Forget high-end buys - this week we're all about pocket money purchases
The end of the month isn't generally the time to splash out on beauty products - but that doesn't mean we don't want to. This week we've dedicated Glossy Picks to budget beauty, with everything costing less than £15 so you can get your shopping fix without spending the last of your money before payday.
Dr PawPaw Hot Pink Balm, £6.95
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"When this landed on my desk on a grey February day it immediately threw a splash of colour across my lips, my cheeks and my desk - and all for £6.95. I’ll admit I was nervous and suspicious about whether this budget beauty item could really brighten up anything other than my bank balance especially when I like my beauty to be vegan. But this ticked all my beauty product boxes - vegan, cruelty-free and the nourishing formula is enriched with the signature award-winning blend of pawpaw and papaya fruit, aloe vera and olive oil with added colour pigment to give it a kick of pink. It’s a versatile balm which could be just as useful on the slopes as on the beach and all for under a tenner."
Bye Bye Blemish Drying Lotion Tea Tree Oil, £8.99
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"I love a drying lotion, but sometimes I’m not ready to part ways big bucks for a decent treatment. This affordable launch from Bye Bye Blemishes is a fraction of the price as some of our cult favourites and performs just as well. For me, tea tree has always been a great natural antiseptic ingredient but combine this with salicylic acid and you have one heck of a spot-fighting solution. I popped a few dabs onto my stubborn blemishes and angry spots and within a couple of hours the inflammation and redness had diminished and dried out completely."
Maui Moisture Lightly Hydrating+ Pineapple Papaya Body Jelly, £8.99
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"This smells like summer in a tub and I absolutely can't get enough. The lightweight jelly texture absorbs instantly leaving the most delightful tropical scent behind, with the vegan blend of fruity papaya butter, sweet pineapple extract and tropical mango butter making my skin lovely and soft. This is Maui Moisture's first foray into body products and it isn't alone - with such a reasonable price point, you can also treat yourself to the body wash and in-shower lotion in the same scent - just don't blame me if you're left feeling compelled to book an all-inclusive trip someone sunny..."
Mitchum Natural Power Bamboo Powder Invisible Solid Deodorant, £4.30
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"Mitchum are known for their no-sweat sticks so they have a powerful reputation to live up to with their first natural aluminium free deodorant - and this doesn’t disappoint. The texture is similar to a balm deodorant (the ones you get in a pot and apply like a cream) but it holds its stick shape perfectly enabling me to glide it on. There’s no white residue either. It comes in three fragrances, two for women, eucalyptus and coconut, and one for men with cedarwood (gender distinctions which strike a slightly old school note), but nevertheless, the bamboo and eucalyptus ones I tested smell subtly sophisticated. The lead ingredient is caprylic/capric triglyceride, a gentle emollient made of coconut oil and glycerin, followed by corn starch, with bamboo powder the sweat-absorbing hero. If you like the natural approach this is a brilliant budget buy. As with any deodorant, it doesn’t stop you sweating (only aluminium-containing antiperspirants can do that) but it did mop up minor wetness to keep you damp patch-free. This is one I’ll be buying not just for me but for my niffy teens as well."
The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm, £9.99
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, Get The Gloss contributor
"I just love a cleanser. Foamy, creamy, oily, milky, balmy, whatever it is, I no doubt love it. I have quite the array within my bathroom cabinets, there are my every day ones, ones for special occasions, ones for when my skin is dry or tired, and ones for when I don’t want much product on my skin at all. I have welcomed The Inkey List’s Oat Cleansing Balm with open arms recently and it is most enjoyable. It fits into my categories of everyday usage ticking the box of delicious balmy texture. The scent is almost untraceable but when you do catch a little hint of something, it is a warm natural smell making the whole cleansing process feel really natural and pure. Some of the things I think are absolutely great about this product are: it removes makeup effortlessly, it is kind to my sensitive skin, it comes in an awesome 150ml tube making it super easy to choose how much you use, all of the oat powder and kernel oil moisturises as well as reduces redness and it doubles as a face mask if you leave it on for ten minutes. All-skin-type friendly and at a give-it-a-go price this cleanser is one for everyone."
Revolution Beauty Conceal & Define Infinite Longwear Concealer, £6
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"It’s been two years since Revolution launched its game-changing concealer (time flies huh?) so I guess it was time for the iconic product to have a glow-up of its own. The new Infinite Concealer boasts 16 hours wear and the stretchable, easy-to-blend formula just won’t budge, meaning you’re guaranteed crease-proof and cake-free breathable full coverage. If that’s not enough they’ve packed in 20 per cent more pigment meaning 20 per cent more coverage and the upgraded formula is infused with niacinamide - perfect for spot prone skin as it calms, soothes and treats blemishes. Available in 60 shades with varying undertones, there’s a concealer for everyone."
