Drug Store Beauty Products under $10

I can admit it, I’m a product junkie. If I could, I’d spend an entire day running up and down the aisles of Sephora. But, I refuse to pay a crazy amount of $$$ for any one product. Check out the quick video below for a rundown of my top five drug store beauty products under $10.

Feel free to comment and let me know what your must have affordable products are.

Tags: hair care, makeup, Sephora, skincare, under $10

Top {Affordable} Beauty Products

It ain’t easy being green a girl. Maintaining hair, makeup, nails, etc can get pretty expensive. But here are some tried and true {affordable} products that solve any beauty dilemma.

Band-Aid Blister Block, $7.49
I started using this about two years ago and it’s literally brought me great comfort. There’s nothing worse than having a great pair of heels or sandals but the straps rub against your skin causing blisters. The wax-like portable stick forms a barrier between your shoes and your skin so there’s no longer a love hate relationship between you and your favorite pair of stilettos.

Bio-Oil, $11.99
A great multi-use product is something everyone loves. This non-greasy oil does everything from aid in healing scars, reduce the appearance of stretch marks and moisturizes dehydrated skin. It doesn’t take much for an insect bite or mark to leave a scar on my skin, but when I had a slight burn from getting my eyebrows waxed (that’s a story for another day), I applied the oil immediately and my skin was like new. And a little of this stuff goes a long way so a bottle will last for a while.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance, $17
This is another product that lasts forever. Every lover of eye shadow has had the dreaded experience of it creasing or fading only hours after it’s been applied. A small dab of the primer keeps shadow looking perfect from day to night. I love this product so much I gave it as part of a Christmas gift.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub, $4.29
Besides the yummy smell, the small granules exfoliate skin without leaving it feeling dry or irritated. Years ago my dermatologist recommended this as a cheap facial cleanser that would even out my skin. I’ve been using it every since.

And an honorable mention has to go to Trader Joe’s Nourish Spa Conditioner. I just started using this creamy conditioner and my dry strands instantly felt moisturized and soft to the touch. It’s free of sulfates and the top ingredients are all organic. At only $2.99, it’s a product that will be getting heavy rotation in my hair routine.

What are your cheap beauty finds that you swear by?

Tags: beauty products, heels, makeup

Beauty on a Dime

This post is for all the single ladies, all the single ladies (just kidding, it’s for attached chicas as well). It’s expensive being a broad, especially if you’re “high maintenance.” Between hair, nails, clothes and killer heels, the bills can start racking up. Of course we know true beauty is on the inside and all the good stuff, but what do you do when you wanna put your best face forward but your funds are practically nonexistent?

Hair: No look is complete if your ‘do isn’t done. Cuts, colors, perms any other chemical treatment you can think of costs more than we’d like to spend. Years ago I got the bright idea of dying my own locs. It resulted in orange hair. Well, not my entire head, just the roots and the rest was auburn. Not cool. I’m a DIY type girl but when it comes to chemicals, I’d rather stick with the professionals. But the pros are too frickin’ expensive. Bumble and Bumble and Aveda Institutes have cosmetology schools that offer free or low cost services. You won’t be assigned a world class colorist but they’re supervised, advanced students nearing the end of their course work. And if you’re in certain “urban” areas, then you know all too well about the Dominican salons. For $20 to $40 you can get the best blowout of your life. Whether you have the kinkiest kurls or straight strands, these mamacitas can do it all and you’ll walk out looking like a Pantene commercial.

Makeup: Cosmetic companies make a killing off of a woman’s need for the latest and greatest mascara, foundation and any other doohickey we’re convinced will make us beautiful. If you’re prepping for a night out, hit up a high end department store beauty counter for an expert makeup application. I have friends who’ve done this but I’m always so paranoid they’ll get ticked off if I don’t buy the products. When you do decide to actually purchase makeup, sites like Sephora and Ulta always some kind of promotion going on that offers free shipping, deluxe samples with your purchase and other goodies. And don’t forget your local drugstore pretty much has anything you want (who really needs to spend $25 for Dior mascara anyway?). The Sunday paper is chock full ‘o coupons for Maybelline and L’Oréal and the company’s individual sites often have coupons you can print. If you’re super cheap (like me!), you can’t go wrong with Wet n Wild. Seriously, one of the best eyeliners in my beauty arsenal is from their line. At around $1 a pop and in a ton of colors, can you really go wrong?

Mani/Pedi: The summer season is over but that’s no reason to slack off on taking care of your digits. In most areas you can find a salon that offers a $20 mani pedi combo on certain days. There’s nothing like being pampered, but on days where 20 bucks is still too much, once again, your local drugstore is your BFF. A bottle of polish costs a few bucks, divide that by the number of applications you can get out of it and your mani or pedi is only a few cents, versus $20. You can even get creative with designs, like this funky leopard print mani tutorial below.

Tags: Aveda, hair, makeup, Mani Pedi, Sephora