Staff Picks: Our best makeup finds UNDER P300!
You've seen our beauty budgets, our most expensive buys, and our recent splurges but a true PV girl lives for cheap finds that we'd gladly pay more for (though of course, we'd rather not!). We're actually pretty kuripot at heart, so nothing compares to thrill of discovering a product that performs really well at a price that our wallets won't complain about. If you're itching to just add an inexpensive item to your cart, consider these #ragrets-free choices!
Katsy: I find myself reaching for the Althea Petal Velvet Powder quite often these days. The pretty packaging, portable size, and affordable price (P210 via Althea PH) makes it a winner in my book! It also does its job well as a translucent powder that I'm happily using it instead of my HG Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder. While I still have to do a throwdown between the two to really see which one will come on top, considering the price point and the fact that I'm satisfied with how it performs, for some ultimate penny-pinching, you can't go wrong with the Petal Velvet Powder.
Angeli: My recent favorite drugstore discovery is the Nichido Pressed Powder for only Php 95. This gem is the perfect on-the-go retouch powder if you want to touch up some areas on your face if you feel a bit shiny throughout the day. This also does a good job in adding a tiny bit of coverage if you find your foundation is lacking in coverage. There are a lot of shades to choose from. I got the shade in Tan.
Kim: I've featured the Innisfree Auto Eyebrow Pencil (P225 via BeautyMNL) in my #makeupbagmondays series on Instagram more than any other brow pencil. I think it might be my all-time favorite K-beauty product as it gives me the quickest, easiest, no-fail, soft-looking kilay! With this, I can do both brows in a record time of under 30 seconds. I really think this deserves more recognition from the beauty community and I can't wait for Innisfree to come here so I can hoard it in multiple shades.
Tellie: One of my best bargain finds is the Essence Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 01 Black Fever (P196 at Watsons). I'm not normally into eye pencils, but this one is just so easy to apply and is virtually budge-proof. I use it to line my lashline, and it stays there. I like how creamy and easy it is to apply, without really balling up nor tugging at my skin. It's not jet black, but is one of the blacker pencils I've tried. I only wish it had a sharpener as the thick point prevents me from using it for actual eye lining. At P196 though, I'd happily keep restocking this in my personal and pro kit!
Gett: While I love cleansing oils to death, I’ve found great value in micellar water, especially when traveling! I’ve been loving Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (the Pure Active variant). It’s a great micellar water that removes most of my makeup and refreshes my skin when I need it. The 125ml bottle that retails for P149 (at most department stores) has proven to be a great travel companion as it’s so handy to just throw in my baggage, and I don’t have to worry about spillage and decanting products into another container!
Claire: Maybelline's Hypercurl is the ultimate drugstore mascara for me. For me, it beats the performance of some high-end mascaras, which kind of freaks me out since it's only P199! I used to hate it when I first tried it (like Nina did, LOL) but I gave it a second chance when my go-to mascara vanished from my kit. This time, it didn't clump up since I worked the wand faster. It gave me decent volume and length, and my curled lashes stayed on all day without smudging.
Crystal: I feel like a broken record but I always rave about Innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder (P260 at Althea PH). Bargain or not, this product is a must-try for people with oily skin! It doesn't contain a lot of product but I find that I don't need a lot to mattify my face. It's especially invaluable during the summer when the heat makes me oil up even quicker. I find that this keeps my face matte for an hour longer than typical loose powders. I wish that they made the bigger size a permanent item because I totally regret not purchasing it when it came out last year.
Have you tried any of these yet? Found any awesome cheap makeup thrills yourself lately? Would you like to see skincare version of this? Sound off in the comments!