Skincare is one area when I don’t mind spending the money on quality ingredients and great formula. However, when I first started to become more interested in beauty, I made the mistake of judging quality on price. This seems silly now and quite snobbish, but I always went for luxury cosmetics and high-priced products, thinking they must be better, hence the hefty price tag. Then, as I started to research more, learn about ingredients, realized the shady side of beauty marketing and generally became more informed, I let go of these superficial preconceptions. While I’m still willing to spend money on products, as I said, I no longer think budget-friendly options do not exist. What I buy depends on the ingredients, the formula, and my own experiences with the brands and products.
First of all, make no mistake; the beauty industry operates with HUGE markups. The exact numbers are not disclosed as I guess they are closely related to the ingredients and the formula and they are usually trade secrets.
Some ingredients and innovations may be costlier than others. Organic anything, for example, is generally more expensive than “normal”. Quality cold-pressed natural oils, like argan or rosehip, can cost more than regular sunflower oil.
The packaging also sometimes makes a product more expensive, especially if the packaging itself is a design and brand statement.
Location matters as well – for several reasons. In theory, if a brand retails exclusively online, it should affect the price – as they do not have to maintain brick-and-mortar stores. Whether you sell in CVS or Sephora makes a difference as well. Also, some brands adjust their prices to specific countries – Australia is notorious for that.
And of course, and this is probably the biggest reason behind the big prices, brands need to maintain their elaborate, worldwide marketing machinery of campaigns, influencers, celebrity spokespersons, stores, ads, videos, creative and we are the ones paying for it.
Price is hugely dependent on the brand image – premier brands sell expensive products, because, well, they can. Image, ad, and the surrounding myth also weigh in. My favorite (as in extremely annoying) example is the overpriced La Mer cosmetics. The ingredient list is nothing to write home about, and I don’t know where they would be without that pseudo-scientific marketing stuff.
But how do you decide whether to splurge or save or what is even “worth it”?
+ Read the labels. I cannot stress this enough. Believe me, it gets easier and you will have no difficulty deciding whether it’s even worth trying the product. Here’s a beginner’s guide on how to read product labels.
+ Consider the amount. Look at how much you’re getting for the price. You can take the price, divide it by weight and you get the price per gram. It may turn out that a more expensive option is totally worth it in the long run because you get more uses out of it.
+ Test it. Whenever I can, I ask for samples or swatch the makeup products to get a first impression of the texture, colors, or how my skin reacts to them.
+ Read reviews. Find a couple of credible reviewers and consider their opinion. It’s not bulletproof of course, because how a product works can depend on a lot of things, and what may work for me may not work for you, but it’s a good starting point.
Related: How to avoid expensive “bloggers made me buy it” mistakes
+ Decide what you’re willing to pay. Set a mental threshold, it makes shopping a lot easier.
+ Use and accept. The most expensive things are the ones we don’t use, regardless of the original price. If I find something that I truly love, and that works for me, I usually do not have regrets about the price I’m paying (within sensible limits).
Quality does not necessarily depend on price. I’m often trying to remind myself of this, so I do not fall into the “more expensive is necessarily better” trap. My routine includes a $9 serum and a $100 night cream as well because I equally love both of them.
Related: 10 smart tips to become a better beauty shopper
With that said, these are my absolute favorite (may I say holy grail), budget-friendly products I fell in love with in recent years. Budget-friendly is, of course, subjective, but these products definitely do not fall into the luxury category and in my opinion, are worth every cent.
10 favorite budget-friendly beauty finds
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Niacinamide (B3 vitamin) is probably my favorite vitamin when it comes to skin care. I first wrote about this product here and I love it just as much as I did then. B3 can help reduce redness and calm breakouts, it strengthens the skin’s barrier function, has great anti-aging properties and can boost collagen production. Zinc is also anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant. The product is oil-free, alcohol-free and silicone-free. As for its effects: this is one of those long-term magic products. There’s no OMG overnight change, but after a couple of weeks I noticed my skin was a lot smoother, the texture more even and brighter. My skin is generally blemish-free so I cannot speak for its acne-fighting benefits, but even for normal skin, this really is a very budget-friendly Holy Grail product, definitely competing with some of my pricier serums.
