The Most Affordable Makeup You'll Ever Come Across

Times are tough and many of us are having to cut back on our expenses and luxuries. That doesn't mean you have to completely give up some of your loves. You might have to cut back on many things but being beautiful doesn't have to be one of them. We all know how therapeutic treating ourselves to a little something can be, and considering the state of the economy I'm sure we can all use a little treat. There are some great and very affordable cosmetic brands out there that go by unnoticed mostly because of their prices. Can you believe that? Who would ever imagine that someone would pass up a brand or item just because it's so affordable? Those times of snubbing affordable products are over. Whether you're a woman looking for affordable alternatives to her usual high end cosmetics or just someone looking for deals on beauty products there's something for everyone, yes, even men. I've complied a list of steals and deals for all of your beauty and cosmetic needs.

NYX: Pronounced "niks", as in the Greek goddess of night known for her profound beauty. NYX is a cosmetic brand that sells some very lush products for wallet friendly prices. Some of my favorite products of theirs is their round lipstick, jumbo lipstick pencil, jumbo eye shadow pencil and their Doll Eye mascara in waterproof. Their lip products are all just amazingly pigmented and moisturizing. They have one of the most extensive collection of colors to choose from, last time I counted it was over 100. Their jumbo eye shadow pencil is a bit on the tacky side and needs to be worn over eye primer. I use it as a shadow base to make my eye shadows pop. NYX's Doll Eye mascara is probably one of their most famous product. This particular mascara has a special curvy, almost hourglass-like brush that helps separate and coat every lash effortlessly.

E.L.F: Eyes Lips Face is another affordable brand of cosmetics. They're most known for their $1 products and for being cruelty-free. They have a mineral and professional line that sells for more than a dollar but even those lines are still very affordable for prices between $3 and $8. My favorite products are their brushes, Natural Radiance Blusher, their mineral lipstick and mineral powder foundation, and their eyebrow kit from their Studio line. E.L.F tends to be very generous and sends out coupons or have special deals often.

Sally Stores: You can often find good deals at Sally stores everything from cosmetics to hair products, but you may not have known that Sally has their own line of makeup called Sally Girl. The selection isn't as big as many brands but what they do offer is quality products for just .99 cents! If you're a Sally store member you can get the products for even less.

CherryCulture.com: This is one of my favorite websites that sell makeup. They sell their own line plus many other brands for discounted prices. You can get NYX products from Cherry Culture too, and often times it's being sold for less than NYXcosmetics.com. For even bigger deals check out their special sales.

Now for places where you can get beauty and cosmetics products for free or find deals that are good for both men and women.

ULTA stores and ULTA.com: ULTA is a store that specializes in beauty, fragrance and makeup. They sell everything from high end products to drugstore brands and even have their own line as well. They're constantly giving away free samples, having special sales and deals at both their store and online. All it takes it visiting your local ULTA store or checking out their website to see what kind of deals and freebies they're having. The staff at ULTA are often very friendly and helpful.

Sephora stores and Sephora.com: Sephora is a store much like ULTA in that they sell everything beauty related, whether it be makeup, skin care or fragrances. The difference is that Sephora only sells higher end products and you'll never find any drug store brands in their store. Like ULTA they also have their own line of products but it's often times what their sales associates will recommend first, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the best product or the most affordable in the store. I learned that the hard way. The best thing about Sephora is that they have testers for every product in their stores and offer mascara, lip, and eye shadow tester wands so you can try them out for yourself. Just like ULTA, Sephora has a lot of sales, special deals and freebies at both their stores and website. So check it out. Make sure if you're in store to ask about it because the sale associates won't always mention it.

Being beautiful and pampering yourself now and then doesn't have to make you feel bad, and it doesn't necessarily have to cost anything if you know where to look.