Make up is a great time, until your wallet starts crying every time you walk into Sephora or Bare Minerals. They have amazing products, but sometimes you need to skip out on the expensive stuff and settle. Lucky for you, there is makeup out there that doesn’t bust your wallet too much and is also SUPER underrated as in comparison to their MAC counterparts. Settle for cheap prices, not cheap products.
These are just a few of my favorite dirt-cheap makeup:
E.l.f.
This makeup brand not only gives you the eyeliners and brow fillers you need, but also provides cosmetic tools like brushes and eyelash curlers!
Focusing on the makeup, I highly recommend the primers, gel liners and brow kit.
· Face Primer: Runs at about $6 and comes in Mineral Infused, Poreless, Hydrating, SPF 20, and Blemish Control. My favorite is Hydrating because I can just apply the primer with no foundation and it still helps my skin look amazing.
· Gel Eye Liner: Coming in about 7 different colors, the gel liner is about $3. It doesn’t budge as soon as it dries and stays on amazingly the whole day (I’ve slept in this and, other than a touch-up, looked perfect to wear out again…which I don’t recommend). This is my to-go, everyday makeup wear.
· Eyebrow Kit: Just about all eyebrows anything costs $3 or less, but the kit itself is what I use on a regular basis. It comes in Ash, Dark, Light and Medium with a pigmented “wax” (aka gel) and a setting powder, along with a double-sided brush. I’ve found this kit gives you a naturally fuller and thicker look, depending on how you apply it, of course.
NYX
I haven’t tried many of the products from this brand, admittedly, besides their matte lipsticks, but I have to say I am thoroughly impressed, regardless.
From the Soft Matter Lip Creams to the Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks to just the regular Matte Lipsticks: YES. You can layer and blend the different colors, they are crazy pigmented and it won’t budge so easily (as long as you remember to blot carefully!).
If you are nervous of how the colors will turn out, just go to their website and underneath the products you click on, it will show you Instagram pictures of actual buyers with it on them!
By the way, you won’t spend more than $7 on these matte lips! Much less than the $20 you can spend on ONE lipstick in any Sephora store.
Maybelline
My absolute, most amazing nude palate that I own is by this wonderful company. I use this on practically a daily basis. And it runs for about $12 dollars for 12 shades in the Nudes Palette!
A few complaints I’ve heard on this product is it isn’t very pigmented. Although I haven’t had this problem, a great tip is to use primer (even if it’s your foundation) and use a brush to pack on the color. From there, just blend!
It’s a great replacement if you can’t afford Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes, and my roommate even bought this after she saw how much I used it!
Neutrogena/Rimmel
I have found these two brands have amazing foundations, blushes, bronzers, all the face stuff you need. Focusing on the foundation though, I really loved:
Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup at $14
Neutrogena’s Skinclearing Liquid Makeup at $13
Rimmel’s Clean Finish Foundation at $5
These three products not only melted into my skin but I also saw amazing improvement for my skin after wearing it. Of course, if you use the skin clearing foundation, I recommend putting a moisturizer underneath, it can be a very drying product if used too often. The Neutrogena products also come in powder (loose and compact).
These give you a great mini investment.
As for bronzer, Neutrogena’s Healthy Skin Blends has an amazing one in which you can work with. From a light bronzed look to contour your face, you can really build up the color all for about $12!
FINAL THOUGHTS
There are so many products you have most likely glossed over because it isn’t as prominently advertised or you just might have your doubts, but some products you actually don’t need to break your bank for. Shop smart when it comes to products; foundation for example, you just need to look out for the one that fits your skin and does what you want, it doesn’t necessarily have to cost $50!
Just do a little product review to help you out (hopefully that’s how you got to this article!) and don’t be afraid to try new products; you never know what you might stumble upon.
*These are products I have personally used and have just happened to match what I was looking for and also my type of skin. Not all products will work with everyone, so be cautious and don’t assume just because it works for me that it will work for you! Good luck, and happy shopping!