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5 FOR 5: TOP 5 PRODUCTS FOR UNDER 5 BUCKS

It’s nice to have some fancy shmancy beauty products, but when it comes to certain items that we use day to day, it’s important to find brands that are not only affordable but are trust worthy. Being that it’s the holidays and we all have a million gifts to buy, I figured now would be the best time to share my favorite five beauty products that you can get for under 5 dollars. Here they are:

1. FACIAL SKINCARE: St. Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub ($3.03): I LOVE the St. Ives apricot scrub. What’s great is that all the different scrubs in the product line have different levels of intensity. For those of you who want to get a gentle day to day cleanse, they have a product for you. For those of you who are looking for more coarse Apricot beads to get a deep down cleanse, they have a product for you as well! My personal favorite for my specific skin type is the Invigorating Apricot Scrub, but you may find that the Renew and Firm Apricot Scrub works best for you (my sister loves this one!). Every beauty magazine raves about this product with good reason. You will definitely get the most bang for your buck with ANY St. Ives Apricot Scrub you pick. 

2. HAIRCARE: Garnier Fructis Curl Shaping Spray Gel ($3.19): If you’re not a fan ofhairspray but are looking for a product to reduce frizz and maintain hold, this is the product for you. I tried it for the first time a few weeks ago and fell in love. The product feels very light on your head and works perfect for the days that I want to leave my hair naturally wavy. I am able to control my hair’s natural frizz and increase shine with a few sprays of this affordable product. 

3. COSMETICS: Maybelline Line Express Eyeliner Soft Black 902 ($4.79): I am always on the hunt for affordable makeup. What I love about this Maybelline eyeliner is that it works great for smokey eyes, believe it or not. The sponge on the other end of the liner allows for blending in the corners of your eye so the liner doesn’t look so harsh. Sometimes I like using a pencil liner because the smudge sponge at the end makes blending really easy. If you’re not a fan of the pencil liners and are looking for an affordable stick liner, I recommend my favorite liner of all time L’Oreal Paris Pencil Perfect Ebony ($8.49). If you’re a loyal Maybelline girl, they have a great stick liner for under 5 bucks as well called Maybelline Define-A-Lash Eyeliner ($4.79).

4. BODY SKINCARE: St. Ives Body Moisturizer ($3.99): I have extremely dry skin, so it is important for me to find a moisturizer than keeps my skin hydrated. What I love about the St.Ives brand is the results it gives for the price you’re paying. This lotion in specific is great because instantly after you put it in your hands, you can feel the moisture. I know that my skin is getting a quality product and a moisturizer that lasts longer than most. If you’re okay spending a little more money, the Aveeno Natural Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($8.79) is a favorite of mine as well. The Aveeno brand carries great natural products that don’t feel harsh against skin. I recommend trying both to see which works best for your unique skin type. 

5. BODY SKINCARE: Caress Daily Silk Body Wash ($3.59): I have a million different body washes, but to be honest, the scent of the Caress body washes are unbeatable! Every time I’m in a drug store and see Caress line of body washes, I never know which one to pick, but I’ve finally narrowed it down. My two favorites are the Daily Silk and the Tahitian Renewel. The Daily Silk is nice because for someone like me with dry skin, it makes my skin feel rejuvenated. The Tahitian Renewel is great because of the beads in it. Both will make you come out of the shower feeling refreshed and smelling radiant!

To all the drug store product haters, try them before dismissing them. I truly believe that half of the stigma against drug store products are in everyone’s head. We are trained to believe that pretty packaging, higher prices, and fancy department stores carry the best of the best. Don’t get me wrong, I have to have my Sephora fix everyone once in awhile, but we are in a recession people! You can get all the products above and more at your local CVS right now on sale for the prices listed above. Click on the links above to see my top 5 for 5, and look around their website to learn about more great products you can get for under 5 bucks!

What’s YOUR top 5 for 5? 

OVERRATED VS. UNDERRATED: MASCARA EDITION

Being the makeup addict that I am, I have tried all sorts department store and drug store mascaras. I am def a sucker for a good marketing campaign.  L’Oreal Paris, CoverGirl, and Revlon have some great commercials and brand ambassadors that draw me to their product (I wonder if the celebs endorsing the products actually use them?). I’m also a sucker for glam packaging which most of the luxury mascaras dominate over the cheapo mascaras (YSL, how are you SO beautiful?). 

Although ads and packaging are fun and great, a mascaras quality is what truly matters. Everyone is generally looking for a mascara that 1)thickens 2)lengthens and 3)curls their lashes. Here is just a few I’ve tried and my thoughts:

• Clinique High Impact Mascara- The formula was WAY too dry for me.
• Maybelline Falsie- It clumps my lashes together and hard to get off.
• Maybelline Great Lash- This mascara is always in magazines as a celeb/beautician fav. and is also super affordable.
• MAC Zoom Fast Black Lash- You would think for a brand that was known to be dramatic, they would produce one quality mascara!
• L’Oreal Paris Voluminous- It used to be my fav. but I realized it clumped my lashes more than making them voluminous.
• Revlon Grow Luscious Waterproof- I am NOT a fan of waterproof mascaras.
• YSL Volume Effect Faux Cils- What perfect packaging right? The whole idea behind this mascara is the “fake lash” look but doesn’t do much for thickening of lashes and focuses on lengthening. I think it is way too expensive too!
• Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara- I tried it because a friend suggested it and didn’t think it gave me length or volume. All this mascara gave me was a headache because it wore off super fast!
• Lancome Hypnose-I’m a fan because it makes my lashes look even longer than they already are, but for the price? No thanks.
• Lancome Definicils-It separates lashes well, but I would use Hypnose before Definicil.

Everyone reacts to mascaras in different ways depending on the type of lashes they have. That being said, I think it’s important to describe my lash type before sharing my picks for most overrated and underrated products. I have long, thin lashes so when I am in search of a mascara I look for one that will make my lashes more voluminous. It’s important to pick a mascara that caters to YOUR individual lash needs and NOT just by what your friend or favorite celeb wears for the best results. 

OVERRATED: DIORSHOW BY CHRISTIAN DIOR

It’s not that I don’t think this is a good mascara, it’s just that I don’t think it is worth the price. DiorShow is more about showing off the Christian Dior brand name than anything. Also, the mascara dried out fairly quick within the tube (so annoying). Although this mascara doesn’t flake or smudge, I find it useless for lash thickening. All in all, this product has been way too hyped up by magazines and the world. I just don’t get/agree with the obsession. 

UNDERRATED: LASH BLAST BY COVERGIRL

Not in a million years did I think that I would find my fav. mascara from my local CVS. CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara perfectly separates my lashes, thickens them, and gives just the right amount of curl. It is SUPER affordable and doesn’t dry up easily. The formula is wet but not runny at the same time. It doesn’t smudge and is not a pain to get off. For those of you who have the same issue as me and need a mascara that will thicken your lashes without leaving any sort of clump, this is the one! P.S I’m not a fan of the waterproof version because it is much harder to get off. If you are trying this product for the first time, make sure to get the original one (NOT the waterproof) and see if it meets your needs.

COMING SOON: 5 MUST-KNOW TIPS WHEN APPLYING YOUR MASCARA

What mascara works for YOUR lash type?