Archived Post
Hit List: Best Beauty Products Under $25
What’s the Best Beauty Products Under $25 you’ve tried?
Share your favorites! And don’t forget to share why 🙂
Explore Temptalia
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Compare Any Two
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
63 Comments
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
Comments on this post are closed.
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Loreal’s glossy stain knock offs. Lasts for hours even through drinking and light eating and leaves a nice stain (even lighter colors). Really can’t ask for much else except maybe a different scent (it’s floral and it feels weird to me to put floral fragrances on my lips).
Revlon’s Balm Stains for pretty much the same reason as the Loreal glossy stains. More of a satin/lipstick-y finish than a glossy one otherwise the products perform very similarly on me.
Loreal’s Infallible eyeshadows. Lasts all day without creasing on me. Is super shimmery if that’s your style. You get a lot of product in those pots too if that’s something that interests you (doesn’t mean anything to me since I’ve never finished an eyeshadow but yeah).
Maybelline’s Colossal mascara. Great volume and length without clumping or spider lashes. Can’t ask for much else.
Too faced La creme and Maybelline Color Whisper! Them are must have 🙂
Covergirl’s Lash Blast and Clump Crusher mascaras. I could be wearing $500 worth of products on my face and I will always come back to these mascaras. I have tried so many of the high end brands it’s crazy, but these 2 never let me down.
First would be Real Techniques brushes and brush sets. Amazing quality for under $25.
Next would be the Maybelline Colour Tattoo cream eyes shadows in Tough as Taupe and Bad to the Bronze and L’Oreal’s Infallible “cream” shadows (I’ve got Bronze Divine and another one).
I can’t NOT mention Wet n Wild eye shadows (the 8 pan, the discontinued 6 pan and the 3 pan palettes). In Canada, we don’t get quite as many as are released in the US but honestly, I don’t think you can beat Comfort Zone – talk about value, great colours, just all around amazing (and the same applies, IMO, to the Vanity, Lust and Silent Treatment sets)
I agree with ALL of your choices!
I agree as well!!:) I reach for Comfort Zone all the time!!
I’ve got a bunch! I’m a girl with dry, sensitive skin, just for reference.
Algenist Gentle Rejuvenating Cleanser ($25)
Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream ($5.99 but sometimes it’s cheaper depending on the store)
Caudalie Cleansing Water ($14 for 3.4 oz but it’s $28 for the 6.7 bottle)
Dior nail polishes ($24 but worth every penny, I promise! Great brush, even formula, tons of shine.)
Diorshow Mascara ($25 and worth all the hype)
L’Occitane Hand Creams ($10)
LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer ($21)
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat ($9.95 at Ulta)
Sephora Instant Eye Makeup Remover ($8.50 for 4.2 oz or $5 for 1.69 oz)
Shiseido eyelash curler ($19)
Soap and Glory Off Your Face Cleansing Cloths ($10 for 25 cloths, soooo underrated!)
Urban Decay Super-Saturated High Gloss Lip Color ($19)
Even drugstore makeup is pretty expensive in Singapore (the average price of most drug store brands like Maybelline would be about S$18, though it’s about USD$8.) I’d say my best buys so far have to be:
Maybelline 24 Color Tattoo in Fierce and Tangy. I love love love this colour, I’ve used it both as a sheer colour on the lids and a layered it on to get a slightly more intense colour. It feels rich and smooth under my finger tips as I apply it, and doesn’t budge or fade. This costs around S$16 in the Watsons.
Revlon Colorburst in True Red. I bought this for S$18 a couple of years back I think, and was my first red lipstick. It’s a wonderful neutral red with a slightly glossy finish. The only drawback is that it does feather very slightly.
Totally agree with you. In Indonesia drugstore cosmetics are quite expensive. And the items are very limited. If I compare it with drugstore collection in singapore, drugstore product in singapore still feels like heaven. We don’t have maybelline color tattoo here 🙁
Agree with other comment-Revlon Kissable Balm Stains-they last a good 4-5 hours on me through eatingand drinking.
Boots No.7 Beautifully Matte Foundation is THE BEST foundation I have found. Out of Nars, Givenchy, MUFE, Clinique, and Dior, I actually think this one looks the best on me (and I couldn’t believe it!)
NYX Taupe eyeshadow is the best contouring and the cheapest. Better than MUFE sculpt duo, Bobbi Brown and Benefit’s Hoola. Looks really good with a stippling fan brush.
