It’s a no brainer that every woman deserves to look her best—at any budget. Regardless of if you know the MAC counter makeup artists by name, or are a Duane Reade rewards member (hey, who says you can’t be both?), these five beauty cheapies are just as good as their pricier competitors—so you can bulk up your makeup bag without exhausting your wallet.
1. Covergirl LashBlast Mascara: The hype surrounding this mascara is absolutely spot-on. If you want look-at-me-now lashes without the eye-popping price tag, then LashBlast is definitely the mascara for you. The compact brush plumps every lash from root to tip, with no midday flaking or clumping. Stash the waterproof version in your purse (waterproof mascara is known to keep lashes curlier, longer) for those occasional touchups, and you’re all set.
2. Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm: This is, without a doubt, one of the best matte lip stains out on the market, drugstore or otherwise. The seamless texture, all-day wear, and minty flavor combined with the super-pigmented colors make it a quadruple threat. Try #250 Standout for the perfect-for-all-skin-tones red, and count on buying multiples.
3. Suave Professionals Moroccan Infusion Deep Conditioning Shine Mask: For those wickedly bad hair days (when your hair looks more like a mane than you’d care to admit), a deep-conditioning mask does double duty when compared to typical conditioner. This mask—to be used as you would your normal conditioner—uses Moroccan oil to get even the driest hair types soft and super-shiny. Not to mention, it smells incredible.
4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB 8-in-1 Beauty Balm Skin Perfector: Like its name suggests, this BB cream is, in fact, the perfect way to even out your complexion when foundation just feels like too much work. Super light (so it still shows off those cute nose freckles), pore minimizing, and with SPF 30, you—and your face—will not feel guilty about smoothing this on every morning.
5. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly: Okay, so this may not be a beauty buy per se, but—believe you me—it is the miracle of the beauty world. From an expert makeup remover (even for that waterproof mascara mentioned above), to an ultra-effective lip moisturizer, there’s a reason why a tub of Vaseline has been in your medicine cabinet (and your mother’s, and probably her mother’s too) for half of an eternity (does the stuff even expire? Talk about convenient). For those feeling a little daring, mix some in with your favorite powder blush or eye shadow for a dewy update to your classic makeup routine.
