my favorite makeup products under $11.


On a day where I have the time, I will spend a good hour doing my makeup purely because I enjoy it so much. It's such a fun way to express your creativity and I love how it can totally amplify a look. As much as I love the quality of high-end products, they can get so EXPENSIVE. $20+ on mascara? Call me cheap but that's too much for me! $8.00? Now that's more like it. Below are 7 of my favorite beauty items I've repurchased time and time again not only because they are quality products, but the prices are awesome!


If you know me personally, you know that I am ALL about eyelashes. I like my lashes long and thick and I probably put on way too many coats of mascara but hey, that's the way I like em'. This stuff is the bomb. It gives me everything I need. It's black as can be (hence the name), thickens and elongates while still looking very natural, and will not clump your lashes. All in all, it's my fave and you should try it. It just might change your life.

Sonia Kashuk® Hidden Agenda Concealer Palette

I cannot say enough good things about this concealer. Oh my goodness it's fantastic and FULL COVERAGE. I dab the green color on any redness and use the top two colors to cover blemishes before/after applying foundation. I use the "light" palette in the winter and the "medium" during the summer when I am a little more tan. I honestly like this product so much more than any of the high-end concealers I've ever purchased and you cannot beat the price. Definitely worth a try.

L'Oreal® Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup

This foundation is great for combination to oily skin. Not gonna lie, I usually grab for this before any of my high-end foundations.  There are a multitude of shades to choose from for cool, neutral and warm-toned skin which is pretty unheard of for drugstore foundations! It is medium coverage but very buildable and blends into the skin beautifully! Be sure to begin applying with a very small amount as it can cake up (using a beauty blender will help avoid this... I use a cheap one from Walgreens that is awesome for the price!). It's contains SPF and is oil-free which is a huge bonus for me (has never made me breakout)! Amazing stuff.

Jordana Fabuliner Liquid Eye Liner Black

This is a great felt-tip liner that is black as black and MATTE. I personally am not a fan of shiny black liners so this product is great! It's very pigmented and with a little practice, you get a perfect line effortlessly. Great for someone who is a beginner or an expert on the cat-eye look! Umm also, it's like $3.00 at Walgreens. No joke. It obviously cannot compare to some high-end liners but if you're looking for a cheap alternative this is great! Just a heads up, it's kind of displayed in a weird spot so be sure to look for it right next to the cosmetics counter.


I LOVE this brush. It is absolutely amazing for setting powder to create that perfect airbrushed look and is surprisingly a great quality brush. I cannot tell you what a difference I saw after I started using this brush. It is my favorite brush I own and wait for it... it's only $3.00. No I'm not kidding. Go pick it up at Target right now.

NYX COSMETICS Soft Matte Lip Cream

I'm definitely in a matte phase when it comes to lip color so when I first discovered these lip creams, I fell love immediately. SO pigmented. SO many color variations. SO yummy smelling. They are  very long-lasting, especially if you wear a lip liner underneath. NYX products are also BOGO 1/2 off at Ulta quite frequently!


Maybelline® Instant Age Rewind® Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer

This is the best drugstore under-eye concealer I've used to date and I will more than often choose it over my MAC pro longwear concealer. It's extremely pigmented, creamy, and will not crease if you set it with powder! Buy a color that is a couple shades lighter than your foundation, apply in a triangle motion under the eyes with a beauty blender and you will be left with a perfect highlight! This product also works great as an eyeshadow primer.


I swear by these products and they are all under $11... how can you beat that!? I'd also like to mention that every store I've linked will allow you to return these products if you try them out and don't like them. Although I've repurchased every single one of these over and over again, I would hate for you to try them out and feel like you've wasted your money so make sure to save your receipt and return within the store's allotted time frame! What are your favorite drugstore products?

my favorite skin care products.

photo by Bryan Castillo
As much as I LOVE makeup, over the years I have developed another passion, skin care. I have made so many mistakes (still making them) but I have finally began to grasp what my skin responds to best. Everyone has different complexion types, but I have done quite a bit of research during the past few years and wanted to share my current routine in hopes of encouraging someone like me who has really struggled or anyone just looking to try something new. First, let me give you a very quick breakdown on what I'm working with: I have very oily skin and am ridiculously prone to breakouts. So. Much. Fun. Although none of the products I will be mentioning are miracle workers, the following have helped tremendously. As an added bonus, each product is under $15!

photo c/o Target.com

This stuff is a godsend. Not only is it great for cleansing in the morning and at night, but it also gets every trace of makeup off so easily. This is also AMAZING for controlling oil. I can honestly tell a HUGE difference in my skin since I've started using it. I've found that Target usually sells it at the best price and trust me, it is worth every penny.


photo c/o Ulta.com

Ever heard of a konjac sponge? I hadn't until about 6 months ago and boy was I missing out! I use this every day with the previously mentioned Cetaphil face wash and after using it my face feels so incredibly refreshed and squeaky clean. It exfoliates (gets rid of dead skin) and works wonders for cleansing the face of all makeup. It looks and feels pretty weird when you first open it but once you run it under water, it transforms into the fluffiest sponge. I get my sponge at Ulta. 

P.S. it's an eligible product to use with a $3.50 of $10 coupon and sometimes they are BOGO 1/2 off. Woop woop.


photo c/o Target.com

If you don't wear sunscreen on your face every day, stop everything you are doing right now and go get a moisturizer with SPF in it. It is so important not only to moisturize every day but also to protect your skin from the sun especially for someone like me with acne scars that darken from sun exposure. Despite it's importance, I've always had a love/hate relationship with moisturizers containing SPF because I feel like they never dry and make my face even oilier than it already is. Not this one. This moisturizer is also in the Cetaphil Oil Control line and I honestly love it! It's a fantastic moisturizer and does not leave your face feeling greasy at all. It is usually a bit pricey if you purchase at the grocery store but Target sells it for a few dollars less than most places.


photo c/o walgreens.com

This is a great product for blemishes that have just surfaced. It will totally dry those suckers out! It contains Salicylic Acid (great for unclogging pores and breaking down blemishes) and is 97% natural! I like to put it on any blemishes I have before I go to bed. Though I swear by this treatment, I would advise you to use caution with this product as it is extremely drying and you may experience some peeling. Be sure to only put it on the affected area and wipe off any excess that has dripped onto healthy skin. 

photo c/o walgreens.com

Last but certainly not least is a product that I've been obsessed with since I first tried it out. These are seriously like magical healing band-aids for pimples. Sounds so weird, I know but trust me... those of you who suffer with breakouts will be thanking me. They will work only on whiteheads so if your pimple has just surfaced, you may have to wait a day or two. I put one on a blemish before bed and in the morning I take it off and all of the pus (ew sorry, such a gross word) and nasty stuff has been sucked right out. Lovely image right? But there is nothing more satisfying than seeing all the gunk that it absorbed from the skin! I go to sleep with a nasty inflamed zit and I wake up with it almost completely flat. I have only been able to find these online and usually order a few packages at a time from Walgreens (4 to be exact because I refuse to pay for shipping... we will talk about my hatred for shipping costs in a later post).

So that's it! What are your current skin care favorites? I'd love to try them! Please leave any suggestions in the comments section and let me know if you've tried any of the products I mentioned!