As us frugal women know, beauty products don’t have to cost a ton of money or be overly complicated. Here’s some fabulous beauty buys that won’t break the bank and actually work. Most of these are under $10 and can be found at drugstores or discount chains like Wal-Mart, Target or Kmart.
Covergirl Bombshell Volume
I’m very picky when it comes to mascara. My lashes are short, sparse and I even have a couple of lashes that have turned white, so I want something that darkens, thickens, and doesn’t flake. I picked this new Covergirl Bombshell Volume by lashblast mascara at Target for $8.99 and really like it. It’s a dual-sided mascara that promises to volumize and intensify lashes and for me, it worked. The brush wands are short and a bit chunky but for my hands and how I apply my mascara, I actually prefer this over a longer brush wand. I read some other reviews on this and found a lot of women who said it was very difficult to remove. I actually remove my mascara with olive oil so I personally didn’t have a challenge with this. Do I love this mascara? No. But then again, I’ve never loved a mascara so much that I don’t keep trying to find the BEST one out there. Would I buy this again? Yes…until I find “the one.”
Almay Shadow Softies
Less than $5.00 for these Almay Shadow Softies. Twelve matte and metallic shades with long lasting color that are crease resistant with a silky texture…I want one in each color!
Olay’s Total Effects 7 In One Moisturizer + Serum Duo (With Sunscreen,)
Recently I ran out of my Mary Kay moisturizer, which I’ve been using for the past year and really liked. Because I get busy and forget about a million things a day, I forgot to order more when I was running low. I remembered I should have ordered it when I totally ran out and needed moisturizer now. I had read some excellent reviews on Olay’s Total Effects 7 In One Moisturizer + Serum Duo (With Sunscreen,) so I decided to give it a try. I picked mine up at Target for $17.99, which might not necessarily be super cheap but it’s a lot less expensive than most moisturizers. Of course, if it didn’t work, it wouldn’t matter how inexpensive it was. I’ve been using it for 2 weeks now and really like it. In fact, I like it so much, there’s no reason for me to not continue using it. Designed to fight 7 signs of aging in one step, ( lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness, visible pores, uneven tone, uneven skin texture, dryness, and dullness,) this really delivered what it promised for me. My skin has a silkier texture and I’ve noticed a difference in my skin tone. Some of my fine lines are actually a bit less apparent too. I also like the fact that it has serum in it so that eliminates a step for me and it contains a sunscreen (SPF 15.)
Revlon Colorstay
I haven’t personally tried this foundation but each year, it wins awards for being a fabulous “budget-buy.” Revlon Colorstay ($9.99 at Target,) comes in two different formulas. The combination/oily skin formula has a “Time Release Technology” formulated to control oil absorption and shine all day. The normal/dry contains a “Time Release Technology” with an oil-free, moisture-balance formula that continuously provides hydration. Both come in lots of different colors. The natural looking liquid foundation feels light and provides medium coverage that lasts for hours; doesn’t cake, fade or rub off.
Jergens Natural Glow lotion
For a “natural” glow, I highly recommend Jergens Natural Glow lotion, which “gradually creates flawless, natural-looking color when used once daily.”I recently got a bit of a tan while on vacation and wanted to extend it without using something that was going to turn me orange and look fake. I tried the Daily Moisturizer with Sunscreen, Medium to Tan formula and 3 weeks after vacation, I still look tanned (and my skin is super soft.) I had a friend try the Fair To Medium formula and after daily use for over a week, she said she’s seeing her legs have color and she too, loves it. And it doesn’t have an odor, which a lot of the others ones do. ($8.79 at Target)
Maybelline’s Color Sensational Lipcolors
Another budget beauty product that wins awards every year is Maybelline’s Color Sensational Lipcolors. Sixty-eight shades, a creamy feel from nourishing honey nectar, hydrating, long-wearing and less than $6.00.
Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Cream
Dry, rough hands? This Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Hand Cream will help make them smooth and soft again. Non-greasy, this cream absorbs quickly and contains alpha hydroxy which helps exfoliate damaged skin. Wal-Mart sells this 2-pack for less than $9…so you can keep one at home and one in your purse.
Revlon’s ColorStay Shadow Links
Another eye shadow I’ve been wanting to try is Revlon’s ColorStay Shadow Links. Known as the “Legos” of eyeshadow, these shades can snap together to build your own ideal palette. Thirty shades to choose from and at $2.99, you can afford as many colors as you want.
Breezy Blue Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear
Nail polish is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to create your own fabulous fashion statement. Pastels are trending right now with spring right around the corner. I love the colors that Essie and OPI have but at $7 to $9 a bottle I tend to stick with Sally Hansen, which has comparable colors and costs a lot less. I bought this Breezy Blue Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear (which looks a lot like Essie color “Find Me An Oasis”) for only $2.49 at Target. I never have problems with chipping when I use Sally Hansen.
Healthy Glow Bronzer
My favorite deal of the month was a bronzer I picked up at Target. I have always had good luck with e.l.f. products and this Healthy Glow Bronzer was everything I look for in a bronzer. (Normally $1.00 at Target, the day I bought mine, it was on sale for 80 cents…seriously.) I bought the “warm tan” shade since I already had a bit of color on my face. The sun kissed shade was a bit lighter. This blends evenly, added a sheer radiance to my face without being too orange or dark and it’s perfect for all over the body too. I even used it as an eye shadow one day. Best dollar deal I’ve found in a long time. You don’t have to use a lot so this should last me quite a long time.
Kitchen Cosmetics…
On a totally different subject…Well, actually it is cosmetic, just not for the face.
When I took pictures in the kitchen and later looked at them, I was appalled at how bad our grout looked on the kitchen counters! A lot of the grout, especially around the sink, was cracked and chipped. My husband found a Groupon deal with DMC Construction for 3 hours of grout work for $99, which he bought. We have a large kitchen and some of the grout was just fine, with other areas really bad. At first we were going to have just the cracked areas filled but after talking to the gentleman who was doing the work, Douglas Compton, we decided to have him remove all the grout and then we’d fill it in ourselves, which would mean all the grout matched. I really appreciated the fact that he said he thought we were capable of doing that instead of trying to get more work out of us! He told my husband what to get and then showed him how to do it. Now for those of you who personally know us, you know we’re not the handiest of people. We actually called an electrician out once, not realizing the light bulb had just burned out and that’s why the light wasn’t working!
The before grout..
And the after…
Very proud of my hubby and we will be using Douglas again…cause we have a ton of projects and not enough time! DMC Construction got an A+ with the Better Business Bureau and does a lot more than just grout! We would totally recommend this company and no, we didn’t get a discount by mentioning it in this post, which isn’t how I operate. You can contact Douglas Compton at douglas.dmcconstruction@gmail.com if you have any work around the house you need a pro for.
