It can be nice to have a little luxury in everyday life, and beauty products are a perfect way to get it—but they can be expensive. Here are some of our favorite affordable beauty products that feel indulgent, and are high quality, but are surprisingly easy on the wallet.
- CeraVe moisturizer
CeraVe is a rich and luxurious moisturizing cream that seems like it should be really expensive. But guess what? It’s so not. A 16-ounce tub of it is $16-$17 at Target or Amazon, and even if you use it every day, it’ll last you at least a couple of months. What a deal!
- E.L.F. Glossy Lip Stain
A good lip gloss or stain is essential, and E.L.F. makes one of the best. A lip ‘stain’ is somewhere between a lip balm and a lipstick, so it tends to have a natural feel while still adding color. This one feels light and moist (and not sticky!), and it lasts for hours, so you won’t need to keep reapplying it. It also comes in 8 different colors, so you can find a shade to fit any occasion—or just your mood. At $6-$8, it’s an easy purchase to justify.
- About-Face Brow Artist eyebrow pencil
A good eyebrow pencil is hard to find—some are too hard, or wear off too quickly after you apply them. But the About-Face Brow Artist is just right. It’s gel-based, so it glides on smoothly, and it’s buildable so you can get just the right shade and depth. It’s $16, and it’ll last about 6-8 weeks, depending on how often you use it.
- Bare With Me Blur Tint Foundation
If there’s one product that might be worth spending more on, it’s foundation. It needs to be the right shade for your skin tone and feel natural, and it can’t be too moist or dry. But with Bare With Me Blur, you can get a high level of quality, comfort, and a natural look at a very reasonable price. It’s just $12-$14 a tube, and a little goes a long way—one tube will last you 4-8 months if you use it 5 days a week.
- L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara
There are a lot of good mascaras on the market, but many of the best ones are pretty expensive. But the good news is that a few of the more affordable mascaras that you can easily find at the drugstore are very good. One of the best of them is L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise. It goes on smooth, and gives you feathery, long, full lashes. And at $10, it’s a really high-end product for a low-end price.
