Tech
Kate Demolder: The best budget beauty products for under €20 — and five worth the splurge
Most of us assume that the more expensive a product is, the better it will be. And in a confusing and crowded skincare market where there is always a new product being touted for its miracle effects, we can end up going around in circles.
The reality is that a consistent approach to skincare that incorporates good quality ingredients (that you can afford to continue buying) is the most important thing, so it’s worthwhile getting to know the affordable skincare brands that keep prices reasonable, without scrimping on efficacy.
When it comes to makeup, the standards of beauty products have arguably never been higher, meaning that products known for their lower price tags have really blown things out of the water of late. Through work and personal endeavours, I’ve discovered some excellent products over the years that deliver results without breaking the bank. Here is my pick of the best for under €20:
One of those products that does (almost) everything, Skin Food is an ultra-nourishing balm that hydrates, locks in moisture and protects while restoring and repairing the skin barrier. Skin Food Light is also great if you’re looking for something less concentrated.
There’s a reason this product has gone viral on TikTok. It’s non-stripping, removes all traces of makeup, and is full of nice, basic oils that tend to the skin nicely. As most Lacura products have parfums, this may not be for sensitive types — but it’s a great option for everyone else.
Niacinamide is one of those ingredients that those in the know will look out for because its benefits are plenty; brightening; soothing; improving tone and texture and it can help to minimise the appearance of pores. It also prevents moisture already within the skin from escaping. This Q+A formula is brilliant, combining niacinamide with soothing allantoin to strengthen the skin barrier.
Potentially the only brand from whom you could buy a whole skincare routine and still get change from €20, The Ordinary is all about stripped-back marketing and potent products. With this three-step routine, you get the Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, the Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (which is water-based and performs exfoliation) as well as the Natural Moisturising Factors + Beta Glucan. This contains ceramides, meaning all-day hydration. This would be great for oilier, teenage skin.
If your skin is oily, congested, flaky, moderately spotty or marred with blackheads, this is a great first step. And it’s gentle enough for teens and tweens with the same problems. Use it on the face or body and lather up without stripping the skin dry. Expect this to last months, too.
The Advanced Repair Ointment is an ultra-nourishing balm that hydrates, locks in moisture and protects while restoring and repairing the skin barrier. If you’re someone who has suffered from an impaired barrier, you will be familiar with how, when compromised, the skin goes into full meltdown mode. The Advanced Repair Ointment is great at rectifying this.
Infused with aloe vera and vitamin E to provide exposed skin, while also shielding the skin with broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection, this water-resistant product is a non-greasy formula that can be worn alone or as a makeup base due to its sheer invisibility.
For grazes, burns, bites, roughness, irritation, sensitivity, adverse reaction to a product and general dryness, reach for this. I think of it as a sticking plaster in a tube and my home is never without it.
For the colder months when your skin, whatever the tone, looks a little grey, bronzing drops are a great solution––and these are the best budget ones. Add a few drops to your daily moisturiser and massage all in one go. (Get right into the hairline if you have dark hair, but try to avoid it getting stuck in patches by gently massaging and using plenty of base moisturiser.) Be sure to wash hands thoroughly after use.
This has gone with me on every trip, and maintains a hero for washing off layers of makeup. This product is excellent and will last you years.
A long-wearing formula that doesn’t bleed and lasts all night, this is creamy enough to glide on and impactful enough to stay there. Brilliant value and excellent colour payoff.
Enriched with nourishing castor oil, this formula is non-clumping, non-smudging and keeps your lashes in place all day and night. I will wear this mascara until the day I die; if you see it sold out at your local pharmacy, it’s likely I got there first.
One of the most unique budget foundations, this TikTok favourite is a Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter dupe meaning that it’s, as the name suggests, four products in one; a lightweight foundation; primer; highlighter and/or hydrating BB Cream. This is ideal for anyone who doesn’t like the feel of a heavy foundation and just wants a lil’ something something.
If you love Tarte’s Shape Tape, this is an excellent dupe with a similar formula. Full coverage and matte, without looking one-dimensional, the good people at e.l.f did us a favour here.
