Cheap-O Beauty: Make-Up on a Budget

by Musleha Munir

With the direction the economy is heading and the unemployment rate sharply on the rise, this is clearly not the time for anyone to be splurging on expensive products. Thus, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite budget-friendly cosmetic finds that do justice to their more expensive counterparts found in high-end stores, such as Sephora.

1.       CoverGirl Perfect Point Eye Pencil $5.29 – I absolutely love this eyeliner! It goes on smoothly and as the darkest of blacks, stays put all day and is easy to smudge too! It has a great sponge tip to smudge which also hides a sharpener.

2.       Sonia Kashuk Brushes – I firmly believe that to do anything properly, one must have the right tools. In the case of makeup, a girl has to have a great set of brushes. It makes all the difference in the world. Unfortunately, a great set of brushes usually creates a pretty big dent in the bank account.  Luckily, Sonia Kashuk for Target has great quality brushes, ranging from Kabuki brushes, eyeshadow brushes to foundation brushes, at much more affordable prices!

3.       Loreal Colour Juice Lipgloss $8.59 – If you’re anything like me, you probably have a collection of lipglosses that all look like varying shades but when are applied all end up looking like the same color. This is the most irritating thing in the world! Cue in Loreal Colour Juice Lipgloss! This lipgloss is awesome because when applied it actually has real pigment! My personal favorite from this collection is Tutti Frutti, a hot pink that looks great for a splash of color.

4.       Prestige Eyeshadow $3.99 – I happened to stumble onto this product out of sheer desperation after searching for a very specific color and when Sephora and MAC were of no help, I happened to see the exact shade I was searching for on clearance at Walgreens. I figured for $1.29 I didn’t have anything to lose and, lo and behold… the pigment was strong, stayed on and overall, was as good as anything from Sephora!

5.       Burt’s Bees Lip Balm $3.00 – I cannot describe how much I love this lip balm! I love everything about it: from its minty smell, to the tingly feeling upon application to how it works wonders on even the most chapped of lips! If you haven’t tried this product yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for!

6.       Rimmel London Glam Eyes Mascara $7.29- This is my new favorite mascara! It does everything it says it does and more: it separates, lengthens, voluminizes and makes your lashes really stand out. But best of all, this is clump free and has cute packaging to boot. Whenever I wear this, I get tons of compliments on my eyelashes and it’s all owed to this mascara!

7.       HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner $11.79 – Eyeliner is a way of life for me, and I’m constantly experimenting with it: different colors and styles. I tried this one out on a whim and was surprised to find out that it’s easily comparable to the MAC Fluidline! It’s easy to apply, doesn’t smudge and comes in beautiful, rich colors that bring out brown eyes. My only advice is to get a better eyeliner brush rather than using the one that comes with the eyeliner.

8.       Rimmel Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer $7.59 – Ever since I got a sample of Smashbox’s infamous face primer, I had wanted to buy it. But at $36 for a 1 oz. bottle, I was unwilling to make a commitment. When I saw this in the makeup aisle, I decided to give it a try with low expectations. Well, needless to say, this primer completely surprised me! It actually works just as well as Smashbox’s primer and gives you more “bang for your buck” since this is only costs a quarter of the its more expensive counterpart.

9.       N.Y.C. Long-Wearing Nail Enamel $0.99 – I’m a strong believer in not spending a lot on nailpolish because ultimately whether it was for $1 a bottle or $19, it’s going to chip. So why not just buy a cheap bottle and buy in every color your heart desires? With N.Y.C.’s $0.99 price tag you can definitely do so with its wide range of colors, everything from cherry red to electric blue to a nude pastel.

10.   L’Oreal True Match Foundation & Powder $10.39 – Both L’Oreal products have won many awards for being so inexpensive, yet offering great coverage and blending seamlessly. Having used both products, I must say the coverage is great and it blends in so well that you can’t even tell I’m wearing any foundation! Another great thing is that you can easily build up coverage. I often use the foundation as concealer too.