Beauty is one category I am no expert on, alas, I am willing to try anything at least once. Being on a budget means never buying department store brand anything, and that’s fine with me…I’ve used that stuff, and in my opinion, the cheap stuff works just as well. Here are 5 products I personally love that are under $5:
1. Pond’s Wet Cleansing Towelettes {Evening Soothe with Chamomile & White Tea}: I received these as a sample from Target and fell in love. They are amazing at cleaning off make-up and leave your skin feeling refreshed and smelling lovely.
Cost: $3-$4.75 at most stores
2. elf Healthy Glow Bronzing Powder: Using this stuff makes me look like I just spent a week in Jamaica – it totally gives a healthy glowand is easy to use with a blush brush. And it’s $1! No feeling guilty for spending an atrocious amount on make-up. I love almost all the elf products I’ve tried…they work great and are so inexpensive, so it’s fun to experiment without breaking the bank.
Cost: $1 at Target/online
3. Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Nail Polish: When you’re a mom, painting your nails is a large task. Finding time and budget for a professional manicure is generally out of the question, so I have to settle on doing my own. It’s crucial that whatever I use dries fast. Love that this stuff dries in 60 seconds (although I generally give it extra time) and comes in a variety of colors.
Cost: $2.50-$3 at most stores
4. Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo: This stuff can be a lifesaver when I have to run an errand in the morning and don’t have time to shower and get baby ready. I have somewhat oily hair, so I just spray and run my hands through my hair and it dries out the oil and leaves my hair smelling much better (not the best scent, but OK for the price)!
Cost: $2-$4 at most stores
5. NYC Liquid Lip Shine {favorite shade is Cherrywood}: I am the queen of lip gloss. I’ve tried everything from Lancome’s Juicy Tubes (HATE!) to Lip Smackers gloss. This inexpensive one is one of my favorites. The color doesn’t last terribly long, but the shine is pretty without being sticky and un-kissable. Plus, since it’s so cheap, I can buy several tubes to keep in my bathroom, car and purse and not feel guilty.
Cost: $2-$3 at most stores
*All images from Google Images*
What are your favorite beauty products that cost $5 or less?
1. NYX glosses and liners. Found in beauty supply stores from between $1-3 each. I don’t wear lipstick, so using a liner and then gloss usually do the trick for me.
2. Burt’s Bees bees wax lip balm.
3. Witch Hazel. I even stock up on the generic one at walmart. Under $2 a bottle. Beats my old Clinique toner out of the water.
4. China Glaze nail polishes. At under $5. with Sally’s Beauty card, they have such interesting colors that last better than OPI in my opinion.
5. Revlon Colorstay eyeliner in Medium Brown. These. aren’t typically under $5, but you can usually find a deal with B1G1
Those are just off of the top of my head.
Awesome suggestions, Angela! Thanks so much. And thanks for the reminder – I need to head to Sally’s soon…love that place and some of the deals they have 🙂
I use Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil to remove my waterproof mascara.
I really wish someone would recommend a lipstick that will stay on more than just a few minutes!
Sorry ’bout the lipstick – I haven’t found one that stays either! I’ve used some of the lip stain ones, but I don’t ever like the shades on me. If you find a good one, let me know and I’ll do the same 😉
Revlon Colorstay lipstick stays on for me. I haven’t used it in a while though. It’s about $7 though.
Hm, may have to give that a shot. Thanks for the heads up, girl!
I LOVE the Pond’s wipes. I’m too lazy to actually lather up my face at night but these are fantastic for someone like myself who would rather fall asleep with make up on than wash my face…Their morning wipe is awesome too, it has little exfoliator bumps on one side that help to take off the dead skin and make the healthy skin glow more. 🙂
Oooh, good to know, Mallory! And I hear you on the lazy part…I hate washing my face with soapy stuff too – I always get it in my eyes and it stings! These definitely solve that problem!
Great tips for products under $5! I don’t have any but just straight up chapstick. I’m on a major beauty budget now, so I will definitely have to refer to this post. Any tips on good, cheap shampoo? Tweet me if you have any!
Great Lash mascara by Maybelline! It’s a classic and affordable product to have!
I’m with you on ELF. That’s pretty much all I wear and get compliments all the time on my makeup. It looks like I spent way more than I did on it. I recently found a foundation I like — Rimmel Match Perfection. It’s just under $5 but has great coverage and a slight shimmer/shine — sort of like the ELF bronzer. I like it because it evens out my complexion. I’m so glad that I found it! I also love the NYC lipsticks. I have used one shade in it for years and it’s 99 cents. Seriously, under a dollar and I can use it as a base and put lipglosses over it. Love this list!