I've Tried Hundreds of Amazon Beauty Items—Here Are My 3 Unequivocal Favorites (On Sale!)

There’s nothing more that I love than a reasonably priced product that outperforms big-name, high-priced competitors, and that’s exactly how I’d describe L’Oréal’s Lumi Glotion. Not only has this illuminator, bronzer, and skin-perfector garnered a celebrity following, with fans like Kendall Jenner and Simone Ashley achieving their famous glows with this luminous moisturizer, but it’s also one of our editors’ favorite drugstore products across the board.

I find myself reaching for this tinted moisturizer in the shade Medium year-round to battle dry skin, give my pale skin a touch of warmth in the winter months, and smooth my canvas in the summer—all the while achieving a natural-looking glow while the product itself wears (and feels) undetectable to the naked eye. To be honest, I’d pay way more for this than it retails for (just don’t tell L’Oréal that).

It comes in four flexible shades, meaning it can be sheered out or built up to achieve more or less pigmentation, and is infused with shea butter and glycerin to lock in the hydration that this sensitive skin-friendly moisturizer imparts. The product layers well under makeup, serving as a luminous foundation base for full glam, but also wearing beautifully on its own—smoothing imperfections, offering a subtle glow, and even neutralizing redness.

As someone who isn’t overly skilled with hairstyling, especially when it comes to taming my hair in the summer heat, the Dream Coat Supernatural Spray is a godsend. (Spoiler alert: my fellow editors would have to agree.)

This 2-in-1 product is not only an anti-frizz treatment and heat protectant, which I appreciate more than usual in the humid New York City summers, but it also moonlights as a hair gloss, making my strands look impossibly smooth after a quick styling session. The formula is activated by heat, meaning its strand-coating polymers won’t lock your style in until you start to blow-dry your hair. While you can grab a round brush and get to work with the Supernatural Spray, you can also opt for a diffuser with the Dream Coat for Curly Hair, which hydrates and smoothens curls for a humidity-defying style.

I put this product to the test during the summer, and I was pleased to see that my hair stayed relatively sleek and shiny for the promised three hair washes—a claim I was pleasantly surprised to see upheld. While I’ve recommended this multihyphenated spray to everyone and their mothers at full price, I wouldn’t hesitate to add a backup to my cart when I see it on sale.

I clearly love my tinted moisturizers, but when something really works, you have to scream about it from the rooftops. Laura Mercier’s Natural Dewy Tinted Moisturizer has a cult following for a reason—it’s lightweight and nongreasy, stays all day (no, really), and comes in an impressive range of shades. I’ve found that only a small amount of this moisturizer is necessary to grace my face with a lovely wash of skin-smoothing pigment, though you can build it up with light layers if you’re looking for something with a little more full coverage.

Its formula is 88% skincare-based, with a nourishing combo of probiotics, hyaluronic acid, and upcycled grape pomace leading the ingredient list. While there’s no doubt that this product is an effective foundation alternative (offering up to 16 hours of wear!), it works overtime to hydrate, smooth, and soften the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with its plush formula. I’ve found myself swapping my foundations and skin tints for this medium-coverage moisturizer, especially when my skin is winter-dry. Its humidity-fighting formula makes it an easy choice for the summer months, too.

But if you think that’s where the beauty recs stop, you’d be mistaken. Scroll on for even more products that I’ve personally tested and know will elevate (and simplify) your beauty routine—with prices that have fallen as low as $2 during this unbeatable sale.

Both a portable version of the viral Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask and a lip gloss all rolled into one, I don’t go anywhere without at least one flavor of the Glowy Lip Balm rattling around in the bottom of my purse.

By far, these press-on underlash falsies are the most user-friendly fake lashes I’ve ever tested (and I used to dance competitively—aka, lots of false lash experience).

This SPF-packed “serum” was my most-used sunscreen this past summer. Its ultra-light, hyaluronic acid-based formula felt like a drink of water on my weather-warmed skin, and my friends would always ask to borrow it on beach days.

What did we do before pimple patches, specifically these from Hero Cosmetics? The Mighty Patch is my personal skin savior, with one small sticker over a whitehead solving my pimple problems overnight.

I’m admittedly late to the Black Honey game, but now that I’ve tried it, I’ll never turn back. This sheer plum shade looks universally flattering on every skin tone, its buildable formula moving between a watercolor wash and pigmented pout the more swipes you layer on. Plus, you can nab it for almost $8 less if you apply the coupon at checkout.

As a dry skin girlie, this hyaluronic acid serum from The Ordinary is a must-have for me. Its nutrient-packed formula includes barrier-strengthening ceramides, 5 weights of hyaluronic acid, and provitamin B5 to lock everything in place.

I, too, am a frequent purveyor of the slickback bun trend, and this hair wax stick has been my secret weapon for controlling my hairline cowlick and pesky flyaways. Though it’s tough on rebellious hairs, this formula is super easy to wash out in the shower.

I don’t make much time for self-care (a work in progress), but when I do, the first thing I do is pop on these under-eye patches. These moisturizing mini-masks are great for de-puffing my eye bags and lessening my dark circles, especially when I pop them in the fridge before use.

This mascara is not only one of the lowest-priced beauty products I’ve ever tried, but ironically, one of the best. Its lengthening formula makes my lashes look feathery and light and I hardly ever experience flaking or fallout—a testament to the fact that formulas don’t have to be expensive to work well.

Another K-Beauty favorite is this skin-soothing moisturizer. Made with a proprietary Cica complex, this calming formula is a key player for dry, irritated, rosacea-afflicted skin.

As a fan of DIY press-on nails, I’m always stocking up on this Kiss nail glue with a 3-second dry time. I mean, it’s $2. I might as well buy one for every purse.