Urban Decay’s single eyshadows. Even though they are singles, the pans last forever, you can get a palette for them, and the color selection is amazing(but could use more mattes)
Covergirl’s Lash Blast and Covergirl’s Professional Super Thick mascaras are both really great.They don’t clump, they seperate, and they don’t seem to “wilt” as the day goes on.
Through ALOT of trial and error and ALOT of money spent, I’ve found that there are some cheapo products that outperform the more high-end brands, and there are some that fall in the “you get what you pay for” catagory. But at least I’ve mostly learned which is which.
I forgot NARS pro-prime eyeshadow primer and/or Too Faced Shadow Insurance. Both are really really great shadow primers and must-haves.
Nars Smudgeproof Eye Shadow Base!
lol AGREED! This is definitely at the top of my list too 🙂
The best! ever!
A lot of LUSH products are under $25 & I think that are pretty amazing. Also, I like the Real Techniques brushes.
Honestly, the list would be far too long to name products individually, so I’m going to list brands that I find have performed consistently over the years.
MUFE eye products
NARS mono shadows
NYX pretty much everything
Rimmel lip products & eye pencils
Milani lip products & eye pencils
Sinful Colors (they also did brushes & lipstick that were amazing)
Revlon lip products
WnW pretty much everything
Sonia Kashuk pretty much everything, but I especially love the brushes
L’Oreal with the exception of some eyeshadow quads
Urban Decay mono shadows, and 24/7 liquid liner (HG)
Aveeno BB Cream & Garnier BB Cream are the two face products I reach for nearly every day.
I’m quite certain there are many more, but as I stated, the list would be quite extensive. The above are the products I reach for quite often, and my stash consists of mainly DS & mid-range brands, and I never feel a need to go for “luxury” brands.
I would add to XAMYX’s list:
Eccotools brushes,
Almost everything for eyes at UD
Too Faced BB creme and primer
Sephora blushes- creme and powder
Sephora skin care (gentle on my Rosacea)
L’Occitane shea butter hand cream
Smashbox & Dior mascaras
Almost everything I buy is under $25 unless I buy palettes which I also do.
Maybelline The Falsies Mascara
TheBalm Instain Blush in Lace
MAC Pro Longwear Concealer
ELF Powder brush
You already received??it just gonna star shipping on may 1st
KIKO smart lipstick ( 3, 90 € ), BB glow foundation ( 11, 90 € ), LE quads ( 12,90 € ) or scented body perfumes ( 9,90 € ) etc …
THE BODY SHOP butters, scrubs, body mists, all really great
SAINT-GERVAIS thermal water ( the best ever 5,50 € ),
ESSIE nail polishes
YVES ROCHER le Grand Rouge ( great lipstick )
SEPHORA colourful eyeshadows, adapt blush
L’OCCITANE shea butter body lotion ( great product )
DURANCE eaux de toilette
and many more very good products which are affordable
Sooooo many to name but only so much space lol! The few I can think of off the top of my head are Maybelline falsies mascara, Sugarpill loose pigments, Revlon lip butters, UD Blackout eyeshadow (OMG!!!) and the Real Techniques buffing brush!
Oh wow, I have a lot of favorites under $25.
1. Revlon Lip Butters
2. Maybelline Color Tattoo’s
3. MAC Lip Sticks
4. NYX Lip Glosses
5. Wet N Wild eye shadows
those are just my top 5, there is soo many more.
Korres Lip Butter
Maybelline color sensational vivids lipstick
Maybelline color tattoo Tough as Taupe, and Icy Mint
NARS Smudge Proof eye primer
Bobbi Brown creamy corrector
Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliner
L’Oreal voluminous mascara
Revlon nail polish
Zoya nail polish
MAC brush cleaner
MAC Powder Blush in supercontinetal, fleur power, harmony (for contour)
UD Super Saturated High Gloss lip colour
I could go on.. just a few of my personal favs
What are the lighter colored Revlon nail polishes like for you? As in Charming, Sunshine Sparkle, Minted, etc. For me, they’re all bad… They wrinkle and chip too easily and bubble, and the formula just seems to be awful. Could I have had bad luck with all three colors? 🙁
Moon’s Harvest whipped soy body souffle and the sugar scrub cubes are amazing. By far my favorite things that are in my bathroom.
