30 Low-Cost, High-Reward Beauty Product Upgrades

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2 days ago

An octopus-shaped Tonymoly blackhead remover, which you may have already seen since it's gone super viral for its jaw-dropping results. Just scrub it over your nose to let the cellulose beads and dead sea salt remove any dirt and oil that's accumulated at the surface.
A L'Oréal foundation that's so hydrating, it doubles as a serum. The aloe leaf juice and hyaluronic acid make it super hydrating, while the buildable coverage makes it super versatile. Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the SPF 50 yet! This is about to upgrade your skincare and makeup routine at the same time.
And L'Oreal's Infallible Fresh Wear foundation, which proves powder foundation can deliver some seriously smooth results. If you're tired of constantly touching up your shiny T-zone throughout the day, this powder formula is an absolute must.
A L'Oréal repairing hair treatment, which takes just eight seconds — yes, eight seconds! — to repair damage and restore shine. Apply it after shampoo but before conditioner, and let the amino acids and "lamellar water technology" work their magic to smooth your hair without weighing it down.
An exfoliating glove with immediate results you can actually see. Seriously, the dead skin just clumps up and rolls right off of your body. It's somehow satisfying and gross at the same time.
And an absolutely magical peeling gel by Skin Food you can use to slough away all the dead skin on your face. The unique gel texture latches on to all of your dead skin to give you super smooth results once you rinse it off.
An Ogx air-dry leave-in cream, which will give you Sephora-level results at a drugstore-level price. Now you can stop dreaming of buying one of those $400+ blow-dryers — this lets you air-dry your way to bouncy waves! The coconut oil and shea butter add extra moisture, while the citrus oils help add shine to your curls.
Maybelline Lip Lifter Hydrating gloss made with hyaluronic acid, which is honestly the GOAT when it comes to moisturizing ingredients. Just one or two swipes will give you a sheer hint of color and healthy, fuller looking lips.
E.l.f. Poreless Putty Primer, which has gone mega-viral several times for providing a perfect base for makeup by blurring pores and smoothing the appearance of fine lines, and it might just remind you of Tatcha's The Silk Canvas Primer. It's formulated with squalene for an extra dose of hydration, and it's designed to grip onto your makeup to help it last all day long.
A bottle of Elizavecca hair treatment with an impressive ingredients list for such a low price. Its blend of ceramides and collagen can help add smoothness and shine to your hair in just five minutes, making it perfect for those of us who care about our hair but not enough to devote extra time to it. Many reviewers say it's replaced Olaplex in their routines!
A Revlon volcanic stone face roller, which was one of the first beauty products to go viral on TikTok — and for good reason! It mops up excess oil in just a few swipes (without disturbing your makeup)!
A hair-repairing serum made with argan oil and aloe leaf extract to add softness and shine without making your hair greasier than a Wendy's triple cheeseburger — although it's basically the same price as one! Smooth it through damp hair for easy styling, or apply a few drops to dry hair to smooth flyaways and frizz.
A cruelty-free lengthening mascara with a whopping 266,000 5-star ratings and some seriously impressive before and after photos. Oh, did I mention it's UNDER $5 and comparable to Tarte?! Unlike other mascaras at similar price points, reviewers say this one doesn't easily clump or smudge throughout the day and is suitable for sensitive eyes.
A TGIN miracle hair mask made with honey and olive oil to restore moisture to damaged hair in as little as 35 minutes — though you can leave it on for up to an hour for maximum results. Tons of reviewers with Type 3 and 4 hair say it works wonders for maintaining curls. If you've spent years searching for the perfect mask, I'm pleased to inform you the search finally ends now.
A Camryn's BFF gentle edge brush with a convenient double-ended design. Use the boar bristle brush to stimulate your scalp and distribute natural hair oils, then flip over to the comb side to polish your look.
The Catrice "Instant Awake" Under Eye Brightener — it'll have you singing 🎵 "where have you been all my li-i-i-i-i-ife?" 🎵 when you realize it might just replace your beloved Smashbox x Becca Under Eye Brightening Cream. Reviewers say it blends seamlessly into the skin and adds light coverage to dark circles — and now it comes in four shades!
And a Maybelline Dark Circles Treatment Concealer that proves you don't have to keep spending a lot of money for full coverage. The lightweight formula is infused with haloxyl, a peptide complex that's meant to reduce dark circles and tighten skin. Many reviewers say it's easy to blend with just your fingers, so you can ditch the brush if you want to!
A tinted lip balm with over 5,000 rave reviews from Etsy shoppers for its sheer touch of red that works for basically any skin tone. It's perfect for those mornings when you can't be bothered with both a lip balm and lipstick.
A pack of multipurpose dermaplaning razors you can use to shape your eyebrows and remove fine hairs. You can also use it to remove any stubborn peach fuzz so your foundation will glide on more seamlessly than ever.
A leave-in conditioning spray that will detangle unruly hair with a blend of argan oil, shea butter, and quinoa extract. It also smells like a delicious orange Creamsicle, so you'll be looking and smelling like a snack at the same time.
A pack of cooling, hydrating eye gels with hyaluronic acid and collagen you can put on 15 minutes before that early morning weekly meeting, then toss off right before you click on the Google Meet link.
A bottle of Lottabody's super fluffy mousse — just scrunch some of this through your towel-dried hair and let the blend of coconut oil and shea butter add some extra moisture and bounce to your curls. Reviewers say it's super lightweight and never leaves behind a greasy or sticky residue.
An argan oil hair mask to have your mane looking ridiculously glossy in just seven minutes. Yes, you read that right — seven 👏 minutes! The argan oil will provide a nice dose of vitamin E to your hair shaft, which is known to prevent dryness and boost shine.
A set of makeup sponges that'll make you question how you ever spent top dollar for a Beauty Blender. You can get five of these for less than $10, and reviewers say they blend everything from foundation to concealer like a dream.
A TGIN styling mousse made with rose water and acai berries to help define your curls and stop them from becoming extra frizzy by the time the afternoon rolls around.
Gold Bond's firming neck and chest cream, because your décolletage also deserves some special skincare attention. It contains salicylic acid to gently exfoliate dead skin cells, while glycerin and aloe add some extra hydration.
A cruelty-free lip balm made with vitamin E and green tea that'll get rid of the crusty flakes that have been living on your lips since winter. Just imagine how much smoother your lipstick will glide on!
A hydrating Cosrx repairing essence with 96% snail secretion filtrate, which provides a gentle dose of moisture that won't overwhelm skincare newbies. Reviewers mention seeing a reduction in dark spots and acne with consistent use, and even people with oily skin find that it absorbs quickly and doesn't clog their pores. Who knew snails had the secret to glassy, glowy skin this whole time?!
A double-sided Maybelline liquid lipstick that's designed to last for a whopping 24 hours without caking or flaking, so you can say goodbye to constantly touching up your lip color every time you take a much-deserved coffee break. One side of the tube has the longwear lipstick, while the other side has a moisturizing lip balm so you can add some extra shine on top of your color.
A bestselling Maybelline eyebrow pencil with a helpful double-ended design. Many reviewers say this one is thin enough to make perfect hair-like strokes, yet still super sturdy (raise your hand if you've ever had a brow pencil break on you 🙋‍♂️), while others say it blends seamlessly and is great for brow beginners.
Now repeat after me: "I will NOT spend more than $10 on mascara!"
The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.