8 CHEAP BEAUTY GIFTS YOU CAN BUY AT THE DRUGSTORE

If year-after-year you find yourself taking part in the last-minute shopping scramble (guilty!), we’re happy to report that scooping up amazing beauty gifts on a time crunch — and on a budget — is easier than ever. Enter, the drugstore, an around-the-corner destination with a well-stocked beauty section to boot. So, stop panicking and check out our favorite, affordable holiday gift sets below.   

NYX Professional Makeup Holiday Love Lust Disco Suede Matte Lipstick

Red lips and the holidays go together like milk and cookies — it’s an automatic crowd-pleaser. Take it from us, this lipstick and liner duo is a guaranteed win for just about anyone. Plus, the gold packaging is so festive, you can even skip the wrapping paper. The combo is available in Munchies, a soft gray; Spicy, a true red; and Cherry Skies, a deep berry. All the shades are perfect for a holiday party beat or warm, winter makeup look. 

Essie Gel Couture Holiday Set Diamond in the Cuff 

Give the gift of a long-lasting manicure with this Essie polish set. The bundle comes with Essie Daring Damsel, a gold champagne shade, and the Essie long wear Top Coat. Metallic nails are definitely having a moment, so whoever receives this gift will be turning heads through the new year. 

Maybelline New York Winter Wonder Glam Total Look Kit 

If you’re anything like us, over packing for holiday travels is a hallmark of your personality. Who doesn’t pack three bags for a weekend trip? To help scale back the baggage, throw in this all-in-one gift set that has everything you need for a holiday-approved face beat. It includes the Color Sensational Made for All, a universal red lipstick, Master Precise All Day Liquid Liner, Lash Sensational Mascara and Lasting Fix Setting Spray

E.l.f. Cosmetics Eye Candy Eyeshadow Duo Set 

E.l.f.’s candy-themed holiday collection has us drooling  — literally and figuratively. We’re especially loving this eyeshadow set and not just because of the creative play-on-words. With three different eyeshadow duos, this gift has it all to create a festive holiday eye or muted, natural everyday look. Not to mention, they’re super-pigmented shades and easy to blend. 

L’Oréal Paradise Lash Paradise Gift Set 

There may be snow on the ground (depending on where you live, of course), but this Lash Paradise mascara set will transport anyone to happy thoughts of warmer weather. Scoop up the iconic mascara and primer at your drugstore for a quick, save-the-day present. Whether you’re treating yourself to holiday glam or gifting this iconic duo, you can’t go wrong. A quick swipe and you’ll have crazy long lashes

Maybelline New York Countdown Holiday Mini Mascara Kit 

TBH we don’t know why, but for some reason travel-sized beauty products are just so adorable, right? This Maybelline mascara sampler is an automatic add to cart because how cute? The set contains Total Temptation, Lash Sensational, The Colossal and Great Lash in mini-versions. We love this gift set for the friend that’s always on-the-go because the minis are great to toss in a carry-on bag.  

Kristin Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo and Pin

We’d prefer if greasy hair didn’t make an appearance at our family holiday reunion, please and thanks. So, if you’re stuck at the office and need a little refresh before running to an after-hours party, look no further than this dry shampoo and accessory set. There’s no need for a blowout, just spray a little dry shampoo, fasten the rose gold pin in the front of your hair and voilà, a total hair makeover. 

Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Remover 

Whether you broke out a new red lip or a sparkly eye, chances are you may be wearing more makeup than usual this time of year. Make sure your face is makeup-free post-party with the Garnier SkinActive Micellar Makeup Remover Set. It has cleansing water (in full-size and travel-size) and on-the-go makeup removing wipes. 

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This $6 Mascara Will Give You The Sexiest Lashes

One thing we love about mascara is that we get to buy a new one every few months – it’s the perfect opportunity to get our beauty fix and try a new formula! We discovered our latest mascara obsession thanks to a subscriber insanely long, fluttery lashes, who revealed that she swore by the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara. She loves it so much that every time she travels back to the US, she stocks up on it. Naturally, we had to try it out, and we were not disappointed. Here’s everything you need to know about this amazing $6 mascara!