I’d say that 95% of my makeup collection is under $25, but that’s only from learning the hard way, after years of buying high-end cosmetics, and having a track record of being disappointed by a pricey product more often than not. Maybe I expect more after paying a lot more? Not sure that’s the issue. Besides, drugstore brands have stepped up their game in recent years.
That said, a few of my favorite under $25 items include Maybelline Color Tattoos, L’Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows, Revlon Lip Butters, Physicians Formula Eyeliners, and Milani Baked Blushes.
I forgot to mention the Color Tattoos! Those rival cream shadows from Benefit, MUFE, MAC, Bobbi Brown, etc.
-the real techniques brushes
-OPI nail polishes
-tweezerman slant tweezers
-NYX lipsticks
-mac feline kohl pencil, lipsticks, blushes
-clean & clear blotting sheets
-nars eyeshadow primer
-loreal power volume mascara
-urban decay single eyeshadows
-mac studio finish concealer
-philosophy purity cleanser (price depends on size)
-mac 217 blending brush
-clinique bottom lash mascara
Physician’s Formula eye booster eyeliner pen (not the felt-tip one) in ultra black is a great liquid liner. It’s easy to use, never smudges or fades, and the packaging looks nice.
MUFE rouge artist natural lipsticks because they’re add just the right amount of color and last well throughout the day.
Revlon quick dry topcoat dries fast, makes nails super shiny, and keeps polish chip-free for at least a week.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane purifying foaming cream cleanser is a skin saver for me whenever I get dry, itchy patches on my oily/combination skin. It doesn’t irritate my face, it’s fragrance-free, and one tube lasts a really long time.
Sara Happ The Lib Scrub – $19, so amazing at exfoliating
TheBalm Mary Lou-manizer – $18, gorgeous…theBalm is so underrated
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner (better than MAC’s Fluidline imo) – $22
MAC Mineralize Rich Lipstick – $22
Urban Decay Deluxe Eyeshadow Box – $20
Hempz Herbal Moisturizer – $10
NYC New York Color nail polish in Grand Central Station. It’s clear and the best quick dry top coat ever. I like it much better than Seche. $1.72 at Walmart.
SLEEK eye palettes, blushers and BB cream
NYX nail polishes and Black Label lipsticks
Virtually anything by Milani, the liquid like eye pencils, color statement lipsticks and baked blushes are all HG products for me.
L’Oreal kohl pencils
Bio-Oil
Dove beauty bar
Neutrogena makeup remover wipes
China Glaze nail polishes and Fast Freeze Quick Dry
I think NYX Slide-On eyeliners are dead ringers for UD’s 24/7. They are an awesome buy for just a few bucks.
NYX Lip Butters are fab too.
YellowLantern
“Maybelline’s Colossal mascara. Great volume and length without clumping or spider lashes. Can’t ask for much else.” – Ditto
My cheap thrills are: NYX cream blushes (a total steal at 5 bucks), Bite Beauty lip gloss at $20, Urban Decay
Shadow and Liner pencils at $20 each, Lumene BB cream (worth way more than the $16 price tag), and Sephora Collection retractable Eyeliner and Lipliner pencils. Also, the Sephora Collection Rouge Cream lipsticks are the steal of the century; at twelve dollars, their texture, wear time and pigmentation rival my $40 Guerlain Rouge G lippies.
Milani eyeshadow primer
Maybelline color tattoos
Cover girl clump crusher mascara
Elf HD powder
Elf brushes
Lorac GLOgetter palette
Isn’t the GloGetter palette awesome for spring and summer? I just picked this up. I couldn’t believe it was only $20
Where can I find this? I’ve looked everywhere for this palette, but I’m not seeing it anywhere..? Thanks!
ULTA.com, baby! 🙂
Yay!!! I was thinking about getting the Glogetter palette, now you’ve given me the enabling I needed LOL
Aussie 3 Minute Miracle! It’s the best conditioner for my hair and it cost about $2.50 for a bottle that lasts months with daily use!
Urban decay primer potion
Loreal beauty tubes mascara
Relvon lip butters
Relvon balm stains
MAC Fix+
MAC cleansing clothes
painterly paint pot(is that under 25?)
