When it comes to shopping for anything, I'm a bargain hunter at heart. There are a few things in my beauty cabinet that I'll splurge for (Clinique Chubby Sticks, Clinique fragrances, and Burberry Perfume) but those are a whole 'nother story blog post. I like to change up my look depending on my mood. And I tend to misplace lipsticks for weeks until they turn up somewhere unexpected. So I love it when a cheap thrill turns out to be a keeper by surprising me with its quality.
These are the 7 cheapies I'm digging right now for under $7:
1. Hempz Treats Delicious Body Lotion - Sugar Lemon Squares - $5
I nabbed a small bottle of this lotion on sale at TJ Maxx last week. Despite my childhood aversion to lemon (my mom baked lemon cupcakes for my 2nd grade class; I was the only one who didn't partake in the birthday treats) I'm now a lover of any lemon dessert. This lotion not only smells like my beloved lemon bars, but it makes my hands feel soft and sumptuous for hours – without feeling slimy or slippery.
2. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind - $7
In junior high, my grandma handed me a bottle of this stuff. She'd bought it and didn't like it – I loved when she passed her cosmetics onto me. So at 15 years old without a wrinkle on my face or aging worry in my teenage mind, I feel in love with this foundation for its texture and feel. It's a thick foundation that blends so nicely and moisturizes my skin (which tends toward dry). Despite its thick consistency, it smooths onto the skin and ends up feeling like I have no foundation on at all.
3. e.l.f. Matte Lip Color - Rich Red - $3
I bought this lipstick on a whim when I spotted a fellow Instagrammer wearing it. A girl can never have too many red lipsticks, right? This baby is the perfect shade of matte red – very Old Hollywood, I might add. It glides on like a lipstick, feels lightweight, and lasts for hours. It's not a stain, so it won't replace the weekend lip stains I wear to last through eating, drinking, and stealing kisses from the boyfriend, but you can bet I'll be wearing this delightful crimson hue all week long. I'm hooked.
4. e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick - Sangria Starters - $2
After such success with e.l.f. matte lip color, I decided to give their other lip products a try, too. I was a bit dubious of this one when I looked at it in the makeup aisle at Target, but at only $2 a pop it was worth a shot. I'm glad I dropped the two bucks on it. You've heard of wine stained lips... well, true to its name this color gives you sangria-stained lips. It's a tinge darker than my natural lip color and has a hint of a berry hue to it. This shade can pull double duty. It's subtle enough for the office, but paired with a smokey eye would be sultry enough for a night on the town.
5. e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick - Pink Umbrellas - $2
I also picked up the pink jumbo lip gloss stick. While I'm not as head-over-heels in love with it as I'm the sangria-stained hue (that's hard to beat), this is a lovely soft pink that's perfect for the workplace, interviews, or a jeans and t-shirt kinda day. What I love about these jumbo lip gloss sticks is that they glide on like a lipstick, stay moist like a balm, and look just glossy enough without being too shiny. The gloss sticks don't have the staying power of the matte, but they'll definitely be a daily go-to for my work-appropriate makeup look.
6. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - $4
I'm a big fan of matte finishes. When it comes to my ivory face, matte just looks better than anything shiny, metallic, bronzed, or sparkly. While I'm devoted to my Mary Kay mineral powder, it falls into the splurge category and it's sometimes too heavy for warm spring and summer wear. I've tried a lot of cheap pressed powders with a lot of bad luck. They either make my sensitive skin break out, wipe off before I'm out the door, or leave a caked-on powdery look that I prefer to avoid. Not this one. Rimmel's matte powder is lightweight and ideal for brushing on over my Age Rewind foundation to provide a matte finish and staying power for my blush.
7. Rimmel ScandalEyes Mascara - $6
This mascara caught my eye on day in the Target makeup aisle because its thick orange tube reminded me of another popular mascara I'd been using. (Marketing ploy?) I gave it a try because I love inexpensive Rimmel products. It did not disappoint. You see, I nearly worship mascara. If I could only wear one cosmetic product for the rest of my life, I'd without a doubt choose mascara. If I leave the house with nothing else on my face, you can bet that I have a swipe of mascara on my lashes. What I love about ScandalEyes is that you can really adjust the level of drama and it always looks good. One swipe equals long, flirty lashes – layers of swipes turns your lashes thick, lush, and luxurious. Plus, as long as you don't pump the tube this stuff does not clump. It also manages to not dry up and tempt me to pick it off by the end of the day.