Mavala Nail Polish in Blue Siesta, £5.50
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"I'm done with burgundy and grey nails for winter - bring in the spring hues and bring them quickly! Forgetting transitioning from winter to spring with a subtle beige or cream, I want to go straight in with the pastels and this baby blue shade is everything I could ask for as the nights start to draw out. It's the colour I'm praying the sky will be for the duration of March to August, but if the weather gods fail to deliver at least I'll be able to see it on my nails."
Launches March 1
Temple Spa The Contourist Sheet Mask, £6
Loved by: Ophelia Froud, associate editor
"I’m all about taking masks on my travels - night away with girlfriends? Take a sheet mask. Skiing trip? Pack the hydrating masks. Party time? Don’t forget a glow mask. I’ve been known to stock up on masks at remote German airports, stockpile masks at Sephora in Miami and cherry-pick masks to brighten up a grey London day in Selfridges where the selection of Korean and continental masks is second-to-none. So when The Contourist by Temple Spa landed on my desk I knew I had a potential new favourite. Why? Temple Spa is stocked in some of the finest luxury UK hotels and used in some of the most relaxing spas including Harrods. It’s Exclusive with a capital E. This sheet mask is packed with vitamin C, peptides and prebiotics to firm and boost radiance. This gem hooks over the ears which is handy as some of my masks in the past have been so packed with serums that they slip right off. This stayed firmly in place, left my skin smooth and velvety after 20 minutes and transported me straight to a luxury spa. I’ve got another one packed and primed for my next trip."
Hask Biotin Thickening Shampoo & Conditioner, £6.99 each
Loved by: Jemma Thompson, digital designer
"My hair is definitely thick enough as it is, but I can’t get enough of this stuff. Maybe it’s the uplifting scent that makes me feel like I’ve just left the salon or the triple threat of biotin, coffee and collagen. It’s the perfect antidote for my struggling split ends; biotin helps to strengthen, collagen tackles my breakage whilst coffee gives my follicles the stimulation it needs. My hair always feels full of life after every use."
Boots No 7 The Full 360 Ultra Mascara, £12
Loved by: Victoria Woodhall, editorial director
"This multitasking mascara sold one every three seconds in-store when it launched in Boots a few days ago. It seems that everyone is always on the hunt for ‘The One’ when it comes to lashes. Boots are hoping to cover all bases with this multi-benefit wand for length, volume, conditioning and curl. The wand itself is big and bushy with different bristle density and distribution - fat at the ends and skinny in the middle. It’s not the most agile at picking up those tiny bottom lid lashes but what it does do on the upper lashes is give fat volume and lift fast with a good deep pigment. Nourishing ingredients such as shea butter kept my newly oomphed lashes soft and flake-free. Plus it’s currently £3 off, down from £15. Race you there."
Pantene Pro-V Miracles Grow Strong Shampoo, £4.99
Loved by: Melanie Macleod, digital writer
"Long before I was reaching for Kerastase and Pureology , I was a devoted user of Pantene so using this in the morning feels like embracing an old friend. An old friend who's undergone a big glow up. The Grow Strong system (which also contains a conditioner, a mask, a leave-in cream and a roots awakener) has been designed to reduce female hair loss and prevent damage, for hair that grows longer and stronger thanks to ingredients including biotin and bamboo. They penetrate the hair fibres and replenish the structure to strengthen hair and increase flexibility. I've only been using it for a week so can't comment on the condition of my hair just yet, but it's certainly been more manageable than usual and has that instantly recognisable Pantene scent."
Faith In Nature Wild Rose Conditioner, £4.92
Loved by: Hattie Sloggett, Get The Gloss contributor
"For someone who has as much hair as I have, it’s tricky to find a conditioner that works from root to tip, but the wonderful people at Faith in Nature have created just the thing. Not only does their new wild rose range smell absolutely scrumptious, it works magic on my long, curly and knot-prone locks. No parabens or SLS and infused with organic rosehip oil means my tresses are actually being treated to the hair equivalent of a facial. I am thrilled with this incredibly well-priced find, because I get through conditioner by the gallon, and this little beauty lets me slather on as much as I need that day, leaving my curly, often-dry mane glossy and soft. Is there really anything better than a product that is natural, smells yummy, does what it is supposed (and more) and doesn’t break the bank balance? I think not."