31 Budget Beauty Products That Actually Work

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2 days ago

E.l.f.'s Pro Eyelash Curler to give you that gorgeous, dramatic curl that you desperately want, without having to apply layers upon layers of mascara. You are basically giving yourself a DIY lash lift at home for a *FRACTION* of the price.
Orrrr Arishine's Reusable Magnetic Eyeliner and Lashes Kit if you don't have the time, energy, or money to do those pesky glue-on lashes or expensive salon extensions. This comes with some kind of magical eyeliner made with ultra-fine magnetic particles that connect the lashes to your lids. Plus, if you care for 'em properly, you can reuse them over and over!
Fanola's purple shampoo to maintain that fresh-from-the-salon blonde, similar to Davines purple shampoo. Maybe now you can hold off on that expensive salon visit a liiiittle bit longer since the Fanola brand will keep you looking just as fresh as its contenders!
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil that nourishes and hydrates your skin with natural ingredients to give you that same ✨glow✨ you get with Tarte Maracuja Oil, just for a ~fraction~ of the price.
A rainbow-inspired eyeshadow palette with 40 shades (matte, shimmer, and metallic!) so you can get as creative as you could ever imagine. And somehow even with this wide variety *and* brilliant colors, it still won't cost more than $10!!
Care:Nel lip mask reviewers say is *spot on* to the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask that's viral on TikTok. This will hydrate your lips overnight while creating a protective barrier to help prevent future damage.
Eve Hansen Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Serum designed to help (stay with me here…) smooth wrinkles, brighten dark spots, firm skin, add moisture, reduce under-eye puffiness, and give you a beautiful glow. Not to mention it is more than 10 times (!!) less expensive than the highly sought-after TNS Essential Serum, but just as effective!
A jar of E.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer so you can feel confident that the makeup you just spent a lot of time on will actually stay in place all day. Plus this primer is designed to help reduce the appearance of your pores, so your skin will look extra ~smooth~ and hydrated.
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream with a thick, velvety texture to absorb quickly and provide you with 24 hours of hydration. You won't hesitate to buy this over the Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream, because you'll get 16x (!!!!) the product for HALF the price.
And CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream to help renew and hydrate your skin overnight with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, so you can have sweet dreams thinking of everything you can buy with the money you save from not getting Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Firming Moisturizer.
A bottle of L'Oréal *eight-second* lamellar water rinse-out treatment so you can achieve moisture, shine, and silkiness in EIGHT SECONDS?! — just like the Olaplex Hair Perfector, except faster and a third of the price.
LilyAna eye cream to help lighten those dark circles and decrease puffiness under your eyes just as well as Lancôme creams. Both of these are packed with vitamin C (and LilyAna with a bunch of other natural ingredients), which can help improve the appearance of fine lines or dullness in your skin.
A pack of PleasingCare bamboo oil-blotting sheets for the times you catch yourself looking greasy as HECK. These can quickly and easily remove excess oils just as well as Tatcha's popular blotting sheets, without messing up your makeup.
A teeth whitening pen to help you achieve those pearly whites you've always wanted. Simply spend 30 seconds a day brushing these on your teeth and then go about the rest of your life instead of having those Crest Whitestrips that have to sit on your teeth for upwards of an hour a day. Plus each pen gets you about 20+ treatments whereas one box of strips is only 16 treatments.
A container of Albolene moisturizing cleanser reviewers are loving as an equally effective — and much more affordable — makeup remover compared to Clinique Take The Day Off balm. Massage this balm on your face and watch your makeup melt away.
Or a makeup cleansing cloth that works just like the MakeUp Eraser to remove A L L your makeup by just adding water…yes, even waterproof makeup. Buhbyeee wasteful makeup removing wipes! How does it make sense? IDK maybe it's magic, but whatever it is, it *works.*
Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener perfect for anyone who wants to trick everyone around them into thinking they got a full nine hours of sleep when in reality, they got maybe six. 😖 This stuff is basically the makeup of the future because it's designed with a color-adapting formula to help your bags ~disappear~, giving you instant coverage with a lightweight feel. And let's not forget it's much cheaper than the $33 Becca version.
