A personal shopper gave us her top picks, and the best part is, all these products are under 10 bucks! Our expert says you don't have to spend a lot to look like you did, and even some of her high-end clients are making the switch from the department store to the drug store.
"When I go to buy one thing and I leave with five things," said shopper Anna Osborn.
It's a bad habit Anna admits she needs to change -- switching some high-end products for some budget-friendly options.
She said, "You get into a very spoiled habit of doing it all in one place, and if you actually slowed down you can probably figure out you can do a lot better somewhere else."
Stylist and beauty expert Stevie Bingham has worked with Anna in the past.
"We have to prioritize on where you are spending your money and if you can find cheaper products you might as well do it," Stevie said.
Budget beauty buy number one -- Nail polish. Chanel is known for setting the trend when it comes to color. But Chanel isn't cheap at $25 a pop! Instead Stevie says Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry for as little as four bucks has a line of vibrant trendy colors just like Chanel, and it's super user friendly.
"The polish is thick, you only need one coat, it dries really fast," Stevie said.
Budget beauty buy number two -- Burt's Bees lip shimmer stick for 4 bucks. It's lip balm with a hint of color.
"It's a great during the day product," Stevie said. "If you are running around, and you are in the sun, swipe that on to keep your lips from drying out."
Stevie used to pick up a brand by Nars called pure sheer, but that's 25 bucks. Burt's Bees lip shimmer has similar results without the big price tag.
Budget beauty buy three -- A 10-ounce jar of Ponds dry skin cream for 8 bucks versus 4 ounces of Kiehls dry skin cream for $50. Stevie says there is no difference in the consistency of the cream and it moisturizes just as well.
"I find that the quality of the Ponds is great, it's great," Stevie said.
Budget beauty buy number four -- Neutrogena makeup remover towelettes for $5, with 25 towelettes to a pack. Stevie used to buy a pricy brand for four times the price. That's why she has tested every brand to find the best bargain.
She said, "I found that the Neutragena out of all the inexpensive towelettes that I have used, I think is the best ones I have used."
Budget beauty buy number five -- A dry shampoo called Psst. That's right, it's called Psst for six bucks a can. Stevie has spent triple the money for salon quality shampoos but she says this brand works the best.
Budget beauty buy number six -- L'Oreal self- tanning towelettes. They are so popular they were sold out at three stores we stopped by. We found them on sale for $7.15 for a pack of six.
We shopped at drug stores, but you can usually find the best prices online. We price compared Kroger and H-E-B grocery stores and their prices are usually just as good as the big discount stores. Drug stores are often the most expensive, but if you combine sales with coupons you usually get a good deal.
