I have a little confession…I have been spending way too much money on makeup and cosmetics lately. I went through a phase where I bought almost nothing and then spring hit and I lost my goddamn mind, guys. LOST IT. LOST IT.

I think a combination of factors was at play. First of all, winter was really long so when all of the spring collections started cropping up it was even more exciting than usual. Second thing is that my husband and I are about to close on our first house, and you may not see how that would make me buy makeup, but let me explain. First of all I’m definitely a stress shopper and the stress that goes along with the home buying process is just so dumb…it’s not even like real, big-deal stressful stuff it’s just the dumbest little annoying things…it’s making me crazy. I’m literally getting email right now as I type this that they need transcripts of things I have already given them, to prove the things were valid, waaaaah! I hate bureaucracy.

So I’ve been stress buying makeup, and then in the back of my mind I have also been thinking “Once we buy the house I’m only going to want to spend money on paint and furniture so I better buy makeup now while I can” So there you have it. The perfect storm.

That being said, I think it’s time to take a moment to appreciate the little things, and by little things I mean some really great beauty products under $5. You can get some seriously convenient things and very well formulated makeup for just a few bucks, so instead of being a totally bad influence for once I will show you some of my favorite bargain finds!

1. NYX Control Freak Eyebrow Gel - I know some people swear by certain clear brow gels that really hold you eyebrows in place all day, and that’s great…but I have literally never seen a difference between any of them. The NYX control freak keeps mine where they belong all day and it doesnt look weird or flake off. What more could you ask of a more expensive clear brow gel?
2. Conair Bobby Pins (In A CASE!) - In a case mudasucka! Yeah, they’re regular bobby pins, but the case is a game changer. You will never ever ever ever put a bobby pin back on that stupid piece of cardboard they usually come attached to, but I’ve put several back into this case. Do I still lose some? Of course I do, because they are bobby pins and it’s in their nature to roam free, but it’s still better.
3. NYX Slim Lip Pencils - I think I’ve written about these before, but guess what? My brain is fried and I don’t care. Hahaha ok I’m sorta kidding but in all seriousness these are pretty damn good. The color variety is amazing, so you can get colors to match a large variety of different lipsticks and the quality is really nice. They aren’t the creamiest of all time, they are more of a classic, old school dry lip liner formula, but the nice thing about that is that they don’t budge.
4. Rimmel Exaggerate Lip Liner - If you want a budget friendly lip liner that’s creamy then this is your jammy right here. The color range is very minimal, but the formula is creamy, dreamy goodness and it still has great lasting power. It’s the perfect supplement to the NYX ones. I’ve heard that these are similar to the Charlotte Tillbury Lip Cheats but I haven’t tried those so I can not confirm. They are definitely really nice though, and if you’re looking for something creamy and rich then you should give them a try.
5. Rimmel Scandal Eyes - This is the best drug store alternative to the Urban Decay 24/7 Liners by far. The formula is nearly identical, but again as seems to be the theme with these bargain products, there is a much more limited color range (makes sense because they won’t spend as much on R&D as a line charging twice the price) These are a great product though, and if you are looking for something like the Urban Decay 24/7 liners in dark brown or navy or cream or something along those lines then these are a totally worthy dupe.

So if you’ve been looking for some great beauty products under $5 then give these a try! I seriously have every single one of these things in my daily repertoire right alongside much more expensive stuff and I reach for these just as much. That’s saying something!

Buuuuuut if you want to go and blow all your money on high end luxury products, then I definitely am in no position to judge…but like, tweet me pictures or leave me comments or something because, hello! Half the fun is talking about our cool stuff and discussing what we’re gonna do with it right? 😉