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Over-the-top expensive beauty products can seem covetable and glamorous. Initially, there's something supremely indulgent about slathering your face in a luxury cream that costs as much as an average mortgage payment, an investment that's only practical for the wealthiest among us. But eventually, like any decadent habit, if you're a practical person and you try this stuff long enough, you start to feel a little duped by these stupid-pricey items — and even sick. What I can tell you from testing these products for years is that luxury beauty offerings are most often not significantly more effective than quality drugstore products. In fact, some dermatologist-recommended budget formulas are superior in all ways to those from bougie brands. This is often doubly true for makeup — I've tested enough concealers, mascaras and lip stains, and talked to enough celebrity makeup artists, to know you rarely need to spend $60 for an item when you can buy one of equal quality for $5.
Below, I've rounded up 10 deeply vetted, in-the-know products that have come highly recommended by beauty experts and I've had on my own personal radar for years. I've tested most of them myself — a few are even currently in my cart for a restock.
Retinol is one of the few skin care ingredients clinically proven to prevent and soften wrinkles, but it can be a bit harsh on your skin, especially at the start. This gentle, beginner's retinol cream was formulated by a team of scientists in Philadelphia with retinol and bakuchiol, both ingredients that help increase collagen production, though bakuchiol has fewer side effects and tends to be less irritating. They work well together — really well. In fact, research shows that bakuchiol can enhance the effectiveness of retinol while helping stabilize it.
At a .1% retinol concentration, and with the addition of high-quality skin-nourishing ingredients like grape-seed oil, this affordable cream is an ideal skin-firming agent, and it's an especially good entry point for retinoid newbies.
Though you can find loads of pricier "lip sleeping masks" that will set you back $30, this dermatologist-recommended repair balm works almost instantly for a mere $5 per tube. It's clinically proven to rapidly relieve dryness and soothe even the most chapped, cracked lips and, because it contains potent sunscreen, it's actually an essential beauty product for summer, protecting lips with broad-spectrum SPF 30.
I always like a little extra color on my face in summer and, for less than a Starbucks Venti, E.l.f.'s gorgeously creamy multi-stick provides. It's a pro secret, a near-perfect swap for Ilia's famous cream blush and is vegan, cruelty-free, subtly pigmented and will leave a pretty, healthy glow on your cheeks, lips and lids, all for just 4 bucks.
If you're in the market for a complexion-brightening exfoliant, I've had several dermatologists recommend this lactic acid chemical version for skin-cell turnover and to help clear pores of oily gunk. It quickly gets the exfoliating job done as well as (though somewhat less gently and luxuriously!) its closest comparative product — Sunday Riley's Good Genes, which costs more than 10 times as much.
In 2022, Regimen Lab, a peer-reviewed skin care brand, shared a video comparing Nivea Creme with the ultra-pricey luxury brand La Mer and found that the two products use the exact same base ingredients. The biggest difference? La Mer costs hundreds of dollars, and Nivea is just $10. This is perhaps my greatest skin care secret! It's the ideal everyday face moisturizer for dry skin, and it makes an excellent night cream too.
With all the saltwater, chlorine and beating-down sun, hair needs extra hydration in summer, and this TikTok-famous repairing treatment can render even the driest, most straw-like mop into silky strands. You work it into your hair after shampooing and, after 5-15 minutes, the before-and-after is seriously profound. After using this, my thin, dry, longtime dyed-blonde mane was bouncy, soft and smooth as a satin sheet. Best of all, it didn't feel weighed down.
Though it does make your hair slightly greasier than normal, the conditioning impact is worth it — my results lasted for weeks.
Can 25,000 5-star reviewers be wrong? Maybe! But in this case, Essence's $5 in-the-know Lash Princess mascara happens to be worth the hype. The formula is super smooth and effectively lengthens and volumizes with minimal smudging and scant flaking. This is all due to the clever cylindrical wand design — it looks like a cone — which makes coating even the hardest-to-reach lashes a breeze.
For summer, I often switch to the waterproof version, which is equally as good.
NYX's wallet-friendly eye pencil is a favorite of in-the-know pros and celebrities alike, including Real Housewives alum and J.Crew royalty Jenna Lyons. It's frequently used by top makeup artists because it's smudge-proof, and the creamy, non-crumbly formula lends itself to precise lines — truly among the best eyeliners we've ever tried.
This no-frills cleanser is one of those in-the-know beauty secrets, a product you'd never think to buy for yourself until a friend says, "YOU MUST GET THIS. IT'S CHANGED MY LIFE." Well, I am that friend, telling you that this lush, velvety, mild cream is about to transform your nighttime skin care routine and make your face a whole lot softer and happier in the process.
The gentle, century-old cleansing product removes makeup effortlessly, without water (though you can choose to take it off by using a damp washcloth or cotton pad). It's particularly effective for older women concerned with damaging delicate under-eye areas and causing fine lines by scrubbing away mascara and eyeliner. It's also fragrance-free and safe for all skin types. Trust me, if you buy it now, it will become a staple on your bathroom shelves and — if you're a good friend — those of every woman you know.
This easy-glide detangling brush is often recommended by stylists as a tool for those with fine, thin or thinning hair, which tends to tangle more intensely than thicker 'dos. While regular brushes can actually add to thinning or shedding by tearing and damaging whatever strands you have left, this wildly smooth and effective brush is a breeze to use on wet or dry hair and gentle enough for even those of us who are balding a bit.
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