Cheap Makeup...This Stuff Really Works

Dime store versus expensive makeup counters. Can we look as good wearing cheap? I say, "Yes, we can!"
Here are 3 of my beauty bargains:

It’s been noted that one tube of Maybelline's Great Lash mascara is sold every 1.6 seconds in the United States. Wow! Well, someone’s wearing the stuff because it is the most popular mascara in the country. And it is by far, known as the #1 choice of make-up artists.

For under $5.00, you can build great looking eyelashes with Maybelline's thick, conditioning ingredients. Yes, you could buy upscale. Lancome claims to be the leader in prestige mascara with its exclusive French formula. And at $22 a tube, it’s a lovely product. And Christian Dior also features a lash lengthening mascara at $22 a tube.

But why not stick with Maybelline's Great Lash? It is a superior product that does the job. Thick, dark, long lashes at a tiny price.

Tired of buying expensive lipsticks that disappear so quickly? That is a common problem among women who brighten their lips. "Where did the color go?" And after spending $8.49 on a simple tube of lipstick, well, you kind of feel cheated. Many make-up artists will tell you that lipstick is a girl’s best friend, especially for women over 40. It adds instant color and makes you look alert, even if it’s a simple shade of pink.

Estee Lauder sells many lip colors in every shade imaginable. Some tubes go for $22 a piece. And guess what? They disappear quickly, too, even though they claim to last and last. Clinique also features top lip shades at their cosmetic counters, and unfortunately, they too, might not last through breakfast. But there is a much cheaper way. This one gives you bang for the buck! And the beauty editors of these respected magazines–Marie Claire, Latina, Redbook, Cosmopolitan and OK! all choose N.Y.C. New York Lip Wear.

Who could resist lipsticks in colors like these: Sugarplum, Caramel, English Rose, Flirty, and more. Check out N.Y.C.'s Ultra Last Lipstick for $1.99 a tube. No, it doesn’t last long either, but the shades are pretty and the ingredients are full of moisture. And you can find N.Y.C. Lip Wear at Target, Walmart, ULTA, Eckerd, Rite-Aid, and other popular department stores. N.Y.C. Also makes an entire brand of cosmetics for face and eyes at very reasonable prices—eyeliner, shadows, foundations, blushes, and much more.

A face that’s firm, firmer, and firmest. La Mer has a line of beauty products that many women feel is ‘worth the splurge.’ Sixteen ounces of one of their famous Creme de la Mer moisturizing products will run you $1,200. Their lifting serums will cost you $210 for one ounce. They are made from a rare blue algae.

Closer to home, in the real world, a quick trip to the drugstore and a beeline to the Neutrogena aisle might be just as effective Who really knows? Copper peptides have been found to be crucial to the remodeling of aging skin. Biochemist Dr. Loren Pickart told this writer, that his products work, and that Neutrogena also features a good line that includes his patent in the field of copper peptide research.

The Neutrogena Visibly Firm Face Lotion and Night Cream are two such choices. The price is very reasonable at $17.99 an oz. with active copper.

There you have it. Just because a beauty product has a big price tag on it, doesn’t mean it’s perfect or far superior to the lesser known brands. It just takes a little muscle and research in trying to find the right balance for you.