Budget Beauty Bling — Top 5 Budget Beauty Favorites
We have all been affected by the economy. I have had to tailor my beauty budget to my actual budget. They never seem to balance, but I really don’t care. I’m an avowed beauty junkie and with that being said, I have made some adjustments. So now I have budget beauty bling.
There are a few beauty items that I just can’t live without. So I have just learned to trade this for that. I’m sure you can do it too. It’s all a matter of finding your favorite beauty necessity at Walgreens or Target or Walmart instead of Saks, Nordstrom or even my beloved Sephora.
Here are my top 5 beauty finds that are worth their weight in blings:
1. Body Lotion
I used to use a pricey body lotion which shall remain nameless just in case I come into a windfall, then layer on
Michael Kors Leg Shine $32 or NARS Body Glow to give my legs a beautiful sheen. Now I just use Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Smoothing and Perfecting Leg Gloss Lotion, 13.5 fl. oz. for $8.50. Granted the Palmer’s doesn’t have the wonderful scent of Michael Kors Leg Shine of NARS Body Glow, but I can smell like cocoa butter for 10 minutes for the price difference. I made the trade and have saved over $50!
And look at what it does:
This revolutionary product is a tinted moisturizer that adds gloss and imparts a satiny smooth finish that masks imperfections to improve the appearance of your legs. It contains pure Cocoa Butter, Vitamin E and tiny light-refracting particles to illuminate the skin. This product also contains a hair-growth inhibitor, which minimizes the need for shaving, leaving the skin smoother longer. This fast-drying formula blends marks and blemishes, creating the appearance of flawless skin – virtually eliminating the need for pantyhose, stockings, etc.
2. Mascara
I love mascara. I want big thick, trashy lashes. I’m leaning towards Tammy Faye on the lashes. I used to be a die hard Lancome mascara girl. But the choices kept growing – there was a mascara launch each season. Good grief. The problem is that you can get carried away with the mascara choices out there. I mean, there are mascaras with fibers, primers, spinning wands, vibrating (ahem) wands that curl, lengthen, thicken, darken and help grow your lashes to boot. Well, I just can’t pay $30 for a spinning mascara. Maybelline now makes one for under $10 if that was my choice. NOT! I love, love, love my Loreal Voluminous mascara. It’s $7.99 and works as well if not better than it’s $25 counterparts. The good news is that drugstores often put Loreal Voluminous on sale for buy one get one free and then I stock up. I even use this mascara in my professional kit. It comes in Carbon, much like Dior Show and Voluminous also comes in waterproof forumlas. I just stick with Blackest Black and it’s perfect for every occasion.
3. Hair conditioner
I’m the poster child for dry, damaged, out-of-control hair. Between going from Beyonce’ blonde to Elvira black and back again, I’m braiding, weaving or otherwise killing my hair. So I have fallen in love with Phytospecific hair products. Formulated forcoarse, frizzy, curly or relaxed hair, this lovelyFrench plant-based line can bring your hair back from the dead. I love it. It’s on my top 10 list for desert island survival. But, I don’t use them as quite as often. Thanks to my daughter, the neighborhood beauty supply junkie, I have learned to love Olive Oil Root Stimulator, in particular the Hair Mayonnaise. This is an organic product and priced under $10 for a big jar, it’s well worth it.
4. Cuticle Cream
My cuticles are perpetually dry. And I pick them. I know, it’s really ugly. But I used to splurge on cuticle creams, with L’Occitane Shea Butter Nail & Cuticle Cream at $18 for .52 oz being my favorite. Not any more. Now it’s my EVOO (extra virgin olive oil — and I can’t stand Rachel Ray) from the kitchen. I’m sure it’s less than a cent per application and works best just after drying my hands from washing.
5. Eye Makeup Remover
I’m really lazy, but since I’m such a mascara freak, I have to take it off at night. Mascara that is. I love eye makeup remover pads. Not those greasy ones from the drugstore, but the full-cushioned over-priced ones from an upscale cosmetic line which shall remain nameless. Now I just put a few cotton rounds in a sandwhich size ziplock bag and add Cetaphil cleanser. And there you have it — eye makeup remover pads that work on waterproof makeup and are perfect for even the most sensitive eyes. The cost is so insignificant I can’t even figure it out. 16 0z. of Cetaphil cleanser is around $11.
So that’s it. My top 5 list of favorite blinging budget beauty buys.
Do you have a favorite beauty buy you would like to share? Please leave your suggestion in the comment section.
One Comment
Veins
Getting ready to host a baby shower but you’re on a budget Learn the easy, elegant ways to pinch pennies without sacrificing charm and beauty. Veins