Peach and Lilly acne spot dots that work just as well as the fan favorite Mighty Patches. Just stick one of these bad boys on your pimple overnight and be amazed (/disgusted) by the results when you wake up.
The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Foaming Facial Cleanser, which could basically be the only step in your skincare routine if you really wanted it to be. It'll help brighten, cleanse, moisturize, and remove your makeup all at once, which is pretty impressive itself, and on top of that, reviewers rave about it being a cheaper alternative to Tatcha Rice Wash, so I'd call that a win–win.
A L'Oréal illuminating moisturizer to instantly give you a ✨glow✨ while also hydrating your skin. The subtle tint will provide you a nice, light coverage on those days when you absolutely *cannot* with a full face of makeup.
Elizabeth Mott's Thank Me Later Eye Primer, which will help make sure that smoky eye (that you spent way longer on than you'd like to admit) actually lasts through the night instead of melting off your face as soon as you walk out the door.
Maybelline's Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil to transform your sparse brows into the full ones of your dreams. You can make 'em bushier than a bunny's tail if that's the vibe you're going for.
A six-piece set of high-performance matte lipsticks so you can have ~options~ and still pay less than what you'd pay for *one* color of another brand. Don't worry, just because they're inexpensive doesn't mean they are cheap — reviewers are saying they perform just as well as those more expensive brands.
Nyx's Pore Filler Targeted Stick to give your skin the ultimate ~blurring~ effect that'll help smooth and reduce the appearance of pores. It's pretty much the closest you're gonna get to Photoshop in real life and won't even cost you 10 bucks.
A tea tree and peppermint Remedy Soap made with aloe vera and vitamins C and E to help combat a plethora of skin irritations (we're talking dry skin, acne, athlete's foot, jock itch, and more!) plus it's just overall nourishing for everyday use. And it won't break the bank. Dare I say we have found the holy grail of soaps?!
E.l.f's Lash Xtndr Tubing Mascara which is super futuristic and ahhh-mazing for anyone with thin or fragile lashes. Instead of rubbing the living heck out of your eyes at the end of a long day ~desperately~ trying to get all the mascara off, this stuff just magically glides off in little tubes to save you all that struggle when you just wanna go to bed.
A lip liner stain you apply, leave on for a little while, and peel away to create a perfect, long-lasting liner that'll stay on for up to 24 hours!!
Promising review: "I've wanted to try this lip stain ever since I saw it on TikTok last year. It didn't disappoint either. The lip stain is thick, but goes on smoothly and leaves such a beautiful color. It will stain wherever it touches, keep that in mind when using it. I left mine on for a little longer than suggested and it lasted into the next day. 10/10 highly recommend!" —murphlovesitGet it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in six shades).
Gold Bond's firming neck and chest cream formulated with aloe, salicylic acid, and jojoba oil to help hydrate, smooth, and gently exfoliate your skin — with most people seeing results within two weeks (and some even less)!
A deliciously soothing, super gentle Briotech spray with SO many uses: helps minimize acne, calms down sunburn, can reduce eczema irritation, combats bug bite itchiness, and more! Plus there's just something about a quick spritz onto your face that's so refreshing. 😌 Annnd it's a cheaper alternative to the beloved Tower 28 SOS Spray.
CoverGirl's TruBlend matte concealer that blends so seamlessly you might be ready to ditch the foundation forever and strictly use this (under $10!!!) concealer.
L'Oréal Paris Collagen Daily Face Moisturizer reviewers equate to the $80 ~designer~ Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream but wayyyy cheaper and still just as hydrating, plumping, and smoothing. You're gonna love how it makes your skin feel without leaving your pores clogged or your face feeling greasy.