MAC lipsticks
some of the permanent MAC eyeshadow
Nars single shadows
MAC MSF Natural
Maybelline color whispers/ vivids
Skindinavia setting sprays
Cocoa butter lotion
*Wet n’ Wild eyeshadow trios
*Revlon Lip Butters
*Clinique Chubby Sticks
*UDPP (in ANY of the colors)
*Real Technique brushes
*MAC eyeshadows in Naked Lunch, Soft Brown, Mulch, All That Glitters, Nylon, Satin Taupe, and Woodwinked (I know MAC is overrated for a lot of people and not everything they put out is amazing, but they have some great standby products).
*Marc Jacob’s Daisy Fresh roller ball
*Essie and OPI nail polish
*Clinique Dramatic Different Moisturizing Gel
*Revlon BB cream
Lash Blast mascara. Maybelline Lasting Drama by Eyestudio gel eyeliner! I like it just as much as MAC’s Fluidline and I think it actually stays put longer!!!! I put the eyeliner on with the applicator in the Almay Intense I-color eyeliner. BUT my absolute FAVE is L’oreal True Match foundation. FANTASTIC! Everything else I use is a dept store brand.
Most drugstore mascaras! They’re great and just as good, if not better than high end mascaras. And run you well under $10.00, and if you get them on sale BONUS!
Some of my faves are: L’oreal voluminous and telescopic , Maybelline The Rocket, covergirl lash blast fusion
So many to name, but here are my top five in no order:
1. Eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner (stays on like nobody’s business)
2. China Glaze, L’Oreal, and Wet ‘n’ Wild nail polishes (most long lasting inexpensive formulas)
3. Physicians Formula waterproof pencil liner/Sephora brand waterproof pencil liner (both are equal to me, but the PF one is cheaper)
4. Maybelline Clean Express eye and cream makeup removers (both are awesome)
5. Maybelline The Falsies waterproof mascara (holds a curl like CRAZY and separates very well)
MAC Lipsticks
NYX Cream Blushes
Cover Girl Lash Blast
Coconut Oil (I used for my hair & skin)
Lansinoh Cream. It’s technically an ointment for nursing mothers, but it is the very best thing for dry lips. About $10 a tube. It is safe and lasts a long time. Great to wear overnight if your lips are really bad during winter, etc.
There are many great products I own under $25, my favorites are: Bobbi Brown corrector, Milani Eye Tech Extreme liquid liner, MAC brow pencil in Spiked, CoverGirl lash blast fusion, Real Techniques buffing brush, Ben Nye luxury powder, MAC Saddle and Naked Lunch e/s, Bath & Body Works My favorite night lip balm, MAC Prolongwear concealer, Urban Decay Primer potion and Seche Vite topcoat.
Jinsoon polishes are excellent quality, and they wear like a gel as advertised. They’re small though, at .33 oz and pricey at $18.
At the drugstore, the new Nuance Salma Hayek base and topcoat do really well. I like how the basecoat can double as a matte topcoat. The top coat dries in about a minute on me and doesn’t chip or scratch very easily.
Prices in Australia is horrible (Revlon Colorstay Liquid Foundation is $34.95 when it is about $11 in the US)…
Anyway, I get most my products online through US stores so that’s fine, jsut have to pay for shipping which is justified considering the retail price of makeup here. so here is my list:
CoverGil Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation – less than $10.00
Maybelline Color Tattoos – $6.50
Revlon Superlustrous Lipsticks – $7.50
Wet n Wild 8pan Eyeshadows – $4.50
CoverGirl Clump Crusher Mascara – $7.00
Red Cherry Lashes – $1.99
Sleek Makeup in general (except foundations) – nothing over $10.00 for super pigmented eyeshadows, $5.99 for single blushes, $12.50 for FAce Form and Blush by 3, $6.50 for great lipsticks and paint pouts are less than $6.00
Essence Lip Liners – $1.95
Ben Nye Banana Powder – $12 for 8oz
L’oreal Infallible Shadows – $7.50
Lime Crime Lipsticks – $16
I have many more but can’t think of tehm right now…
And Real Techniques brushes, all of them!
Rimmel blush in Berry
Revlon Kissable Balm Stains
Cover lash blast is a decent mascara
Maybelline Colour Whispers
Maybelline Colour tattoos
Either maybelline or Loreal illuminating touche undereye concealers
Carmex works wonders for dry lips and Burts Bee tinted lip balms are the bomb 🙂
Milani Liquif’eye liner-the only one that doesn’t smear on me, and super easy to apply.
