Tip of the Day #3: Favorite Affordable Cosmetics

Today, I'll provide a list of my favorite affordable brands and where to get discounted and cheap cosmetics. :) Many of you may know of these already, but if not, here are some new places for you to look.

Cherry Culture - this website features quite a few lesser-known brands, but many have great prices. Dedicated to brands with bright colors, high quality, and great packaging, you're sure to find something you like here. This is also a great place to buy NYX cosmetics.

discount.makeup.com - mentioned briefly in my last post, this website has some wonderful brands and makeup at discounted prices, sometimes up to 20% or more. Selected products from MAC, Stila, Bobbi Brown, and many others can be found here for those of you girls who still like to enjoy your high-end makeup.

E.L.F. - while I haven't shopped this line myself, I plan to in the future. The most amazing thing about this company is that everything is sold at a mere $1. Hard to believe, but true! Additionally, I've heard the quality of the products is pretty good. And did I mention you can create your own custom color palettes?

L'Oreal HiP - known for having some wonderful MAC knock-offs, this line is a bit on the expensive side, but has some amazing products. They're worth a look if you can find them on sale or discount. My recommendations are the shine-struck lip color, shadow duos and pigments, glosses, and liners. Gorgeous colors everywhere, but the selection needs to be expanded! (Thanks for the suggestion to include this, Fabu-LESS Beauty!)

Milani - though this line is for "multicultural" skin tones, you can find some fantastic makeup here. Their eyeshadows have been creating a buzz lately, packed with pigment and nicely priced while resembling products from higher-end brands. I love the focus on color and quality here!

NYX Cosmetics - this company has become well-known for its high-quality, affordable cosmetics. Some have found that their colors and products are quite similar to those of MAC, Urban Decay, and other more expensive brands. They're definitely worth looking into for their eyeshadow, lip products, brow kits... though they have nearly everything! Brushes, too!

Outlet Bound - I picked this tip up from a beauty forum - a great way to get usually pricey cosmetics for excellent prices is to check out cosmetic companies' outlet stores! Go to the website and do a search for either Lancome or Estee Lauder, and see if there's an outlet in your area! These are two of the biggest cosmetics companies there are, so you're bound to find some great things, including discontinued and limited edition products.

Wet 'n' Wild - widely available in drugstores and full of variety, WnW has some great products. Some are on the poor side in terms of quality, but others are awesome (try the eyeshadows and lipsticks!) and the price can't be beat. I recommend steering clear of the Wet Shine Nail Color, though.

That's all I have for today. I'll always be adding more information like this as I come across it!

Be sure to leave a comment if you know of any good budget cosmetics I missed!