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The Best $4 Mascara You'll Ever Buy and Other Cheap Thrills

Find out which products our editors drop major cash for, and where we skimp and save
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Allie, Editorial Intern
Blowout Buy: Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer, $44
"I bought this on a whim before leaving on vacation this summer, in an attempt to be low maintenance. I didn't want to wear a full face of foundation every day walking around in the heat, but there was no way I was going out in public with a bare face. Picking out a shade of foundation is a tedious process for my super-pale skin -- even the lightest shade in most brands is too dark. But Bobbi Brown's lightest tinted moisturizer is just right -- thankfully, because I don't think I could have handled being paler than a shade called 'Alabaster.' And it has SPF, a must for my fair skin. The coverage was natural but still made my skin look great. I can verify this because I was flipping through photos on my camera from the trip, and came across a super-close-up of my face (how did that get in there?). Normally, I'd delete a picture like that quickly and without hesitation, but I did a double-take on that photo to be sure it hadn't been retouched. My skin looked great, and I rarely like photos of myself."

Cheap Thrill: CoverGirl Perfect Blend Eyeliner, $4
"I discovered this eyeliner completely by accident when I was sick and needed some inexpensive eye makeup I wouldn't feel too bad about throwing away after my cold had run its course. (The germaphobe in me refused to contaminate my go-to products, and my inner diva wouldn't let me out of the house without at least trying to make myself look presentable.) Normally I'm not a fan of wearing brown eyeliner, but I was surprised to find that CoverGirl's eyeliner in Mink is actually a pretty, perfect shade of brown. The color is soft, it smudges oh-so-easily, and it lasts all day. Bonus: they were even having a "buy one, get one for 50 percent off" deal, so I was able to snag two -- and the uncontaminated one is now one of the go-to products in my makeup bag."



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Tiffanie, Assistant Editor
Blowout Buy: L'Occitane Eau Spontanee, $52
"I refuse to settle for a drugstore perfume. The reasons are endless: Brand name perfumes are long lasting, the scent is typically rich in fragrance notes that aren't just cheap chemical concoctions shaken together haphazardly, and the bottles themselves are cute enough to store in public, not buried under your almost empty shampoo bottles and year-old lotion containers. The one I'm obsessed with right now is L'Occitane Eau Spontanee, $52. The sweet, citrusy notes last all day long. All you need is a little drop on your wrists and neck and you're set. It's my signature everyday scent."

Cheap Thrill: Jergen's Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Moisturizer, $7.49
"Slathering lotion all over my body is as much of a daily habit as taking a shower or brushing my teeth. But I don't go all out on lotions and crèmes to make my skin super soft. I stick to Jergen's Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Moisturizer, or any Jergen's product for that matter. It comes in a huge bottle that lasts for months and has a neutral scent that's not overbearing. I can mist perfume on before I walk out the door and feel confident knowing I'm not mixing scents and my skin won't turn ashy. I could easily splurge on something more high-end made with chamomile, cashmere and other luxurious ingredients, but I'd rather save my cash for those spendy perfumes."



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Emily, Editorial Assistant
Blowout Buy: Coola's Mineral Face Sunscreen , $36
"I'm really picky about sunscreen (and my fair skin burns) so I make sure I get one that protects my face, doesn't make me break out, and doesn't interfere with makeup application. I like Coola's Mineral Face Sunscreen and Supergoop!'s Anti-Aging City Sunscreen Serum, $42."

Cheap Thrill: Wet 'n Wild Megalast Retractable Eyeliner , $1.99
"I find that Wet 'n Wild (for pencils) and Maybelline Waterproof Liquid Liner, $5.97, work just as well as any of the higher-end brands, although I will say that Urban Decay has a really fun selection of colors to choose from with the 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils, $19, too."



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Dawn, Beauty Editor
Blowout Buy: Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, $153
"It's an antioxidant serum that I put on every single morning. No. Matter. What. I've interviewed dozens (maybe hundreds?) of dermatologists over the years, and so many of them love this product. It protects your skin from free-radical damage (UV, pollution, etc.)"

Cheap Thrill: Maybelline Volum' Express Falsies Flared Waterproof Mascara, $6
"It works just as well as pricey mascara. My lashes are long but scraggly, and this plumps them up without clumping."



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Hayley, Editorial Intern
Splurge: AMBÉ Private Client Formulas Porcelain Skin All-in-One Night Cream, $95

"Before you judge me for spending close to $100 on a small jar of night cream, remember that I do work in the beauty industry and thus get a lot of goodies for free. I have yet to run out of this jar, which I've been using for close to a year, but I know I'm going to have to bite the bullet and shell out for another jar when I run out. As the name says, this cream truly does leave you with skin that looks and feels close to porcelain in the morning. I have never gotten so much hydration from a cream (unless it made my face greasy). It also doesn't leave my pillows greasy, which is my night cream pet peeve.

Cheap Thrill: E.L.F. Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, $1

"I used to always use Almay Liquid Eyeliner, $6.99, but realized that this $1 product is just as good. It stays on all day long (and I'm saying this after a summer full of pool and beach days) and never breaks apart. Plus, for a buck, I can stock up on multiple bottles at a time and I'm set for months.



As beauty editors, we're particularly choosy about what products we spend money on. After all, why splurge on a pricey eyeliner when there's a $1 one that does the trick? If you are going to shell out the big bucks, do it on something that benefits your skin -- like an ultra moisturizing lipstick or an anti-aging cream. But trendy, wear-once-in-a-while colors? Those are your cheap thrills.
BY HAYLEY MASON | OCT 14, 2013 | SHARES
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