinds are much better. But I still notice a difference between those and the fancy Chanel or Dior or Tarte mascaras which have better brushes and also nice smoother coverage.

$6 Cover Girl lash blast mascara

vs

$30 Chanel Inimitable mascara

I do like the Prestige drugstore eye pencil as much as my YSL one, so that is one to look out for.

$3 Prestige eye liner pencil in black-brown

From that article, I might check out:

CVS Oil-Free Acne Cleanser, $4.29
Walgreens Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Cream, 99 cents
Rite Aid Aloe Enriched Lotion, $1.99
Sally Beauty Ion Shaping Plus Styling Spray, $2.49
Target Age-Defying Cleansing Towelettes, $4.29
Rite Aid Advanced Wrinkle Corrector, $9.99 (LATER! I hope, much later)

How about you?