One of my toxic traits in life is that I have a tendency to like nice things. Like, really nice things—the kind of “nice” that immediately sends my bank account into a downward spiral the second I even consider clicking “add to cart.” (I’m a Taurus, what can I say?!)
But there are certain categories of beauty items I can’t be bothered to spend a lot of money on. And even though I do appreciate luxurious things, I’ve tried enough beauty products from all sides of the price spectrum to know it’s completely unnecessary to splurge on every part of your routine. Are there $75 lip balms out there? Yes. Are they nice? Sure. Would I continue to buy/use them if I wasn’t a beauty editor and occasionally gifted them for free? Hell no.
Of course, there will always be specific products and certain brands I will 100% invest in and splurge for, but below, I’m sharing six particular categories I thoroughly believe you don’t need to spend a lot of money on (aka where the cheaper options are just as good or better than the more expensive). I know everyone has different preferences and priorities when it comes to their product M.O., but below, I’m sharing my personal money-saving prerogative. Keep scrolling!
I’m extremely passionate about mascara, and, boy, have I kissed a lot of frogs in my life in an effort to find the very best ones. Not surprisingly, there are a handful of fabulously expensive wands out there, but no joke—some of my favorite mascaras of all time can be found at the drugstore or under the $30 mark at retailers like Sephora.
Regularly talking to dermatologists and facialists is part of my job, and whenever I ask a skin pro what part of my routine I should save my money on, cleanser is always the number one response. It’s spending the least amount of time on your face (unlike, say, your serums and moisturizers) so you’re quite literally draining your money away by forking over a large sum on an expensive formula. Plus, some of the best formulas on the market clock in at a totally reasonable price point.
This one is kind of in the same vein as face wash for me—I just refuse to spend a ton of money on a product that’s in contact with my skin for a few seconds before taking a tour down my shower drain. Also, I’m sorry, but I can rarely tell any difference between bodywashes I use apart from their smell. I’m also just not a huge body-product person, in general, so that could be part of it as well. I just want something that cleanses my skin and leaves me hydrated, soft, and silky from head to toe.
I know there are so many people out there who are about to fight me on this, (body care lovers, feel free to keep scrolling), but I can barely bring myself to apply body lotion (I’m lazy, plus I also hate feeling sticky or slippery), let alone fork over a ton of money for it. I don’t know about you, but whenever I slather lotion all over my body I feel like I end up using a full third of whatever is in the container. Therefore, I prefer to spend my beauty budget elsewhere. Not to mention, some of my least favorite body lotions of all time are the most expensive I’ve tried and vice versa!
Like I said in my intro, insanely expensive lip balms do, indeed, exist and while they might seem luxurious or tempting, I don’t recommend them—especially if you’re trying to be savvy about where you’re putting your money within your regimen. I don’t usually go the cheapest of the cheap route, but I like a nice middle ground for keeping my lips soft, supple, and supremely nourished all year round.
I don’t think I realized expensive micellar waters were a thing (just because there are so many famous drugstore options) until I received one in the mail with a retail worth that quite literally made my jaw drop. Like, shocking. Similar to a cleanser, this is a pretty basic product—whether you’re using it to cleanse your face, remove your makeup, or whatever floats your boat. In my eyes, there’s no need to spend any significant amount of money on this step in your routine. Save it for the good stuff like a serum or SPF.
Next: My Friends Asked Me to Find a Cheaper Version of Everything on My Beauty Vanity