Cheapo products that are secretly amazing?

[Gmamaofboys13]

Following on from the Nivea soft thread (under £5 on Amazon)...what other hidden treasures are there that I don't know about?

I've found carmex original lip balm in a tub to be amazing. Costs under £3

L'Oreal dream lengths shampoo/conditioner has really sorted my hair out. On offer it was £2.75 for 500ml.

Garnier hand repair hand cream 75ml is so good, cost £2 from Amazon

Garnier hair food, I think I have the brown one with macadamia oil. £3.50 for 500ml

Sudocrem for acne and sunburn, recently bought 400g for £5.75

Any other suggestions?

Superdrug's Hot Cloth Cleanser. I much prefer it to the way more expensive Liz Earle version, smells nicer and does exactly the same job. Half the time they have a two for one offer on as well.

Simple moisture boost, all of the products are amazing the whole range!

I like the aldi q10 cream that is less than £2. It doesn't irritate my skin like some anti aging creams do and it makes my skin feel lovely and soft.

Neutrogena Hydroboost facewash, moisturizer and body lotion. The absolute best for my sensitive, dry, lizard skin. I think the moisturizer is £12.99, but everything else is less. It's def cheaper than the GlamGlow and Sunday Riley I used before...

L'Oréal Paradise Extatic brown mascara. Currently less than £5 on Amazon. It's the only mascara that I've tried which doesn't end up on my eyelids/brow bone later on the day, and that includes likes of the much more expensive ones such as Benefit.

Boots Vitamin C moisturiser

Nivea 2 in 1 cleanser toner £1.32 Superdrug

Boots Fragrance Free or Cucumber Cleanser and Toner - £1 or so each - don't get the Cucumber Cleanser as it stings.

Superdrug do an Argan Oil conditioner and hair mask for £1/£2 each.

I get the cheapest shaving gel or foam and sometimes men's too.

Sainsburys Own My Skin Matters beauty stuff is quite good the bi phase eye make up remover new one is rubbish compared to the old purple one.

Poundland micellar water is really good

o'keefe body lotion in the yellow packaging. Sorted an itchy hand rash that even steroids hadn't worked on

Superdrug simply pure hydration serum

Salicylic acid soap from Amazon solved my back acne

Essence princess false lash mascara

Wet n wild highlighter mega glo (shade blossom if you're pale) all glow and no glitter

Superdrug vitamin e mist - is a Mac fix plus dupe

Bioderma shower oil. Lasts ages, value if you buy the huge bottles. Great to shave legs, shower with and can even wash hair with it

W7 Genius foundation, it's light but has good fresh coverage (neither too matte or too dewy) and costs about four quid in B&M and similar places.

Balance Active Formula Vitamin C serum & Hyaluronic Acid serum, again around three quid in Savers, Home Bargains etc.

Lidl sheet masks - 49p and very moisturising

St Moriz gradual tan, a lovely colour and again about a fiver.

Revolution eye shadows - lovely colours with great staying power; the metallics in particular can be burnished to a beautiful lustre.

Lidl Q10 night cream (about three quid I think) better results than the Präi night cream in the M&S advent calendar (which gave me spots, most unwelcome in one's early 50s)

Creighton's anti frizz styling creme 99p in Home Bargains, and the best thing for my unruly curls

(Can you tell I live somewhere with zero department stores and lots of bargain outlets )

Superdrug do a vitamin E body scrub bar that's good.

I got Waitrose Red Ginger and Yuzu body wash for £2 recently - very nice.

Waitrose own brand and their baby range is good when you can find it.

Aldi or Lidl mango shower gel is the same as Original Source mango one.

I love Dove pro age shower gel. Big bottle for £2, lasts ages and really moisturises my skin.

Superdrug foot moisturising bootie things, about £3. You soak your feet it them for half and hour or so and bingo: soft feet!

All Aldi skincare. I've used their Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish dupe and their Pixi toner one, plus their Q10 and Caviar ranges. All fab.

@AmbushedByCake1

I love Dove pro age shower gel. Big bottle for £2, lasts ages and really moisturises my skin.

Superdrug foot moisturising bootie things, about £3. You soak your feet it them for half and hour or so and bingo: soft feet!

