And who isn’t on a budget?  With the rising costs of living, it seems that things that we want to buy sometimes have to take a back seat.  But no more!  Here I will list all kinds of sources for makeup, accessories & beauty products, all on a budget.  And with these recommendations you will feel more free to indulge because it won’t break your wallet.  And I read once in an ad that budget can be beautiful.  Here I will start from the least expensive & then go up to the slightly more expensive, and tell you which ones you can shop online / in store.

SHOP MISS A

I was recommended this website by a coworker.  We’re both savvy savers, & are interested in fashion.  She showed me this website where almost everything costs $1!!!  And it really runs the gamut on this site: they sell all kinds of accessories, nail polish, makeup, cell phone cases, even underwear!!!  I do tend to spend a little more on i.e. jewelry & makeup, but think of this as your online dollar store!  Shipping is only $4!!  You’d be surprised at the wealth of supplies they have on there!!  Check it out!  (Online shopping only at:) www.shopmissa.com

 

Hollar

I’ll bet you’ve never heard of this one.  Everything on this website is $1 and up!  You can find drugstore favorites, (and the occasional high end product) on sale!  You can also find all kinds of things for your home on this website!  Note: Most of the items listed on the site are flash sales, therefore their supply is constantly changing.  If you see something you want, get it!  And shipping is free over $25!

 

E.L.F.

Stands for Eyes. Lips. Face.  I love E.L.F.!  Available at your local Kmart, Target & CVS, they sell a wide variety of makeup & tools!  Whenever I’m on a budget & need some kind of makeup brush, I always head over to their section in Target.  And all of their products start at $1 & go up from there!  Almost all of their makeup brushes are from $1-$3!  And I love the fact that if I ever need false lashes, I can always get a pair from them for $2!  Due to their popularity, they’ve started their own monthly subscription box, as well as opened up their own retail stores!  Never bought their products before?  What are you waiting for?

 

COLOUR POP

I actually came across this website off Facebook.  Colour pop!  A website created by 2 girls in L.A., they feature makeup with almost everything is under $8, and nothing is tested on animals.  Standard shipping is only $5, and free if you spend over $30!!  They feature mostly lip sticks, eye shadows, & blushes.  How great is that??  (Online shopping only at:)

 

FOREVER21

I love Forever21.  And they’re expanding their beauty section.  But for their makeup & accessories I find it best to shop online.  I remember passing by & seeing only a few nail polishes, & lip glosses.  But now they’ve expanded on makeup bags, tools, masks, hairbrushes, & much more!  A pair of false eyelashes is only $1!  Nail polish is only $2 or $3!  Lip balms are only $2!!  I’m getting more excited about their beauty things than I am about their clothes!

And they have the most adorable lip balms..  All shaped in fruits, animals, etc.  The only other place that I know of that sells such cute little lip balms is (a Korean cosmetic brand) Tony Moly.

Lip balms at Forever21, $2

And they have the most adorable makeup bags..  Forever21 has a tendency to sometimes feature clothes or other products with French expressions on them..  So at this moment there is a makeup bag that says ‘C’est la vie’.  This below lace makeup bag is absolutely adorable.  I will probably have bought it by the time I make this post.

Makeup bag at Forever21, $10

Ok you’re not going to find a wealth of makeup, BUT this is a great place to pick up some budget friendly pieces.  And look how adorable they are!!  You can shop online & in store, but they offer more products online.  To buy click on: Forever 21 Beauty 

 

KIKO:

A brand from Italy that’s recently popped up in the US.  At the moment they only have a few stores in the US, a few in NY, NJ, and Florida.  On top of that, their makeup is not expensive.  I think their forte is that they literally sell eyeshadow & nail polish in every shade of the rainbow.  I remember shopping at their stores in Italy with my room mate, and she would rave about how their nail polish was even better than Chanel.  (And each nail polish is about $4) Their nail stickers are about $2 a set.  Their lip glosses start at $4.  They do have professional makeup artists in store also, are opening up more stores in the US.  So if you have a Kiko near you, you should check it out!

 

H&M

This famous Swedish import has started their own line of cosmetics!  And they offer a wide range of products, from eyeshadow, eyeliner, blush, lipsticks, lip stains, makeup tools, & much more!  And budget friendly too!  Eyeliners, & blushes cost $9 each.  Lipsticks cost $6, while nail polish costs $7.  I wrote a post on it, after buying a few of their products, & testing them out.  Click here to read: H&M has started a makeup line!  My reviews, & how to get 15% off every time you shop!