Maybelline eraser concealer-I love how it is lightweight yet covers my very dark undereye circles.
Both these products perform better than the expensive brands for me.
MAC Lingering brow pencil
MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack
UD 24/7 Glide-on eye pencil in Underground
Kevyn Aucoin eyelash curler
Sephora Express nail polish remover
Cetaphil Cleanser $9 or less if on sale
Neutrogena bi-phase eye make up remover $6 (IMO it’s equivalent to Lancome Bi-Facil)
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula hand cream $5
Milani Eyeshadow Primer $7 (it’s awesome)
Maybelline Full n Soft Waterproof Mascara $7
Hard Candy Old Skool Eye Shadow Pallete $6 at the W
Revlon PhotoReady Foundation $10
A-england nail polish – a lot of gorgeous for $10. I’ve gotten 3 compliments on Tristam in the less than 24 hours it’s been on my fingers.
Inglot eyeshadows
Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Mac Eyeshadows
It’s hard since make up in Indonesia are very limited. I try to find the products that I want from online shop that sell make up from USA . But I’m quite happy for my findings 😉
– The Body Shop all in one BB cream. I tried some of drugstore bb creams before. They are all feel too wet & hot for the humidity in Indonesia. But with this bb cream, it feels great with light coverage. Perfect for everyday neutral look.
Maybelline color tatoo. I have the shade in On and On Bronze. This is a perfect colour for a wake up look for my brown eyes.
Mac powder blush ( Mocha) My go to blush. If I cannot decide what to wear, I always back to this blush. It have a subtle pink-plum colours. That perfectly match with my lip colour.
L’Oreal revitalift miracle blur!!!!!!
Covergirl lash blast and clump crusher mascaras have both become go-to mascaras for me bc they both last all through my work day without smudging.
Urban Decay single shadows- amazing color selection and they last all day without fading or creasing.
MAC powder blush in mocha or unconventional- both add a little color to my very pale complection but can be blended so they’re not too harsh.
Urban Decay 24/7 eye liner pencils- pretty much the only liners I’ll ever use. I especially love corrupt and perversion if I’m doing something more neutral and junkie and mainline or deep end if I want something a little brighter.
MAC select sheer pressed powder. Great for touch ups throughout the day if needed. At least on me it never feels cakey. Honestly I also love some of their single eyeshadows.
Purpose face wash- super gentle and washes away all of my makeup without drying out my skin.
Clinique moisturizing gel- a little goes a long way and a bottle of this lasts forever. Never makes me feel greasy or breaks me out.
Clinique bottom lash mascara- great product. Makes putting mascara on my bottom lashes so much easier
UD’s eyeshadow primer potion, eyeshadows, lip liner, and brushes! (Optical Blurring Brush… Mmmm!)
NYX anything
Sally Hansen nail polish – ANY of them
Benefit’s They’re Real! Mascara
EcoTools Brushes
Physician’s Formula Shimmer Strips (used as a bronzer!)
Clinique Super Balm
OPI Nail Polish
Orly Matte Top Coat
Bodycology Body Sprays & Lotion (My favorite right now is Blackberry & Vanilla)
Organix anything (Beauty starts with cleanliness, right?)
L’Oreal’s new sulfate free line – just below Organix in my favorite shampoos 😉
One n’ Only Argan Oil (Just the plain argan oil in the little brown bottle)
One n’ Only Hair Dye – best hair dye I’ve ever used, hands down. Lasts and is actually somewhat good for your hair! Yay!
Burt’s Bees – anything for acne basically
Skinlogics Lip Apeel
I could go on and on but that would require listing pretty much everything in my beauty collection that is under $25! Doing research before a buy usually leaves little room for disappointment.
lots of products from Loreal, maybelline and revlon I would put on my list they’ve been great recently. I’m jealous of people getting mac products under $25 because in australia mac products are generally over $25
Inglot gel liner 77 Matte black – love it for it’s staying power (a pain to take off though!) Sleek Makeup – so many great products for well under $25! iDivine palettes, pout paint, contour kits, Illuminiser… NYX lipliners LOVE. I could go on all day 🙂
My all time favourite beauty must have though are Real Techniques brushes, I have most of them in my kit – great quality, affordable, soft LOVE LOVE LOVE them!