This is a great product. As someone who is primer-averse, this is the one that got me on board. Infused with Squalene to help grip makeup for all-day wear and help protect skin from moisture loss, the texture on this is super velvety. Full marks.
A third e.l.f product feels gluttonous but they’re just that good. Versatile, non-glittery and glow-giving, use this either on its own or under makeup (if you prefer a long-wear, heavier base) for an instant glow.
Who would’ve thought we’d get a Space NK addition to the list? Although mini, this product— which has been raved about on every social media platform — will last you the year, given its less-is-more approach. Genuinely one drop is all you need. Shades are great, too. Big up, Selener.
Another Space NK addition! Another mini, yes, but one spray of this and your makeup is lock-tight, without being totally stuck. A finer setting spray mist you won’t find.
This has been a fan-favourite for over ten years, and there’s a reason: it provides perfect, natural, true-to-skin coverage. It’s also buildable, and super blendable, so the full-coverage crew can enjoy it, too.
And finally, let’s finish off on a Brown Thomas note. This soft-focus concealer blurs and brightens any discolouration or signs of fatigue under the eyes. The brand’s colour corrector is also brilliant for colour matching, but this is definitely more of an all-rounder.
Chafe your inner thighs during the summer? This will help. The Megababe Anti-Friction Stick creates a barrier that sits on top of the skin, allowing thighs that rub to glide smoothly against each other. Enriched with aloe, grapeseed oil and vitamin E, this product provides extra hydration for happy, healthy skin.
My favourite tan of all time––this is the easiest, most affordable way to appear bronzed. I know many people are clear-tan averse, but one spray of this onto your body and you’ll wake up glowing. It’s also great as it allows you to spray your back, with no mitt needed.
This richer moisturiser has stood the test of time by way of its great price and greater level of hydration. Use it as a hand cream, foot cream and a body moisturiser. Apply daily after showering and you won’t need to wait long getting dressed.
This really gets in there to slough off old tan, dry skin or glitter post-festival season. I use mine once a week to feel really clean.
I’ve really gotten into body brushing of late to detoxify and for lymphatic drainage. It’s also an excellent way to exfoliate while you’re waiting for the shower to heat up. This one, with pulse points, is particularly soothing.
A revitalising moisturising cream for the face, body, and hands, which so many have compared to La Mer. It contains Vitamin E and Jojoba Oil that works to keep skin feeling light and super hydrated.
I spent about two years searching for a natural deodorant that worked after the sensitive skin of my underarms decided that they were no longer a fan of chemicals. This brilliant product is the reason I’ll never swap back. One glide with this (wet it beforehand) and you’ll have zero sweat smell all day, even in the gym. It also lasts the guts of eight months. My current one I bought in October and is only barely coming to the end of its life.
Aveeno is a brand I would wholeheartedly recommend to anyone with sensitive skin and regular flare-ups. The body oil spray is particularly brilliant for very dry and flaking skin that could use a lift. Use it every night for a week and you’ll feel a massive change.
After years of using a blunt and terrible tweezer, I bought this one and am glad every time I use it.
Finally, sunscreen is vital for all––there is no point in using serums or retinol if you’re not using suncream every single day. That said, the cost stacks up. Boots makes very good, non-irritating, affordable sun protection that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to anyone.
Never in my life have I been asked so much about a perfume. Compact, unisex and powerful enough that you only need one swipe, this is a scent I will rebuy for as long as Cat Deeley and makeup artist Amanda Grossman make it.
Some may feel €18 is a lot for an eye pencil, but this formula could be thrice the price and the beauty world would still obsess over it. Their newest collab with Hannah Martin, Spiced Pecan, is a glittering gold shade that looks good on everyone.
This combination has helped save my hair from the hard water that comes out of my shower. A little goes a long way, and the softness thereafter is palpable a mile off.
Antioxidants, like this one, help protect skin cells from damage and make easy work of improving texture. I noticed my skin appeared far bouncier within two months of regular Phloretin CF use, but SkinCeuticals has a myriad of products like this one which may be more tailored to what you need.
Helen Reavey’s Act + Acre products make light work of a truly holistic approach to haircare — starting with this sprayable scalp treatment that I use after every wash.
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