What it is: A volumizing mascara designed to give full, fanned out lashes.

The brush: Let’s be honest, a mascara wand is as important if not more important than the formula when it comes to mascara, and this wand is pretty unique, to say the least! The rubber wand is made with little bristles that go from short to long at the top of the wand, aka the opposite to most mascara wands, and it feels more like a comb than a brush. When you first pull the brush out of the tube, it almost looks like there are no bristles as they’re so coated with formula.

What we liked: We love how this made our lashes look long, fluttery but also intense, however, we will say it takes a little getting used to – we’re going to give you all our tips! The mascara added a lot of drama to our lashes and depending on the look we wanted to go for, we found that – with a bit of practice – we could achieve natural, fluffy-looking lashes, or more dramatic, defined lashes.

Another huge bonus is that we had absolutely no flaking or smudging throughout the day – and we wore this from 9am till 11pm! We also like the fanned out the effect this gives to our lashes, but you will need to wiggle the brush around and pull your lashes outward to get a super fanned effect.

Tips for using: When you first use this mascara, a lot of product comes off on your lashes – it’s not one of those you need to build up – so it’s really important that you twist the brush when you apply to comb the product through. It also means that you probably won’t need to dip the brush back in the tube between eyes, so what we like to do is apply to one eye and comb through, then do the next eye, then once there’s less product on the brush, comb through the lashes again. This gives us super full, defined lashes that look sexy and fluttery. For a more intense look you can build it up with a second coat, but do it while the lashes are still wet.

Who it’s good for: We recommend this for people with medium to long lashes who want to add volume and definition and a little curl. If you have short lashes, this will add length and volume but it’s not the most lengthening mascara we’ve tried.

Considering the Covergirl Super Sizer Mascara costs $6, it’s a no-brainer for us. We loved the look we could achieve and how well it wore throughout the day. If you’re more of a wack-it-on-and-go kinda gal, then this may not be for you because it does take a little time to perfect.

Have you guys tried this mascara? Let us know in the comments below.

REN PERFECT CANVAS CLEAN PRIMER

Were do I describe my interest in makeup primers, it would hover between mild to semi-interested. Traditional primers? Not so much since I limit my makeup use to an occasional tinted moisturizer application when I’m in a rush or as an emergency intervention. A good eye cream under my Tom Ford Highlighting Illuminating Pen is all I need to avoid the midday crease. 

REN Clean Skincare has recently made a new look at their Clean Makeup Primer. The product now comes in recyclable glass bottle that you can put in your recycling bin once you are done. I love when companies find ways of reducing waste and REN has really made it simple. The REN Skincare Clean Makeup Primer is made to minimize pores and help to keep makeup stay put all day long. Find out more about this below and if it worked out for me. 

Over the last few years, however, I’ve come to see that the recently launched formulas make for intriguing skincare hybrids. The Silk Canvas from TATCHA, for example, fills in my crater-like pores flawlessly and the compact jar lasts forever. So when REN announced the re-launch of Perfect Canvas, their pore minimizing claims got me. I know it isn’t possible to change the size of a pore but if I combine deep cleansing efforts with a formula that helps to refine their appearance, who am I to argue?

At first glance, the Perfect Canvas bottle with dropper dispenser looks just like any daily hydrating serum. The liquid solution has a slightly viscous texture but doesn’t feel sticky or slippery. Since the formula is silicone free, it doesn’t have the spackle-like slip that I forever associate with the original Smash box primer. It doesn’t feel oily and isn’t heavily fragranced. True to the name, it’s perfect in its simplicity.

SO WHAT DOES IT DO AND WHY DO I LIKE IT?

