Beauty does not have to be expensive. I've tried a lot of different makeup brands over the past few years and the following by far top my "affordably fabulous list."
NYX
I have to give beauty YouTuber LustreLux credit for introducing me to NYX. When I first heard about it I literally went from store to store seeking out the brand's products and trying a bunch. My favorite product of theirs is HD eye shadow base - I use it everyday. As you can see by the photo below, it has seen better days. At $7 a pop, you really can't go wrong. It does an excellent job at getting me through the workday without having to reapply my shadow. Their eyes shadows I have tried are also quite pigmented for the price.
ColourPop
This is one of the newer brands I've tried and recommend the Lippy Stixs ($5 each), Ultra Matte Lip ($6 each), and any of their eye shadows. For $6 Matt Lip products, I was initially pleasantly surprised how long the color lasted. The shadows are soft and remind me of clay, however, I've found that using them with a primer is a must. Proceeds from shadows Puppy Love and Cat Nap go toward Best Friends Animal Society (nice gesture)!
BH Cosmetics
This is another brand I was introduced to by a beauty YouTuber - Carli Bybel. I had been hearing her talking about how great BH is and how she used the brand when she first started out with makeup because of the quality and affordability. Recently I had a chance to try her BH palette, pictured. My initial thought was: these are very pretty colors that match anything. Carli uses the palette ($20) for everyday looks. It's filled with enough shadows and highlighters that I can use it alone with my eye shadow primer, mascara, and BB cream (or foundation if you prefer). One small little con I did notice was that the shadow flew onto other parts of my face - so before applying shake off some of the excess shadow and don't cake it on the brush.
e.l.f
A few months ago I started seeing e.l.f being sold in what seems like everywhere - Wegmans, Old Navy, etc. which was quite exciting. For $50 or less you can do your entire face. I can personally speak to the brand's brushes, color correction products, lengthening and defining and mascara, and smudge pots. The smudge pots are my favorite; at $3 each they can be worn alone or my favorite way to wear them - as an eye shadow base. I've found that they are best applied with a finger. I wouldn't buy the mascara again but for a $1 I recommend trying it at least once.
What are some of your favorite affordable brands? Let me know on Twitter.
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.