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Original poster

Cheapo products that are secretly amazing?

243 replies

Gmamaofboys13 · 25/03/2022 17:26

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?

OP posts:
MorrisZapp · 28/03/2022 09:06

Where in Boots would I find the Curl Creme? Is it in the shampoo bit or the styling bit? What colour is the tub? Can't blimmin find it.

PAFMO · 28/03/2022 09:40

@MorrisZapp

Where in Boots would I find the Curl Creme? Is it in the shampoo bit or the styling bit? What colour is the tub? Can't blimmin find it.
Pink tub. Bottom shelves near stuff like perming solution and setting lotion. Kind of towards grips and combs rather than the shampoo and conditioner bit.
Lordoftheslugs · 28/03/2022 09:55

Can anyone recommend a Vitamin C serum/oil etc for sensitive skin, please?

MangoLipstick · 28/03/2022 09:58

Simple Cleanser & the micellar water - less then £1.50 each in B&M

Essence falsh lash mascara (the green one)
Their plumping lip gloss is also great.

Pretty much all the ELF cosmetics range. The cream blusher and cream bronzer are amazing.
The cream blushers are amazing in there own right, but are also all dupes for brands like Fenty, Mac and Laura Mercier.

Revolution conceal and define infinite setting spray is a dupe for the Charlotte Tilbury airbrush one.

PAFMO · 28/03/2022 09:59

@Lordoftheslugs

Can anyone recommend a Vitamin C serum/oil etc for sensitive skin, please?
Garden of Wisdom is in an oil base. It's vit C and ferulic acid. It's one of the cheaper decent ones.
Coniferhedge · 28/03/2022 10:46

I have really fine hair and over the years have spent a fortune on hair products to try to make it look thicker such as Redken, Kerastase and Grow Gorgeous. Best thing I’ve found is L’Oreal Elvive Fibrology shampoo and conditioner at about £2 a bottle from most supermarkets. Brilliant stuff.

Geomi · 28/03/2022 10:52

For everyone recommending micellar waters (I also used the Garnier pink top bottle for years) but save yourself the ££& money (plus throwing plastic away plastic bottles and cotton pads constantly!) and buy a make up eraser cloth. You can get them online/eBay for around £5-7 basically fleecy microfibre flannel that takes literally everything off with only water. I have a few now and just throw them in the washing machine or clean with shower gel/shampoo. They're super soft so very gentle but effective at taking off eye make up with water alone. Then you can use your normal cleansers etc. but your face is so clean with the cloth alone.

Also I’m not sure I’d say Evolve Organics are cheapo but definitely amazing and always lots of certain products for cheap BN on eBay. Their daily renew face cream is the best ever, so luxuriously moisturising and thick but goes on lightweight if that makes sense and no nasties ingredients. They seem a very small independent lovely brand all round.

Loving this thread :)

Would appreciate specific recommendations for blackhead removing skincare for DD DS.

FuzzyPuffling · 28/03/2022 13:32

Barry M eye shadow palettes. My favourite is "Bare it all".

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 28/03/2022 15:03

@peaceanddove would you mind linking to that blistex lip cream please? or share a pic of it so that I can be sure to get the right one. Thanks

peaceanddove · 28/03/2022 17:08

This is the one x

Cheapo products that are secretly amazing?
Darklane · 28/03/2022 17:14

Boots Fragrance Free Eye Makeup Remover £1.50 used it for years.
Rimmel wind up eye liner pencil
Boots Natural Collection eyeshadows, single colours with some good matte shades
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
Max Factor Colour Elixir Lipstick, even comes in a gold tube.
Agree with Garnier Micellar water…as an aside it’s also brilliant for cleaning tear stains & eye gunk on my light coloured show dogs’ faces, better than most expensive products specifically sold for the purpose.

LadyLolaRuben · 28/03/2022 17:26

@Coniferhedge

I have really fine hair and over the years have spent a fortune on hair products to try to make it look thicker such as Redken, Kerastase and Grow Gorgeous. Best thing I’ve found is L’Oreal Elvive Fibrology shampoo and conditioner at about £2 a bottle from most supermarkets. Brilliant stuff.
This. Shampoo and conditioner are amazing. Really thickens my fine hair
deadlanguage · 28/03/2022 17:54

Superdrug dry skin cream - it comes in a tub or a tube. It's like an E45 spoof but it's lighter so it sinks in much better (the best of any moisturiser I've ever tried, so many of them just sat on my skin) and it's vegan.

LifeInAHamsterWheel · 28/03/2022 18:07

@peaceanddove thank you so much Smile

Gonnagetgoing · 28/03/2022 18:42

@Coniferhedge

I have really fine hair and over the years have spent a fortune on hair products to try to make it look thicker such as Redken, Kerastase and Grow Gorgeous. Best thing I’ve found is L’Oreal Elvive Fibrology shampoo and conditioner at about £2 a bottle from most supermarkets. Brilliant stuff.
@Coniferhedge - my mum agrees with you re the Fibrology. I sometimes use it when I’m over at her house for a change.
Hesma · 28/03/2022 18:46

My daughter and I both suffer with very dry, itchy scalp. My hairdresser suggested trying a cheap tea tree shampoo and it’s amazing! 85p from Sainsbury’s, can’t go wrong

Gonnagetgoing · 28/03/2022 18:49

@gulliblestravels

Can anyone recommend an alternative to Maybelline Dream BB bronzer (light/medium) which I just cannot get anywhere!
Found this

www.revolutionbeauty.com/uk/en/makeup/face/bronzer/makeup-revolution-superdewy-liquid-bronzer-fair-to-light/1580175.html?gclid=CjwKCAjwuYWSBhByEiwAKd_n_lvfyfvcMzgPrX6b3PVNEdzA14xoO339CKJIWFlHssMG7GQUTgMj9BoC134QAvD_BwE

ArabeI · 28/03/2022 18:52

@Geomi could you possibly link to an example of the flannels, please? I like the sound of those.

freeandfierce · 28/03/2022 19:00

Aldi caviar, spent years buying expensive creams but this zapped my dry skin immediately!

Couchbettato · 28/03/2022 19:04

Argan oil shampoo £1 at Poundland. Tresseme keratin smooth conditioner (has to be the KS one cos rest of tresseme is shit) Les than £3 poundstretcher

whymewhyme · 28/03/2022 19:05

What so good about nivea soft?

LaVieEstBelle159 · 28/03/2022 19:59

Has anyone who uses the lash serums found that they get red eyelids? It happens with all that I've tried (Amazon) but tbf I've not tried revitalash.

Floydthebarber · 28/03/2022 20:06

MUA blushers. Seriously good, I used Nars and Clinique years ago when I could afford to, then moved to highstreet ones, feekibg sad about the textures and colou payoff. Some of these newer make up brands are so good and so cheap.

Daisy62 · 28/03/2022 20:23

Aldi caviar day cream and night cream in the silver jars. These suit me really well and I wouldn't go back to Clinique even if I could afford it. Really nice texture, for me they're just the right weight and not greasy and the formulation doesn't feel cheap.

Hasselhoffsheadband · 28/03/2022 20:26

Primary foundation, the medium coverage one in the back squeeze tube. It's £2.50 and is the best foundation I have ever used.