favorite beauty product cheapies | round one

In early December, I shared this post with a blog that I sponsored's readers, and today I wanted to share them with you. I plan on doing a follow up, with more of my favorite cheapies later this month. Enjoy.

Being a mom on a part time salary and a hubby's check that is used primarily to pay the bills with a bit left over, I have to be picky with what I buy- beauty wise. Now that my son is potty trained, my beauty budget has opened up, but I still have my certain products that will always be my go to.

Going left to right, my favorites are:

E.L.F. Mineral Face Primer

If I'm using foundation, then there is a 99.9% chance that I am using primer. It's a beautiful thing, but there are so many primers out on the market, so it's hard to choose the best one. Honestly, Smashbox Primers are as good as it gets, as they are simply amazing. BUT they are expensive, and being a mom with a kid that was in diapers and student with student loan sharks swarming, ain't nobody got time to deal with that. Enter E.L.F... I picked up a bottle at an affordable price and fell in love! It is basically the same... aka a dupe, but doesn't come with the high price tag. Oh, I've even heard this stuff comes in green and purple...

Revlon Bold Lacquer Mascara in Black
Honestly, I didn't think I would like this when I picked it up. I am super picky with mascara, and I have always had a "thing" for higher end- my current favorite is Benefit's Badgal Lash. I don't know why, but I just do. I grabbed it, along with eyeliner, on a buy one, get one free coupon. Once I did try it, I realized it was a contender for my beloved Benefit, at a fraction of the cost. It's goes on rather smoothly, stays on all day, and is easy to get off at night.

Biore Charcoal Self Heating Mask

I love me a face mask every now and then, but honestly, the most I will ever and have ever paid for a single use was eight bucks. And that was on a Dr. Jart+ hydrogel mask (I would only recommend it after a day at the beach). Other than that, I love the single use masks from Target or Walmart, and of course, the Biore single use one minute charcoal masks. The box contains four masks, and basically all you do is wash you face, and then rub it on for 60 seconds. It's that easy! And after using it, I could tell a difference in my skin texture and pores immediately. Oh, and the clean feeling... yep, definitely worth the price.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
The little sister of the famed 12 shade Naked, Naked 2, and Naked 3 pallets, the Basics gives you six beautiful basic eye shadows, and is definitely worth the money. Yes, its not really considered a cheapie, but when you use it daily, you really get your money's worth out of it. You can customize so many looks out of the six shades, and is literally half the price of the 12 shade ones. I have also picked up the new Naked 2 Basics pallet.

eos Lip Balm

To me, eos is the high society of lip balms. They are hydrative, taste amazing, contain natural conditioning oils, shea butter, and all those amazing ingredients that make for softer lips. Oh, and the sphere is different, and kinda cool. They are also cheap and since I go through a lot of lip balms- cheap is right up my alley.

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

To be honest, sometimes my morning schedule just doesn't leave time for actually washing my face... so I rely on facial cleansing wipes like the ones pictured above from Simple. They get the job done, and also double as makeup remover wipes. Simple Skincare's wipes are fragrance free, and free of dyes and harsh ingredients, so they don't irritate my sensitive skin. They are super convenient, and don't leave my face feeling greasy after I use them.

*Linking up with Southern Beauty Guide

Feeling and looking beautiful doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. :)

Have you ever used any of my favorite beauty product cheapies? What did you think?