25 Cheap Beauty Basics to Buy When You're Bored
Scrolling through Amazon's beauty department has quickly become one of our favorite pastimes. Obviously, we're not alone in this, as evidenced by the thousands of reviews available for any given product. From stalking hard-to-find international beauty mainstays to scouring the aforementioned reviews for the top-rated goods, we could spend an obscene amount of time and money on the site. (Well played, Bezos, well played.)
What a relief it is that getting our hands on some of the most beloved and ingenious beauty products from this gargantuan e-tailer can actually be quite the inexpensive endeavor. Some of our all-time favorite beauty finds actually cost less than the overpriced salads we can't stop ordering for lunch.
So in honor of the cheap beauty finds Amazon has to offer, we've curated this handy list of the 25 best under $25. Get into it.
Makeup
Hair
The thick, soft scrubbers in this manual shampoo massager not only promote blood flow to the scalp, but they also help exfoliate it by sloughing away dead skin cells. For the curly and natural beauties, it also makes it so much easier to make sure you shampoo is actually reaching your scalp.
Whether you're still recovering from the pencil-thin eyebrow trend from the 2000s or trying to achieve great lash lengths, this serum is for you. Two different keratin peptides, green tea, saw palmetto, and nettle root all work overtime to strengthen weak hair and encourage growth.
Skin
Everyone and their mother (and over 17,000 Amazon customers) use this iconic clay mask. Beauty editors have touted its magical powers for years, and in terms of dramatic results at such an affordable price point, it just can't be beat. Pro tip: Mix the mask powder with apple cider vinegar instead of water for a pH-balancing deep clean.
This little-known cream has thousands of five-star reviews, many commenting that it holds its own against much more expensive products. This retinol cream is great if you're looking for a strong anti-aging treatment that also contains soothing ingredients like hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, green tea, shea butter, and jojoba oil to minimize the likelihood of typical retinoid-related irritation.
If you're not freezing your face off with an ice roller, I'm here to tell you it's time to start. All you have to do is pop the frozen roller head into the lightweight plastic handle and get rolling all over your face. It relieves pressure, shrinks pores, calms inflammation, and we heard a rumor that it also does your laundry.
Nails
While you're at it with the DIY manicure, why not add a few of these teeny-tiny flowers for a fun 3D pop? It truly doesn't get any cuter.
Up next, I tried Tracee Ellis Ross's new haircare line—here's my honest review.
Courtney Higgs is a Cancer sun, Libra rising beauty enthusiast with six years of experience in the editorial space. She was previouslyBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 's associate beauty editor after spending many years working at InStyle Magazine. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, with a BA in communication studies and pivoted to editorial after spending her college years working in the legal field. Her beauty philosophy is simple: She believes there are no wrong answers and that discovering our favorite beauty products and rituals is a journey, not a sprint. When she's not geeking out over products, she can be found adventuring around L.A. with her fiancé; watching reality TV with their French bulldog, Bernie Mac; or relating way too hard to astrology memes.
-
Olivia Rodrigo and Madison Beer Both Wore This $12 Nail Polish to the Grammys
It's a classic.
-
The Exact 2 Chanel Nail Polishes Behind Margot Robbie's "Barbie Doll Hands"
New manicure inspo, unlocked.
-
I Don't Say This Lightly—These Are the 31 Best Things I Got on Amazon This Year
Out of dozens of orders.
-
I Buy My Gifts From Shopbop andReplica Store—These Are the Ones I'm Ordering First
Seriously good presents ahead.
-
I'm a Pop Culture Obsessed Beauty Editor—These Nostalgic Products Give Me My Fix
This was fun.
-
I Got the Scoop on the Beauty ProductsReplica Store Has to Restock Constantly
I want everything.
-
She Wanted to Send Those Brats Off to Switzerland—I Wanted Her Beauty Aesthetic
An ode to Meredith Blake.
-
I Bled From Chafing While Marathon Training—This Anti-Chafe Stick Worked Magic
It's the only thing that helped.