Last year, I started a new series called “Empty’s” where I revisit an item after it’s been used long term, and decide whether I want to repurchase it.
You can find my previous posts here:
I just cleaned out my linen closet and threw out a bunch of old makeup I was never going to wear. And then in a cleaning frenzy, I also went through my bathroom and trashed a bunch of current makeup because it was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past its expiration date. If you didn’t already know, most makeup has an expiration date of 3 months to 1 year, depending on the item.
Nowadays, I don’t really wear much makeup but I know for a fact that my mascara has been in play for at least a year. AT LEAST. And mascara is one of those items that has a pretty quick expiration date – only 3 months from when you start using it. The last thing you want is germy mascara touching near your eyes. So, it hit the trash bin and I made a quick Amazon order for a replacement.
Since I was reordering stuff anyways, I thought I’d do a quickie blog post with my favorite makeup under $10 that I keep buying over and over again.
Covergirl Lash Blast Volume Mascara – $8.53
This is my favorite mascara ever! Actually, it’s the ONLY mascara I ever wear. It’s gentle on my contact lenses and when my right eye gets a little teary due to some overachieving tear ducts, I don’t end up with mascara all down my face. I get this in ‘very black’ and it does great at coloring in the clear ends of my eyelashes without any clumps.
NYX Professional Epic Wear Liner Stick – $7.82
And this is my favorite eyeliner, ever. I previously wore Covergirl eyeliner for years and years, but as I got older I’d end up with smudges of eye liner shadowed under my eyes. I switched to this gel liner and never had that problem again. This stuff goes on really smoothly because it’s a gel and then it stays like permanent marker. I own it in a bunch of colors, including: brown shimmer, gunmetal gaze, all time olive, silver lining and berry goth. Once it is on, it does NOT budge. I’ve even washed my face in the shower and come out with fully intact eyeliner. (see how I get it off below)
LUXAZA Cream Eye Shadow Stick – $9.99
It’s actually cheaper to buy the multi-pack of these, but in order to keep it under my $10 limit, I’m sticking with just one of these eye shadow crayons. They are totally stupid-proof, you draw the shadow on like a crayon and then use the brush on the other end to blend it in. It is smudge proof and waterproof and looks professional with no effort. I have a bunch of the shades, but #45 (a shimmery brown) is my most used.
Oh, and this isn’t included in the whole $10 and under thing, but I’m guessing you’re probably wondering how I get this makeup OFF my face when it’s all smudge proof and water proof and budge proof. These are magical:
The Original MakeUP Eraser set
I bought a set of these as an impulse purchase at Costco a couple years ago and they are the absolute best. You just wet one with warm water and wipe your makeup off. That’s it. No fancy creams or lotions or potions. I pop out my contact lenses and then wipe the wet MakeUp Eraser over my eyelid a couple times and the makeup is gone with no irritation.
Then, just throw the wipe in with your laundry to go through the washer and dryer. Super easy! I’ve been using these multiple times a week for 2+ years and they are still in perfect condition. However, the laundry machine has eaten a couple over the years, so it would be helpful if you put them in one of those laundry bags.
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