There was a time in my life when I had lots of expendable cash. Well, maybe not a lot but it sure seems like a lot now that I don’t work anymore. #stayathomemomstatus This has left me in quite the predicament; as shopping has long been one of my favorite pass times. I have more time to shop now… but way less funding for such a habit. And I’ve always been about a deal, but I’ve learned to cut even more corners these days and expensive beauty products were the first to go.

Now, drugstore makeup has come a long way. I feel like there was a time that they weren’t even comparable to the high end brands, but those days are long gone. You can get SO much good stuff for hella cheap these days. Perfect broke girl beauty. Also, sometimes, if you do some research you will find that there truly is very little difference between high end and drugstore formulas/ingredients. Sometimes it’s all in the packaging and marketing.

I’ve even been extra stingy about using my high end products because I don’t want to have to repurchase them! So my cheap products get extra use as well. Also, I don’t get out much these days and it makes me feel like I’m wasting expensive product. Call it sensibility or call vanity. It’s probably a little of both.

Either way, the point is that you no longer have to make a huge investment to enjoy some pretty nifty products. Swing by your local Target, Walmart, Walgreens and the like and you can develop a pretty bomb beauty arsenal! There’s also almost always coupons and cartwheels for beauty products.

So here are my current favorite budget beauty finds:

Flower Beauty BB Cream// I said it over on my Instagram and I’ll say it again… WHY don’t more people talk about Flower Beauty? I can’t be the only Drew Barrymore fan out there. Anyone?? This BB Cream is seriously full coverage… I actually usually use it with a sponge because I try pretty hard to sheer it out a bit. And sometimes…I just slather it on with my fingers. But damn, it stays on all day. I still like my It Cosmetics CC Cream better… but this is literally less than half the price. It’s $13 on Walmart’s website. So it’s been getting a lot of use around here.

Wet n Wild  Contouring Palette// I’ve been into these for years. They’re cheap and they’re huge. I actually brought this along as my contouring palette when we travelled to Germany because I didn’t want to risk breaking my like $50 Kat Von D palette while traveling. I really love the colors they come in and it’s seriously $4. You can’t go wrong here, friends.

Wet n Wild Photofocus Setting Spray// I have seriously dry skin. Therefore, I like to spray wet stuff on my skin. This is less than $5, there you have it. 😉

ELF Blush Powder Palette// I have the “light” palette. These are seriously so pigmented! I like that I can kind of mix them to create different shades. And when I’m in a real hurry and I don’t do my eyeshadow for the day, I sweep my blush brush over my eyelids real quick because my concealer can make them look kind of washed out. All yours for 6 dolla.

Colour Pop Highlighter// I rave about this stuff every time I talk about makeup. Just… just get some, okay?

Maybelline Brow Precise Fiber Volumizer// When I’m in a hurry or I don’t feel like taking the time to DO my brows… I reach for this stuff. It’s seriously like mascara for your eyebrows. It works for me because I have natural eyebrows… but they are SO blonde that you can’t even see them without product on. The color selection kind of sucks. But if you can find one that matches you, it’s good stuff. $9

ELF Brow Pencil// THESE ARE LEGITIMATELY $2! It’s definitely not Anastasia Beverly Hills status, but like I said, girlfriend is on a budget now and it gets the job done.

Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal// I usually hate waterproof mascara… but I don’t hate this one. And that’s saying something. Sometimes waterproof is necessary. And get the one in the pink bottle…because I still hate the yellow one.

Wet n Wild Flat Top Brush// Sometime when I’m feeling too lazy to clean my sponge again, I’ll use this with the BB Cream. It’s only $3 and it’s pretty. That’s why I bought it. ;P

I know that my list lacks drugstore eyeshadows. That’s really because I just have SO MUCH eyeshadow that I just can’t even justify buying anymore!! I think that it’s something that is just easy for Josh to gift me… because he buys me eyeshadow palettes for most gift giving occasions. haha! And always Urban Decay because I’m pretty sure that’s the only brand he can for sure remember that I like. Bless his heart. #notcomplaining I have received some recommendations though, from within the blogosphere…and I am tempted. We shall see.

You can shop the products here:

I love trying new products but (especially now) but I don’t like having to drop a bunch of cash to play with some new stuff. I mean honestly, it’s been just as fun to play in new cheap makeup as it was to play in the expensive stuff. Give it a try. Let me know how it goes. Being a broke girl isn’t all bad. 🙂