Snobbery Step Aside - My Drugstore and Budget Beauty Favourites

One of my lovely subscribers (Hi - Melanie!) messaged me this weekend with a request for my personal drugstore and budget buys list. Some of you might already know about my slogan "Every Comment Makes Me Do a Happy Dance (really!), which meant that after I did a terrible version of the "chicken dance" I went over to my various stash locations (hiding spots), looked through my vanity drawers, bathroom shelves and makeup bags, determined to make my first request turn out as perfect as it possibly can be. 

If you are familiar with Canadian Princeza, then you might have noticed that the vast number of the products I have reviewed tend to be mostly in the "high-end" category. Scrolling down the "brands" listed you would also notice that the blog's primary topic seems to be skincare and treatment products, which are usually priced a lot higher than makeup basics so that makes my collection seem even more disproportional. Just because I don't have a lot of "drugstore" products reviewed and listed on my blog (yet!) doesn't mean that I have anything against them, that I don't use them, that i don't appreciate a "good value" or that I think I am too good for lower-end stuff. Personally I almost always buy products that have good ingredients, great formulation, "ethical" brand concepts, excellent reviews and innovative research. Every once in a while I get mesmerized by product packaging and limited edition incentives but I am finding that this is happening a lot less often and now that I am writing reviews and reflecting more.

The one category where I have to be extremely careful is skincare and that's only due to my sensitive, reactive skin, which can literally end up out of control in a matter of days. That being said I am a firm believer that the price tag attached to a product does not guarantee success, good results, innovation, good ingredients or even truthful advertising. In fact sometimes it seems the higher the price, the bigger the claims and therefore the worse your disappointment feels. I can think of a few high-end brands that have completely lost my trust, business and endorsement due to problems attached to their "promises" that had not a lot of backing or truth to them at all.

These days we have to be smart in choosing what we purchase and what we allow to be used on our bodies. Its a "dog eat dog" world out there, advertisers can deliberately mislead, ingredients are coded in a way that is harder to understand, the prices are rising every day and we, ordinary girls have to figure out a way to get through the complicated, consumer web and make choices we can stand by.
Higher price doesnt mean a better product at all and luckily the so called "budget" brands, along with a whole slew of "independent small-time" companies have noticed this shift in their customers mind-set and are finally coming out with formulas that are inexpensive, highly efficient, filled with good ingredients, attractively packaged and even philanthropic in nature.
I for one am tickled pink just thinking about the possibilities and more than happy to feature and promote any brand that fits in that category!

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite products that won't break the bank (too much!) bur could break your skepticism :-)

Budget Beauty Favorites with MILANI , Haus of Gloi, Nivea

Here is a list of my "Snobbery-Free" Beauty Favorites;

- L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Balm (Satin Pink) - $7.96 at Walmart
- Nivea Soft Moisturizing Cream - $8.97 at Walmart
- LUSH Banana Moon Soap - $7.95 for 100 g at lush.ca
- LUSH Coconut Deodorant Powder - $7.95 for 65 g at lush.ca
- Haus of Gloi Pumpkin Butter in Litchi Milk Tea - $10.00 for 6 oz at Haus of Gloi
- LUSH Bubble Gum Lip Scrub - $9.95 for 25 g at lush.ca
- Klorane Gentle Shampoo with Oat Milk - $12.00 for 200 ml at well.ca
- Klorane Desert Date Nutritive & Repairing Hair Mask - $15.99 for 150 ml at well.ca
- Milani Illuminating Face Powder - $12.79 at well.ca
- Pacifica Sea Foam Complete Face Wash - $11.99 for 147 ml at well.ca
- Dr. Bronner's Organic Rose Liquid Soap - $3.99 for 2 oz at well.ca

I hope you enjoyed my first "Budget Beauty Collection" and at least got a few ideas for your next purchase!
Thank you Melanie for the request and the wonderful message you sent me - I really appreciate all of my readers so hearing from any of you just makes my day :-)

Please let me know if you want to see more posts on this topic and if its possible in any way I will gladly accommodate all requests from everyone!

What are your favorite budget finds? Anything I might be missing out on?

XOXO

ANJA

P.S. If you enjoyed this post and want some more Princeza Beauty Musings, please consider following me through GFC, Bloglovin, Pinterest or Twitter! Insert "happy dance" here :-)