The REN Clean Skincare Perfect Canvas Clean Primer ($45) is Silicone-free, Pore-minimizing, and makeup-gripping.  A little bit of this product goes a long way so you only need about 2-3 drops. It works best when you pat it into the skin and then proceed with your makeup routine. It does have a matte finish making this the perfect primer for those with oily skin. Even though it’s matte, I still found the primer to work great on my skin which is on the dry/combination side. It helps to even out my skin and makes it smoother for my makeup to glide with ease. This is a primer that I can see working for everyone, but especially for those with oily skin. You will love this product because it locks makeup down for hours and you can recycle it when you’re done.

I use it as the last step in my skincare routine and it delivers a surprisingly tightening effect. Think super thin layer of latex hugging your skin but not in a creepy American Horror Story kind of way. It’s not quite Spanx for your face but it instantly firms and adds a real life filter effect. 

Whether I choose to wear makeup (and when I do, it’s Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Hydrating Primer) or not, Perfect Canvas serves as an impressive pore-refining and line-blurring veil. The glass-like smoothness results in a glow that makes me look like I do eat super-greens. In addition to its makeup extending benefits, the formula boasts alpha-glucans, agave, and probiotic extracts. It’s really a makeup primer with treatment serum benefits.

Do I use Perfect Canvas everyday? No. But I when I want to juice up and tighten my complexion before a tinted moisturizer prior to going out, it’s my go to application. It prolongs the longevity of the tint as well. If you’re not a fan of silicone-based makeup primers, the new and improved REN formula is the perfect choice. 

You can find this product at Sephora stores and online!

MOISTURIZING LIP BALMS THAT WILL SAVE YOUR DRY, WINTER LIPS

Admittedly, if you went through our purses right now, you’d probably find a pile of half-used lip balms loosely floating around at the bottom. As far as we’re concerned, it’s seemingly impossible to have too many lip balms during any time of year, but when the weather turns cold, we double down. Come winter, we cling to the most moisturizing lip balms we can find in the hopes of alleviating our dehydrated, dry or chapped lips. Ahead, you’ll find a list of our favorite hydrating lip balms guaranteed to give your winter lips the extra love and moisture they deserve. 

Kiehl’s Lip Balm #1
Shield your lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather with this Kiehl’s fan-favorite lip balm. Made with hydrating aloe vera, antioxidants like vitamin E and replenishing squalane, this nourishing formula provides the ultimate lip care. 

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IT Cosmetics Je Ne Sais Quoi Hydrating Lip Balm Treatment
For those that can’t resist a little color on their pout, reach for this innovative lip-reviving balm. Not only will it provide intense hydration thanks to its essential butters and oils, but the Vitality Lip Flush Technology will even react with the warmth of your lips to provide a perfect flush of pink that lasts all day. 

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Maybelline New York Baby Lips Moisturizing Lip Balm

It’s called Baby Lips for a reason and that’s because, well, you know where we’re going with this — it offers hydrating benefits that last for up to eight hours. Available for a humble $4.49, we won’t judge you if you buy one in every color. 

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Mario Badescu Lip Balm
Give your lips a kiss of hydration with the Mario Badescu Lip Balm. Formulated with cocoa butter, shea butter, coconut oil and almond oil, this ultra-rich balm is a great choice to replenish and renew your lips all winter long. 

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Lano The Original 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm
Cold temperatures mean dry lips, hands, elbows and so much more. This Lano Super-balm will save you during those desperate dry times where you need a quick fix of hydration everywhere, including your pout. 

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YSL Volupté Tint-in-Balm
This lipstick-lip-balm hybrid will care for your lips while giving you a glowing, sheer touch of color. The macadamia and apricot butter formula will keep your lips hydrated, protected and looking amazing with each use. It’s definitely a bit of a splurge, but trust us when we say it’s worth every penny. 

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Lancôme Absolue Precious Cells Nourishing Lip Balm
Treat your lips to the luxuriously rich and nourishing salve that is the Lancôme Absolue Precious Cells Nourishing Lip Balm. The formula will keep your lips moisturized and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the lip area. Not to mention, the inclusion of acacia honey, beeswax and rosehip seed oil will leave your pout feeling soft, supple and plump.

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