Although I feature a lot of high end beauty products on this blog, I am also a fan of budget products. Budget doesn't have to mean lower quality, just like a large price tag doesn't necessarily mean great quality (I learned that the hard way!). When the lovely Edel from The Pharmer's Journal tagged me to do Thirty under €20, I was up for the challenge but I had to change it to 20 under €20 because I couldn't find another ten products in my current collection under €20 but if you read my blog regularly, you will know that I love budget body lotions (Nivea, Garnier, Vaseline Intensive Care etc) but I just don't have any at the moment, also I love Soap & Glory foot & hand creams but again, don't have any at the moment. I wanted to only feature products that I actually use and have in my collection at the moment. I have a mixture of make-up, bodycare and a few miscellaneous products, so let's get started!
Make-up:
MAC lipsticks (€20). I'm a big fan of MAC lipsticks - I love that there are so many different finishes (cremesheen, lustre and matte being my favourites), a vast array of colours and they also have an addictive vanilla scent! The packaging is standard black with the MAC logo, so nothing particularly luxurious but sturdy and discreet.
Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer (€19.50). I absolutely fell in love with Clinique Lip Pops this year and now own seven of them and would definitely love to add more to my collection. These lipsticks are so comfortable to wear - they are moisturising and pigmented, leaving a stain on the lip when they fade. I also love how the colour is on the base of the case, which is brilliant if you are short on time but have lots of lipsticks! I would highly recommend these lipsticks next time you want to treat yourself without breaking the bank.
No7 Precision Lip Pencil (€8.75). No7 is a brand that I think is often over-looked, which is a real shame because it has some high quality products. I especially love these lip liners - they are pigmented, soft (so easier to apply) and retractable, which eliminates the need for a pencil sharpener.
Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil (€6.99). I love Nars Velvet Matte lip pencils, but these are brilliant, less expensive alternatives. Extremely pigmented - one swipe gives all the colour you need, comfortable to wear and long-lasting.
Finally for lips, I love NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss (€10) in the shade Beige - the name is misleading because it is actually a beautiful pink/nude shade. I love the almond scent, it is extremely pigmented and is non-sticky - a perfect gloss!
Now on to eye products and first up is Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner (€19.30). This liquid liner is extremely black, has a very fine nib and literally does not budge - I have quite watery eyes but this liner stays put, whereas most liquid liners smudge after a few hours.
Soap & Glory Archery 2 in 1 Brow Filling Pencil & Brush (€11). This is an exact dupe for the more expensive Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. It has a spoolie on one end and a retractable brow pencil on the other. I love retractable products because I don't always have a pencil sharpener to hand!
Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow (€10.49). I love these for an easy, one sweep eye look and also as a base for eyeshadows. I actually prefer them to MAC paint pots!
L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow (€10.79). Another one wash wonder for busy mornings or days when you don't want to do a full-on make-up look. These pressed pigments are pigmented, soft & buttery. Love them!
Finally for make-up are two face products from theBalm: Bahama Mama Bronzer (€17.50) and Frat Boy blush (€18). Bahama Mama bronzer is very similar to Benefit's Hoola and I love the quirky packaging. It also has a pretty good sized mirror inside the lid, which is a bonus for a bronzer at this price. Frat Boy is a beautiful peachy-pink blush, that is buttery and easy to blend. I highly rate all products from theBalm and the prices are very good for the quality.
Nails:
Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail Polish (€6.49). These nail polishes are the best budget nail polishes I've tried and actually so much better than a lot more expensive nail polishes I have used in the past. I love how opaque and glossy they are and they are also very long-lasting. They look pretty perfect for up to a week.
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Antichip Top Coat (€7.99). This top coat literally dries your nail polish in seconds and keeps them chip free for days. I love all Sally Hansen nail products that I've tried, although it can get confusing because there are so many nail treatments!
Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover (€2.49). This product removes polish in one sweep without drying the nails out. I've used Cutex nail polishes for years!
Bodycare:
Natural Bristle Body Brush (€13.99). I use this daily to help with exfoliation and to help the lymphatic system to detox. It is supposed to help with the elimination of cellulite but I'm unsure how true that is because I have been body brushing for years and still have some cellulite!
Garnier Body Oil Beauty Nourishing Body Scrub (€8.49). This is a brilliant body scrub, which I have mentioned several times on the blog already. It exfoliates without ripping the skin and the oil in it means that the skin is left soft and nourished.
Garnier Intense Care Multi Usage Moisturising Cream (€2.82). This multi-purpose moisturising cream is a little gem. It is perfect for hands, feet, elbows - anywhere that needs a little extra moisturising. It is the perfect size for popping in your handbag and perfect for travelling because it covers a lot of bases.
Hair & Skin:
No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover (€12). I've used this eye make-up remover for years but rarely pay full price because I usually stock up when Boots give the money off vouchers. I love bi-phase eye make-up removers because they really cut through the lashings of mascara I wear and remove all of my eye make-up without any tugging.
Sudocrem (€2.49). This has been a staple for years for me - it is perfect for spots, blemishes, rashes, cuts, scrapes - basically any skin problem you might have!
