You nominated them, and then voted on them, and now the winners have been chosen for the best budget makeup products via the 2011 About.com Readers’ Choice Awards. So if you’re constantly looking for a great budget-friendly makeup product, then the search is officially over. We have winners in eight makeup categories, including one that was tied, to help you look fabulous while saving some bucks. After all, who said makeup needs to cost an arm and a leg; especially in this economy.
1. Best Budget Mascara - L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara
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L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara was the clear winner for Best Budget Mascara. This was a gimme, because when it comes to mascara this one has it all. Let’s just refer to L’Oreal Voluminous as the new Cadillac of mascaras. When L’Oreal says “volume”, they really mean it because this mascara gives your lashes tons of natural-looking, clump-free volume. What you don’t get are flakes, smudges, or clumps. The original formula will set you back around $4, while the newer Million Lashes formula will only cost around $3 more.
2. Best Budget Lip Gloss – Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer
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Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmer was voted the best budget lip gloss for a reason, but instead of one reason there are many. Some find the lip shimmer to be addictive, with its silky feel, nourishing moisturizer, naturally fragrant scent, and subtle hint of just the right color. It’s perfect to use day or night, and at the jaw-dropping price of around $5 you can afford all of the shades Burt has to offer.
3. Best Budget Foundation – CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation
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CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation was the clear winner in the Best Budget Foundation category. It’s definitely easy to see why Natureluxe beat out the competitors in this category, with its lightweight and silky feel. CoverGirl has definitely hit the nail on the head with this little gem. Its natural ingredients, such as jojoba, rosehip and cucumber water, coupled with the hypoallergenic property, SPF, and super silky feel will make your skin think you’ve splurged on a high-end foundation. Instead you can sleep easy knowing that you’ve spent $12 or less for a little tube of foundation heaven.
4. Best Budget Tinted Moisturizer – Almay Smart Shade
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Almay Smart Shade Makeup is almost like your own little tube of magic, which explains why they won for Best Budget Tinted Moisturizer. Smart Shade contains a breakthrough "shade sensing technology" that goes from white to the exact match for your skin tone. It's available in three shades, so picking the right one for your tone is rather easy. As a bonus, the makeup is also infused with a blend of grape seed, ginseng, and Ginko as well as an SPF 15 for sun protection. The finish is natural and sheer, almost like a tinted moisturizer. The magic transformation from white to your skin tone, along with the natural finish and decent SPF, makes it obvious why it’s a budget makeup must-have.
5. Best Budget Lipstick (Tied) – L’Oreal Infallible and Revlon Super Lustrous
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There was a tie for Best Budget Lipstick between L’Oreal Infallible lipstick and Revlon Super Lustrous, and this was because both lipsticks are super budget-friendly, and out of this world. The L’Oreal Infallible lipstick goes on smooth, literally lasts all day, and comes with a very nice gloss-like basecoat to keep the lip color comfortable throughout the day. On the other hand, Revlon Super Lustrous (Compare Prices) isn’t “infallible”, but the colors and texture are perfect in every way. Tons of women are addicted to this lipstick, and have been for years. The reason the lipstick feels so silky is because Revlon actually uses LiquiSilk technology. The end result is super smooth and silky lips, with gorgeous color to boot. Oh, and did I mention the low prices on both? Let’s just say that you could buy several shades in both before paying for a department store brand. Who knew? Apparently you did!
6. Best Budget Eyeshadow – Wet n Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow
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It’s no wonder why Wet n Wild won for Best Budget Eyeshadow when you take into consideration how many people already love these eyeshadows. The Color Icon Eyeshadow comes in a single color, as well as three, six and even eight shades in one palette. The colors are always trendy, and give you a nice variety that also works well together at the same time. The texture is nice and the color on you lids look like an expensive department store brand. The secret is instead of spending $40 or more for a palette, you can get a 3 shade palette from Wet n Wild for around $3 or less.
7. Best Budget Nail Polish – Essie
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Essie beat out the rest to become the winner for Best Budget Nail Polish. The long-wearing yet true-to-life colors make this budget friendly nail polish a must-have. Sure, it’s ok to splurge from time to time, but if you love nail polish then you should definitely make Essie your new secret “steal”. It can be picked up your local drugstore for around $8 each, and the great chip resistant formula comes in a rainbow of trendy (and seasonal) shades.
8. Best Budget Eye/Lip Liner – Wet n Wild Color Icon Lip Liner
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Wet n Wild Color Icon Lip Liner blew away the competitors for the Best Budget Eye/Lip Liner. Of course there’s a good reason for this, or actually several good reasons. Wet n Wild lip liner goes on very smooth, and stays in place just as long (if not longer) as department store brands. There are no foofy brushes or applicators on the end, so you actually get 100% lip liner, and nothing else. I have personally used #712 Willow for years, and refuse to spend a penny more for another brand. The bonus is that most of the time you can find each Wet n Wild Color Icon Lip Liner at any grocer or drugstore, and they will only set you back $1 (or sometimes less).