My Top 5 Affordable Beauty & Skincare Items

My Top 5 Affordable Skincare & Beauty Items | Writing Between Pauses

You guys know I love saving money. I'm not typically a spender; buying anything more than $30 requires me to spend at least a week thinking about it. Whenever I feel like I own too much stuff, I end up going on a huge purge where I get rid of what feels like half of everything I own. 

I wanted to share, alongside my tips for saving money, my favorite affordable products. These are the products that give me the most bang for my buck--something that is very important to me. 

1. Wet'n'Wild MegaCushion Foundation, $8.99

I posted about this foundation in my May empties post--I said then that it lasted me about 8+ weeks. Well, as the weather has gotten warmer, I've stopped wearing my super high coverage foundations. Instead, I've been wearing this one every day and I'm definitely going to need a new one by July. It's that good. I love how it looks on my skin so much! And for $8.99 (and often on sale at Walgreens), it's not going to break the bank! I use the shade Light Ivory (#106A) and it feels like a really close match to my skin tone. 

2. ColourPop Lippie Stix, $5.50

I received my first Lippie Stix (Stick?) in my very first ipsy bag, in the shade Glam Bag. At the time, I said I didn't think it was a very seasonally appropriate color and I stand by that assessment. However, now that it is actually, officially summer... I've been wearing this a ton. I told Danny that I planned to order a bunch of Lippie Stix for fall; he asked me how much they were. I said, "$5.50." He said, "go nuts then." Very few lipsticks have the same staying power, with velvety smooth feel, like the Lippie Stix. 

3. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, $11 (for 2)

Listen, I love that sponge I got in my May Ipsy bag, but at $17.50, it's not... quite worth it. Real Techniques sponges are $11 for 2 on the official Real Techniques website--but if you cruise your local Marshall's or TJ Maxx, they almost always have them for $3.99. 

4. ColourPop Super Shock Blush, $8 

I'm kind of a sucker for blush, which can be an expensive habit. Especially because the amount of blush the average person uses day to day is so small... there is no way I will be able to use all the blushes I own in the next year. Or two years. Or three years. But let me say, my favorite blushes are the ColourPop Super Shock blushes, which are only $8 a pop. I've mentioned before that I prefer purple-toned blushes, as it's the color most of us are more likely to flush (instead of peachy or straight pink). My favorite blush from ColourPop is the color Rain, which is a cool-toned lavender. 

5. bliss lemon & sage refreshing body wipes, $8

You know those times where you find yourself kind of sweaty and gross? For me, it's always when I'm out with Forrest; I've had to carry him across the parking lot and it's 80 degrees, he's swinging his feet, sweat is dripping down my back. Once we're all loaded up and in the car, I feel like a mess. I recently bought a pack of these bliss lemon & sage body wipes, which include deodorant, to keep in my car for emergencies. And really, they are miracle workers for freshening up on hot or stressful days, after working out, or when you finish work and need to head to an appointment. Plus, they smell amazing.