Five Cheapest but BEST Makeup Products

As an avid YouTube watcher, I know the frustration that can ensue when you love someone’s style and taste and trust her opinion, but it seems like you can’t afford any of the makeup she’s recommending.  Or, you don’t have a beauty channel so you’re just not going to spend as much as her on makeup.

That’s why I’ve made this concise list of some makeup staples that are comparable to high end – or even just more expensive drugstore makeup.  Because “drugstore makeup” sounds “budget friendly” but if you want to purchase a few different products, you’ll notice how $10 lipsticks and $8 liners can add up fast.

So here, for you and your wallet, are five of some of the cheapest but best makeup products around.

Wet N Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow: Walking on Eggshells Trio

Wet N Wild eye shadows are the best and least expensive out there.  If you want a small palette of well-coordinated, nicely pigmented, shimmery, high quality eye shadows then definitely look to Wet N Wild.  Trios are $2.99, Eight-pans are $4.99, and Single Shadows are $1.99.  All are an absolute bargain, and you can create any look you want (besides a matte one) from the color selection. My personal favorite is the Walking on Eggshells Trio.  It creates a beautiful everyday look that will suit most pale skin tones.  Go look at the selection and find what’s best for you; the resulting look will be what you expect from how the shadows look in the pan.

 

Jordana Fabuliner in 01 Black

I got this recommendation from the vivacious personalities of EleventhGorgeous.  They too have an affinity for cheap makeup, and they endlessly recommend this liquid liner from Jordana. First of all, it’s $1.99. That’s significantly cheaper than any high end liner and most drugstore liners.  Second of all, it works.  It’s a felt tip – ideal for beginners – and it has a shape that makes both thin and thick lines achievable.  Also, a bonus for those of you who are liner-challenged like me: it takes a few seconds for it to dry, so if you mess up it’s easy to wipe your mistake away.  But once it dries, it’s not moving.  This liner ticks all the boxes.

Wet N Wild Color Icon Brow & Eye Liner in Taupe

Let me clarify my recommendation: these are not particularly good eye liners.  They do have a great color selection, but they’re pretty mediocre around the eyes. Primarily because they smudge.  If that doesn’t bother you, then they are still a good value at $.99.

The reason I am so excited about this liner is its use as a brow liner.  The trouble with brow liner is most liners aren’t cool-toned enough to work for most people’s brow color. I had been hearing from blogs and vlogs that most people use high end brands like Anastasia and Dior, whose liners cost upward of $20.  Way too much.  This liner is the perfect solution.  It’s blendable, easy to apply, has a ton of product, and most importantly comes in the perfect shades.

I have light brown hair and use Taupe, which is probably also suitable for blondes with dark brows or dark brunettes with light brows.  I also believe the color Dark Brown should work well for those of you with darker eyebrows.

Wet N Wild MegaVolume Mascara

Mascara is the one product I would never consider buying high end.  When I was 15 a friend told me to get Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara and I remember solemnly handing my twenty dollar bill to the clerk, sad to see my earnings from my chores go so quickly.  I wish I had known then what I know now: drugstore mascaras are every bit as good as high end mascaras.  It’s just a matter of finding the one you like: dry or wet, buildable or one coat, thickening or lengthening, natural or bold.  There are plenty of duds, but far more winners.

My recommendation thus, is one that is very cheap but gets the job done: Wet N Wild MegaVolume. (Can you tell I like Wet N Wild?) It’s black, thickening, lengthening, doesn’t flake, doesn’t smudge, clump-free, buildable, lasts all day, but isn’t difficult to remove. Not to mention it’s $2.99.  It won’t give you as much drama as with other mascaras, but it can give you a great natural look.

 

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick

I am OBSESSED with this lipstick.  It comes in two finishes: Lasting and Matte. Both are great, non-drying, flattering formulas.  It comes in a variety of great colors: nude, pink, berry, red.  I tend to buy bolder lipsticks, but this collection offers a variety that I’m sure anyone could find a great color from. (Checkout swatches from the Matte Collection.) Not to mention they retail for around $5-6.  And when you buy lipstick like I do, that definitely makes a difference over $10 lipsticks from Revlon or L’Oreal.

There it is! Five Cheap Makeup Staples I swear by. In all it’s glory.  I hope this was helpful, or at the very least you enjoyed my attempt at engaging prose.

Katie