Btw, The Ordinary is an interesting case study on the quality/price issue. Some of their products are really great, like this one or the retinols. However, others simply did not deliver and not just regarding the results: The High-Spreadability Fluid Primer primer I tried was not the greatest formula ever, and very far from spreadable. I actually ended up ditching half the bottle, because it was so heavy, it totally clumped, and I was unable to get the product out of the bottle. The founder explains the reasons for the price range in this interview, and it sounds perfectly plausible especially because their formulations are actually quite simple, but probably not everything they do is absolutely perfect, so test and try, do not only buy based on price. ($7)
Weleda Skin Food
For a long time, I couldn’t really find a place for multipurpose healing balms in my skincare routine. My skin has never been particularly dry and I frequently skip body moisturizing (that I totally shouldn’t btw), so I’ve never seen the benefits of them. That is until I started my retinol routine and suddenly had dry as hell patches all over my face. I had 2 skin saviors: Farmacy’s Honey savior was one of them. Weleda’s Skin Food was the other, and the more budget-friendly of the two. It’s a very rich cream that’s really like food for skin – it heals and moisturizes beautifully, largely due to the various oils, the lanolin, the beeswax, and the chamomile extract it contains. All I need is a tiny dab, so I predict one little tube will last a long time. ($19)
Lanolips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm
My chapped lips savior. I’ve probably tried like 30 different lip balms and this is simply the best I found so far. The tinted versions even have SPF in them. It’s super moisturizing, has a smooth, non-sticky texture, and lasts a very long time. Works in the harshest conditions, it saved my lips during ski trips several times. ($6)
Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm in Red Dahlia
Another favorite lip balm, I actually prefer this to the tinted versions of the Lanolips, because the color is spot-on for fall/winter. It’s quite hydrating, lasts a long time, glides on smoothly, and has the most beautiful and natural berry tint ever (also, how great is that name?). ($5)
Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk
While I’m all about oil and balm cleansers in the evening, for the mornings, I prefer refreshing gels or smooth cleansing milks. I first discovered this Andalou cleanser in Whole Foods when I was living in the US, and instantly fell in love. The smell is divine, a nice apricot, which already puts me in a good mood in the morning. It’s moisturizing and leaves my skin glowy and smooth. Unfortunately, this is one product that doesn’t seem to be available in the online world for me in Hungary, so I make sure to stack up on it, whenever I’m in London. ($12.95)
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Nourishing Body Lotion with Nordic Berry
If there’s one skincare area, where I definitely and actively seek out cheap options, it’s body lotions. They usually run out so fast that I regret spending too much money on them. With that said, I do love some pricier options, like Kiehl’s Creme de Corps or L’Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate but they are kept for special occasions. For everyday use, this Neutrogena product is simply amazing. It absorbs really fast, is not greasy, has a great moisturizing effect, and a lovely, subtle scent. ($7)
Pixi Glow Tonic
The Glow Tonic is one of the most popular AHA toners out there – and with good reason. It’s very mild without the familiar tingling feeling of stronger acids. I basically use this every day (without the exception of Wednesday, which is my Liquid Gold acid day) and it’s really a game changer. It brightens, smoothes, softens, and firms the skin. While it’s no substitute for stronger acids, as I said, for everyday use, it’s the perfect combination of price and efficiency. ($28)
Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Hanky Panky
Eyeshadow quality generally can be very hit and miss, almost independently of the price. However, I did have more negative experiences with cheap eyeshadow formulas – they often fall, smudge, or do not have a lasting effect. But Colourpop’s Super Shock Shadows definitely deliver, and for a very friendly $5 price. They have such a unique formula and texture, incredibly silky, halfway between a cream and powder. They go on beautifully, last hours, and have great color intensity. Ever since I got this shadow, basically this is all I’ve been wearing non-stop. Absolutely the best neutral color and shadow I’ve tried. ($5)
La Roche-Posay Serozinc
This is a very simple, three ingredients (Water, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Sulphate) product that I found during my intense research into the widely-applauded French pharmacy skincare products. I usually use this after cleansing/acids as a soothing, hydrating mist or a mid-day refreshing spritz, especially in the summer. Zinc is a great ingredient for binding moisture into your skin and that’s the main reason why I prefer this toner to thermal water spritzes. Those may seem refreshing at first, but they quickly evaporate and can dry the skin, as they take all the moisture with them. It’s also recommended for acne-prone skin, because of its anti-inflammatory properties. ($15)
Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Water
I know it’s on every second Top Shelf on Into The Gloss, and that’s not just because of the follow the pack mentality. The fact that now almost all skincare brands have some kind of micellar water variant in their lineup is all due to this magic product. And for me, this still remains the original and the best. It removes makeup really well and is very gentle, even for sensitive skin. And as for the price, even though there ARE even cheaper alternatives, I’m perfectly fine with buying this as one 500ml bottle lasts approximately 8-10 month. And I use it every single day, usually 2 cotton pads. With that cost per use ratio, it’s totally worth the price. ($15)
What are your favorite budget-friendly beauty products?