Tangle Teezer (€15.99). I had to include this because I use it daily on both wet and dry hair. It glides through my hair with ease - I can't remember what I did before I owned this! I have tried similar brushes but this is the best. Perfect for anybody with knotty hair.
All of these are products that I use regularly along side my high end products. Do you use any of them? I would love to know what your favourite budget beauty products are? Please tell me in the comments below!
Make-up:
MAC lipsticks (€20). I'm a big fan of MAC lipsticks - I love that there are so many different finishes (cremesheen, lustre and matte being my favourites), a vast array of colours and they also have an addictive vanilla scent! The packaging is standard black with the MAC logo, so nothing particularly luxurious but sturdy and discreet.
Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer (€19.50). I absolutely fell in love with Clinique Lip Pops this year and now own seven of them and would definitely love to add more to my collection. These lipsticks are so comfortable to wear - they are moisturising and pigmented, leaving a stain on the lip when they fade. I also love how the colour is on the base of the case, which is brilliant if you are short on time but have lots of lipsticks! I would highly recommend these lipsticks next time you want to treat yourself without breaking the bank.
No7 Precision Lip Pencil (€8.75). No7 is a brand that I think is often over-looked, which is a real shame because it has some high quality products. I especially love these lip liners - they are pigmented, soft (so easier to apply) and retractable, which eliminates the need for a pencil sharpener.
Maybelline Color Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil (€6.99). I love Nars Velvet Matte lip pencils, but these are brilliant, less expensive alternatives. Extremely pigmented - one swipe gives all the colour you need, comfortable to wear and long-lasting.
Finally for lips, I love NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss (€10) in the shade Beige - the name is misleading because it is actually a beautiful pink/nude shade. I love the almond scent, it is extremely pigmented and is non-sticky - a perfect gloss!
Now on to eye products and first up is Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner (€19.30). This liquid liner is extremely black, has a very fine nib and literally does not budge - I have quite watery eyes but this liner stays put, whereas most liquid liners smudge after a few hours.
Soap & Glory Archery 2 in 1 Brow Filling Pencil & Brush (€11). This is an exact dupe for the more expensive Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. It has a spoolie on one end and a retractable brow pencil on the other. I love retractable products because I don't always have a pencil sharpener to hand!
Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow (€10.49). I love these for an easy, one sweep eye look and also as a base for eyeshadows. I actually prefer them to MAC paint pots!
L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow (€10.79). Another one wash wonder for busy mornings or days when you don't want to do a full-on make-up look. These pressed pigments are pigmented, soft & buttery. Love them!
Finally for make-up are two face products from theBalm: Bahama Mama Bronzer (€17.50) and Frat Boy blush (€18). Bahama Mama bronzer is very similar to Benefit's Hoola and I love the quirky packaging. It also has a pretty good sized mirror inside the lid, which is a bonus for a bronzer at this price. Frat Boy is a beautiful peachy-pink blush, that is buttery and easy to blend. I highly rate all products from theBalm and the prices are very good for the quality.
Nails:
Maybelline Super Stay Gel Nail Polish (€6.49). These nail polishes are the best budget nail polishes I've tried and actually so much better than a lot more expensive nail polishes I have used in the past. I love how opaque and glossy they are and they are also very long-lasting. They look pretty perfect for up to a week.
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Antichip Top Coat (€7.99). This top coat literally dries your nail polish in seconds and keeps them chip free for days. I love all Sally Hansen nail products that I've tried, although it can get confusing because there are so many nail treatments!
Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover (€2.49). This product removes polish in one sweep without drying the nails out. I've used Cutex nail polishes for years!
Bodycare:
Natural Bristle Body Brush (€13.99). I use this daily to help with exfoliation and to help the lymphatic system to detox. It is supposed to help with the elimination of cellulite but I'm unsure how true that is because I have been body brushing for years and still have some cellulite!
Garnier Body Oil Beauty Nourishing Body Scrub (€8.49). This is a brilliant body scrub, which I have mentioned several times on the blog already. It exfoliates without ripping the skin and the oil in it means that the skin is left soft and nourished.
Garnier Intense Care Multi Usage Moisturising Cream (€2.82). This multi-purpose moisturising cream is a little gem. It is perfect for hands, feet, elbows - anywhere that needs a little extra moisturising. It is the perfect size for popping in your handbag and perfect for travelling because it covers a lot of bases.
Hair & Skin:
No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover (€12). I've used this eye make-up remover for years but rarely pay full price because I usually stock up when Boots give the money off vouchers. I love bi-phase eye make-up removers because they really cut through the lashings of mascara I wear and remove all of my eye make-up without any tugging.
Sudocrem (€2.49). This has been a staple for years for me - it is perfect for spots, blemishes, rashes, cuts, scrapes - basically any skin problem you might have!
Tangle Teezer (€15.99). I had to include this because I use it daily on both wet and dry hair. It glides through my hair with ease - I can't remember what I did before I owned this! I have tried similar brushes but this is the best. Perfect for anybody with knotty hair.
All of these are products that I use regularly along side my high end products. Do you use any of them? I would love to know what your favourite budget beauty products are? Please tell me in the comments below!
Thanks for reading!
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