@AmbushedByCake1 - I agree with you re the Superdrug foot boot masks - got some a couple of months ago and tried them and they are amazing!

Reminds me I need to try another one of them I have in bathroom cabinet.

The Boots Vit C Moisturiser is £3/4 - saves you using a Vit C serum.

Aldi Q10 face cream is amazing

I picked up a Nivea face wash from Asda the other day for about £3, not sure which one it's in a pink tube and is really gentle.

Primark Perfect Finish Foundation is a great dupe for Double Wear and Real on Colorstay and less that a fiver, foundation usually oxidised and goes orange on my skin but it is a really good colour match.

Egyptian Magic face cream - bloody amazing and £10 for a small tub. It smells a bit odd but its brilliant. Bit like Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream in its magical qualities.

Kiko lipstick - lasts all day (but isn't dry) even with a mask on and costs about £8. Its the one in silver packaging.

Pink Stuff in a tub - gets all marks out of surfaces, removes grot from pans etc. Amazing stuff.

No 7 Hydraluminous foundation - better than my Charlotte Tilbury and Chanel ones.

Maybelline Sky High Mascara - again better than the ones Ive got that cost double the price.

Aldi rose oil

Aldi dupe of the pixi toner - just as good as the Pixi one

Aldi dupes of the Molton Brown hand washes - all smell amazing and super cheap

Gruum spf50 for face. I tried loads of different brands but they either stung like hell or left my face really oily. Thought I'd give gruum a go as it was only £6 and so glad I did as its perfect.

I've tried quite a few of their other products with success. The sensitive moisturiser is lovely and lightweight and the face oil (can't think which one) is good as well. The razors are crap though unfortunately.

Aldi skincare is great

Aldi hot cloth cleanser, especially the marine one.

Aldi rose oil.

Aveeno Skin Relief (the blue one). Tried O'Keeffe's Working Hands and it was so-so; the Blue Aveeno is miles better.

W7 6 pan Dancing Green eyeshadow palette - I love eyeshadow palettes and can be a bit of a snob about them but I was pleasantly surprised at how well this blended without getting muddy. I'd like to try some others.

Blistex Lip Relief Cream (in the little white tube) but not to be confused with the Blistex Intensive Moisturiser (also in a little white tube).

It's about £2.50 a tube on Amazon and genuinely softens, smooths and slightly plumps your lips. It tingles when you first apply as it gets to work. I have paid upwards of £10 for fancy lip creams that do zero.

Child's Farm moisturiser in a pump bottle. About £4. Especially good if you have eczema.
Nivea in the blue tub - see above.
Burt's Bees camomile and soap bark face wash. Huge tube for £6.50. Feels so refreshing and has cleared up my spots.
Paloma tissues 69p in Bodycare. Better than Kleenex pocket tissues!

Agree with:
Garnier Hair Food- the papaya one is incredible. Also Herbal Essences avocado shampoo and conditioner beats any top range salon shampoos I've ever used.

Astral or blue pot Nivea (I find Nivea soft too perfumed)

Neutrogena body lotion, smells gorgeous, sinks in without having to rub your skin for ages, hydrates for days. Ditto hand cream- tiny tube contains 300 applications - you literally need a pea sized amount.

Carmex.

Superdrug vit E cleanser. Superdrug Pure serum.

Badedas bath gel. Smells fabulous and is really thick and concentrated. I use it as shower gel. I shower every day and am about half way down the bottle that I started in December.

Hydraluminous - my holy grail. I have a £60 Chantecaille foundation that is utter shit in comparison (and over the past few years have tried Estée Lauder, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury, YSL, Chanel, Giorgio Armani latest ones but none are as good as Hydraluminous.

Avon eye pencils. £2.99 each and just as good as the Clinique Quickliner I used to buy (but with more colours)

Collection makeup is surprisingly good for the price. Particularly like their eyeshadows and cream concealers. Stays on all day and none drying

Éclat face oils, which you can buy on Amazon

Garnier Ambre Solaire face sun cream spf 50

Vosene shampoo gets your hair the cleanest it's ever been, and also brilliant for stripping colour off your hair. Can get it for £1 at most places.