Bargainous Beauty Tips - the cheap, the cheerful, and the not-so-cheap-but-worth-it

[TrillianAstra]

I have decided that really I am a grownup now, and should stop buying things just because they are cheap.

But this does not mean I should stop buying cheap things, instead I want to call on all your wisdom for the cheap things that really work, so I have more money to spend when expensive things are worth it.

So: What is great even though it is cheap, and what is not-so-cheap but absolutely worth the dosh?

For example, the pink curl cream from Boots (although they call it curl creme with an accent) was recommended by someone on the curly girl thread and it is far better than many an expensive hair cream that I have tried.

Superdrug vit e brightening spf15 moisturiser is brilliant and is £2!I don't use it as my moisturiser per se but mixed with foundation or on its own for a bare look but healthy!

Boots Natural Collection mascara.

As good as Max Factor but only £1.95.

One of my cheapy things is this superdrug rip off of benetint. I use the darker one and really can't tell the difference.

I also really like this Boots no 7 mascara, it looks very natural and doesn't smudge.

The best cleansing thing I have ever done is the oil cleansing method. I've got a bit lazy about it now, but it really did make an amazing difference to my skin.

Simple eye make up remover.

Yes, tatty, that benetint-a-like is wonderous stuff.

yy - also I've just remembered the superdrug rip off of beauty flash balm - it comes in a green tube, might be called natural radiance? It's much better than the Clarins stuff imo

baby oil to remove eye make up including waterproof. and can multi task as bath oil and body moisturiser.

Barry M mascara is £4.95 or £5.95 but fabulous. and their nail varnishes are brilliant and often on 3 for 2.

If you have a bodycare shop, they often sell more luxe brands at cheaper prices.. currently olay touch of sun face cream is £2.99 rather than £17.99 in our local one.

Alberto Balsam shampoos and conditioners are 99p or so and excellent.

Natural collection tinted moisturiser is great and £1.99

for £££ , Benefit eyeshadows and face powders are brilliant and last for ever. Throb and Dallas are two of my absolute favourites. £24 or so IIRC.

My absolute best hair colour which was recommended on here is a bright red by swarzkopf, copper canyon red, number 58, £2.79 from Savers and keeps my dark hair glossily red and looking fabulous.

this is fab

Here's the radiance balm I was talking about

The Barbara Daly range at Tescos is really good too

Wow at the £2 benetint - I have the pink real one and love it, but will definitely try this if it ever runs out.

What does one do with randiance balm?

Radiate.

Oh, sorry, a raNdiance balm! That sounds like something else altogether. Is it like Spanish Fly?

It's for making you randy, obviously

It's one of those thingies that you put on under your tinted moisturiser/foundation or whatever and it makes you look more glowing/healty. I am rubbish at remembering to use it, but I think it does make a difference

I am struggling like billy-o here as I generally have rubbish skin, so am far from an advert for anything ... but I do find that Vaseline is worth having. A load of that smeared on my feet (post bath and pumice), under some socks, leaves my feet all soft and smooth in the morning.

I used to use the Siana range from Aldi apologies for Daily Mail link, but the process of going into Aldi became too arduous when I went back to work. It was fine when on Mat Leave: in fact, it was a morning out for me and DD.

I was also once chatting to a group of friends about our skin and, of the people who declared their skin was 'utter shite', all 3 of us used the Siana range. It was probably a coincidence (very recent usage etc), but it did make me re-consider my habits a bit.

I use Simple now. It's, er, alright.

This cleanser, spread on and removed with a muslin. I used to use Liz Earle and also tried Eve Lom, but much prefer this one.

Murumuru butter is fab for DD's slightly afro hair. I used to use coconut oil on her hair, but this is even better for shiney curls and doesn't look greasy. I sometimes use a little on the ends of my fine, frizzy hair too.

Camellia Kissi oil for evening out skin tone when I've caught the sun and come out in freckles or just look a bit blotchy.

I think Bobbi Brown tinted moisturiser with sunscreen is worth the money, but it is a lot of money for a tinted moisturiser.

DOES IT??

digs out tube

That smell, though ... it's like Proust's madelines, but horrific and debilitating.

Aldi creams smell bad. I rate hand cream for hair serum. Tesco binatural range. Revlon nail varnish. Never scrimp on mascara. All budget ones are shit. Ditto foundation

Haha, I haven't yet been in a position to have lasinoh around the house I don't even know what it smells of...

It smells of being one of the only two humans awake at 3am on a January morning, life-threatening sleep deprivation, second degree vaginal tears and bleeding nipples.

Might just be me ...