TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.2*
Why it's great: Readers call this $1 product a "great budget highlighter" for bringing a "fantastic," "fresh" shimmer to your cheekbones. "The trick to application is to use just a little bit, dab a couple of small dots on the area you want highlighted, and then blend really well," one user explains. "I highly recommend it for subtle, natural glow."
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.3*
Why it's great: Reviewers describe this drugstore buy as "creamy" and "emollient." One reviewer raves, "It has great pigmentation, so I don't have to go over my lines with multiple swipes." Another says the liner is "perfect for lining your water line.... It goes on smoothly without tugging at the lids."
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.4*
Why it's great: "Multi-tasking products make me happy. Saving money makes me happy. E.L.F. ... makes both possible," says one satisfied reviewer. "The blush and bronzer [are] lovely."
Readers also say they enjoy experimenting with contouring and shading with this versatile duo.
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.7*
Why it's great: Readers love the color range of this product, which offers "everything from natural shades to yellow, orange, lavender and green to correct discoloration." They also love that it "stays put on blemishes."
One reader recommends the product because it "glides on the skin like butter, but stays on all day -- doesn't crease, doesn't emphasize fine lines."
TotalBeauty.com average member rating: 8.7*
Why it's great: "These eye shadows are comparable, if not better than, department store and boutique brands," writes one reader. Reviewers love that the shades stay "true to the colors in the palette" when applied. They also describe the shadows as "silky," "pigmented" and "blendable." "One swipe gives you amazing color payoff," one reader says.
If your budget's more canned tuna than caviar, your makeup doesn't have to suffer. Like the right $5 bottle of wine can taste just as good as a $50 bottle, the best cheap makeup can produce equally high-end results.
True, budget makeup finds may not flaunt the same ritzy brand name or museum-worthy packaging as pricier products -- but if a gorgeously made-up face is what you're after, the world of cheap makeup has a slew of gems to offer.
Of course, not all cheap makeup products live up to our standards. Some are poorly made and have almost no pigment, melt off your face within minutes and end up highlighting your imperfections. We can all agree that a $2 lipstick that you never use isn't really a deal after all.
Then again, you don't have to drain your bank account for stay-all-day eyeliner, full-coverage concealer, creamy, pigmented blush, lipstick and more. But don't take our words for it. Listen to our trusty TotalBeauty.com reviewers, who took to the drugstore aisles to find these select cheap makeup treasures that compare to products five times their price.
The following 15 best cheap makeup products are consumer-approved, high-quality and available for $5 or less.