These are the 7 cheapies I'm digging right now for under $7:
1. Hempz Treats Delicious Body Lotion - Sugar Lemon Squares - $5
I nabbed a small bottle of this lotion on sale at TJ Maxx last week. Despite my childhood aversion to lemon (my mom baked lemon cupcakes for my 2nd grade class; I was the only one who didn't partake in the birthday treats) I'm now a lover of any lemon dessert. This lotion not only smells like my beloved lemon bars, but it makes my hands feel soft and sumptuous for hours – without feeling slimy or slippery.
2. Maybelline Instant Age Rewind - $7
In junior high, my grandma handed me a bottle of this stuff. She'd bought it and didn't like it – I loved when she passed her cosmetics onto me. So at 15 years old without a wrinkle on my face or aging worry in my teenage mind, I feel in love with this foundation for its texture and feel. It's a thick foundation that blends so nicely and moisturizes my skin (which tends toward dry). Despite its thick consistency, it smooths onto the skin and ends up feeling like I have no foundation on at all.
3. e.l.f. Matte Lip Color - Rich Red - $3
I bought this lipstick on a whim when I spotted a fellow Instagrammer wearing it. A girl can never have too many red lipsticks, right? This baby is the perfect shade of matte red – very Old Hollywood, I might add. It glides on like a lipstick, feels lightweight, and lasts for hours. It's not a stain, so it won't replace the weekend lip stains I wear to last through eating, drinking, and stealing kisses from the boyfriend, but you can bet I'll be wearing this delightful crimson hue all week long. I'm hooked.
4. e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick - Sangria Starters - $2
After such success with e.l.f. matte lip color, I decided to give their other lip products a try, too. I was a bit dubious of this one when I looked at it in the makeup aisle at Target, but at only $2 a pop it was worth a shot. I'm glad I dropped the two bucks on it. You've heard of wine stained lips... well, true to its name this color gives you sangria-stained lips. It's a tinge darker than my natural lip color and has a hint of a berry hue to it. This shade can pull double duty. It's subtle enough for the office, but paired with a smokey eye would be sultry enough for a night on the town.
5. e.l.f. Jumbo Lip Gloss Stick - Pink Umbrellas - $2
I also picked up the pink jumbo lip gloss stick. While I'm not as head-over-heels in love with it as I'm the sangria-stained hue (that's hard to beat), this is a lovely soft pink that's perfect for the workplace, interviews, or a jeans and t-shirt kinda day. What I love about these jumbo lip gloss sticks is that they glide on like a lipstick, stay moist like a balm, and look just glossy enough without being too shiny. The gloss sticks don't have the staying power of the matte, but they'll definitely be a daily go-to for my work-appropriate makeup look.
6. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - $4
I'm a big fan of matte finishes. When it comes to my ivory face, matte just looks better than anything shiny, metallic, bronzed, or sparkly. While I'm devoted to my Mary Kay mineral powder, it falls into the splurge category and it's sometimes too heavy for warm spring and summer wear. I've tried a lot of cheap pressed powders with a lot of bad luck. They either make my sensitive skin break out, wipe off before I'm out the door, or leave a caked-on powdery look that I prefer to avoid. Not this one. Rimmel's matte powder is lightweight and ideal for brushing on over my Age Rewind foundation to provide a matte finish and staying power for my blush.
7. Rimmel ScandalEyes Mascara - $6
This mascara caught my eye on day in the Target makeup aisle because its thick orange tube reminded me of another popular mascara I'd been using. (Marketing ploy?) I gave it a try because I love inexpensive Rimmel products. It did not disappoint. You see, I nearly worship mascara. If I could only wear one cosmetic product for the rest of my life, I'd without a doubt choose mascara. If I leave the house with nothing else on my face, you can bet that I have a swipe of mascara on my lashes. What I love about ScandalEyes is that you can really adjust the level of drama and it always looks good. One swipe equals long, flirty lashes – layers of swipes turns your lashes thick, lush, and luxurious. Plus, as long as you don't pump the tube this stuff does not clump. It also manages to not dry up and tempt me to pick it off by the end of the day.
There you have it! My favorite seven cost-effective cosmetics.
Most of these are available at your local Target.
(Except for the lotion – you may have to shop around for that.)
What are your go-to cheap pick-me-ups from the makeup aisle?
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