The makeup section at my H&M

Eyeshadow palettes at H&M

 

TARGET

You may not think so, but I do.  If you do plan on buying drugstore beauty products, best to buy them at Target, or Walmart.  They will almost always sell it cheaper than your local drugstore.  But you can guess which one I prefer.  If you’re not convinced, allow me to convince you.

-They specially sell a line also from the UK called Boots, which have a wide range of beauty products from facial creams, body butters, makeup, & shower gels.  I’ve bought some of their night creams are AMAZING.  And inexpensive!  A jar could cost you like $15, $18 a jar.  I mentioned in a previous post that I have their Triple Age Renewal Night Cream & my face always feels like a baby’s bottom every time I use it.  They also sell Rimmel, which mostly sold at Target & Ulta.  Yes, “Get the London look.”

-They also exclusively carry the Sonia Kashuk line, a line designed specifically for Target.  She designs a wide variety of products for them, makeup, tools, and bath & body products.  I think the thing that she is the most famous for is: her makeup brushes.  You can buy a whole set of them for only $15.  And you can tell that she’s designing with a professional makeup artist in mind.

-They also carry natural beauty products!  Pacifica, Yes to (i.e. Tomatoes), Carol’s Daughter, but newer ones like Soapbox, Attitude & Renpure.  Some of them (not all) are sold exclusively at Target.

-They sell their own Up & up line that virtually makes everything inexpensive, from cotton pads, cotton balls, tissues, you name it.

You can shop online or in store!  Great thing if you sign up for their Target card.  (It can be debit / credit)  And if you have it, you will always get 5% off, and shipping is always free.  To shop online go to: Target Beauty

 

ULTA: 

If Sephora is my favorite store, Ulta would be no. 2.  They literally sell everything from drugstore beauty products, to high end beauty treatments.  Both Sephora & Ulta carry some similar brands.  They also sell some brands from the UK, that are hard to find elsewhere.  There’s a brand called Butter London, (that’s also sold at Sephora) where as Ulta also has a brand called Japonesque, which surprisingly, is British.  Japonesque otherwise is only sold on Amazon & at HSN.

Real Techniques makeup sponge, $7

Another British find that I love at Ulta is Real Techniques. Real Techniques sell makeup brushes & sets quite inexpensively.  They also have a wonderful makeup sponge that’s only $7, and with that I have no need to get the real Beauty Blender!  (Which is $20)  Ulta also has a rewards card, and if you sign up, you can get a free birthday gift.  I just got the rewards card, & I don’t fully understand how all their points work: I do know that it is usually $1 for 1 point, but if you accrue up to 2000 points you can get $125 to spend for free.  And they have special promotions where you can earn double or triple points; i.e. maybe they have a triple point promotion on any product from Philosophy.  Therefore you wouldn’t need to spend $2000.  Shop in store or online at: www.ulta.com

 

SEPHORA: 

Ahh..  my favorite makeup store.  Ok probably not the least expensive makeup store, but they DO have affordable products.  Originally a French makeup store & part of the Louis Vuitton empire, Sephora has now spread across 3 continents: Europe, North America, & Asia.  In my travels I’ve come across Sephora in Italy, the US, & China.  But yet the products they sell, are different.  (Not sure why) There are great many things about Sephora, & I will list some of them here.

-They always have lots of makeup artists in store to help you with makeup tips, or a make over for free.  And it is true lots of their brands are expensive, but they have a Sephora Collection which is quite affordable.  An eyeliner would only be around $12.  I’ve bought a serum from their collection that was only $15.  One of their sheet masks costs $6.  A lip gloss costs $9.  Not so expensive, eh?  They also have a rewards card, where you could accrue points, and redeem them for free samples.  When do you sign up for their reward card, you can get a free birthday present on your birthday.

They literally sell every type of makeup brush / tool known to man; on top of that I love their ‘On the Fly’ section.  It’s a special section for more travel friendly sized items.  For me this fascinating because I can check out what I might buy for my next trip; or maybe I just want to buy a travel sized item just to try it.  Tip: I find it better to shop online at sephora.com, for I can get more free samples online.  Before you check out online, click on ‘View promo codes’ where it says to enter a coupon code.  There you can always check out what free samples they’re giving away.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this post!  Be smart.  Be brave.  Most importantly, be beautiful.