From the product that’s gone viral on TikTok, which we’ve found the perfect dupe for that’s a quarter of the price, to the bargain skin balm that wowed our Beauty Director. As well as the brand-new mascara from Sephora and a brilliant eye cream - here are all the best beauty products under £20 we really rate.
Is there anything better than finding a truly great beauty product that also happens to come with a brilliantly affordable price tag? No, we don't think so either. That’s why this week’s Glossy Picks all cost no more than £20. In fact one of the best products that our Beauty Director, SJ has selected costs £2.99. You’ll also find out about an amazing skin balm that soothes irritated and sore skin for under £6 as well as Victoria’s new favourite SPF which is only £14. So if you’re looking for some new beauty purchases but don’t want to spend a fortune, keep on scrolling because you may just be in luck.
The daily under-makeup SPF: Elf Suntouchable Whoa Glow SPF30, £14
"E.l.f. is pretty much always in my budget picks because the ‘eyes, lips, face’ brand consistently punches above its price tag. An SPF primer is an all-year-round daily product for me and this new factor 30 with hydrating hyaluronic acid and squalane is not only featherlight, but it also has a strobe-like glow for all skin tones (my Zendaya-skinned colleague Jemma confirms it works for darker tones) and makes putting on your daily SPF a joy rather than a chore. After all the best daily SPF is the one that you use every day." Victoria Woodhall, GTG Editorial Director
The ultimate skin healer: Dermatica Restoring Ceramide Skin Balm, £5.95
“I was sent a lab sample of this a few weeks ago, which means it didn’t arrive in final packaging - just a simple pot with a label with the product name on it. The name intrigued me because who doesn’t want their skin restored plus ceramides are the key to strengthening the skin barrier and generally when that’s sorted the rest will follow. At the time my skin was unusually dry thanks to a combination of a recent cold snap and being unwell. I slathered it everywhere and hoped for the best. To say I was bowled over is not an exaggeration. I felt like it repaired my skin in hours, which is exactly what it’s designed to do - soothing and healing really dry and irritated skin that needs extra TLC. I have used it all over my hands, lips, around my nose, and on my daughter’s eczema and there’s nothing it hasn’t sorted. Unlike lots of other balms I’ve tried the skin just drinks it up leaving no greasy residue on the skin. My only gripe? I need a bigger pot.” SJ Corfield-Smith, GTG Beauty Director
The hit from across the pond: Sephora Collection Size Up Mascara, £12.99
"Mascara is my desert island makeup pick and I’ve just found a new hero to add to my collection. I picked this up at the first-ever Sephora UK store and it's from Sephora's own brand. It has a vegan formulation and an ‘hourglass’ brush with short and long fibres that deposit product at the base of lashes, comb it through and curl at the same time. I am quite fussy when it comes to mascara, I find a lot are too wet or make my eyes sting - but this one is just the right consistency and glides on so easily. I like to apply a few layers for extra dramatic effect and my eyelashes really did look longer and fuller. There is no smudging or flaking and a bit of micellar water takes it off so easily, definitely one you should all be adding to your basket at your next Sephora shopping spree (IRL or online!)." Amy Rostas, GTG Beauty and Social Media Assistant
The does-it-all bronzing cream: The Body Shop Free Style Multi-Tasking Colour Shimmer in Rebel, £12
“Who doesn’t love a product that truly multitasks? This creamy bronzy shimmer blends in so beautifully you can use it as a bronzer over your face, it makes a great contouring substitute and I’ve also mixed it in with my body lotion to add a bit of warmth to my skin in these desperately cold and miserable March days. It’s also a great eyeshadow substitute, I love the best eyeshadow palette as much as the next person, but if you’re looking to cut down on space and weight in your makeup bag then this one product can take the place of at least three. There are ten shades in total ranging from soft apricots, pinks, deep reds and purple and a few other bronzey-brown tones.” Christina Callaghan, GTG Commercial Director
The famous lipgloss dupe: Nyx Professional Makeup Fat Lip Oil in Status Update, £7.49
"Lip oils are having a serious moment right now. The Dior Lip Oil, £28 has exploded on TikTok, but this one is actually better and a quarter of the price. Put all notions of them being super greasy out of your mind, they leave a sheen and shine but are super hydrating. More so than a lip balm as the natural oils can actually penetrate into the skin and get to work. This ‘fat’ one from Nyx Professional Makeup has answered all my prayers and doesn’t break the bank - win-win! Packed with squalene and berry oils, my lips have never felt so hydrated and it smells like delicious strawberry jam -you’ll want to lick it off. I opted for this dark brown as it reminded me of the plumping Fenty Glossy Bomb Heat in Hot Chocolit - a definite colour dupe but this delivers more of a sheer wash of colour. There are eight different shades, whether you're looking for a hot pink, clear, or even a dark purple." AR
The budget mega-luxury soak: Jason Pampering Himalayan Pink Salt 2-in-1 Bath Soak & Body Wash, £14.99
"Cleansers and shampoos are ideal bulk buys; they don’t really go off and you’ll always need them (unless you’re very grubby). And of course, buying fewer bottles limits plastic consumption, especially if you refill them wherever possible. This jumbo flask is recycled and recyclable to boot and filled with very gentle, non-drying suds alongside loads of hydrators such as glycerin and panthenol, and essential oils for a lavender-y ‘self care moment’ in the bath or shower. The only thing missing in the INCI list is any mention of the Himalayan pink salts that give the wash its name (odd?), so perhaps don’t count on the calming benefits from the magnesium that’s commonly found in those salts." Ingeborg van Lotringen, Contributing Beauty Editor
The skin brightening saviour: Roc Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Gel Cleanser, £13.99
"London's dirty air and pollution get everywhere, especially on my face so when it comes to my evening cleansing routine I’m fastidious. I have a number of night-time cleansing routines, but when I’m in a rush, I’ll always opt for the Glow Gel Cleanser from Roc. It’s gentle and deeply cleanses without stripping away any of the natural oils. It contains glycolic acid to extract any skin-dulling impurities and vitamin c to instantly brighten the skin. It’s a very good value option for £13.99 and is paraben and sulphate free." Marie Louise Pumfrey, GTG contributor
Sophisticated sleep vibes: Nature’s Journey CBD Sleep Easy Pillow Mist, £18
"One of the runaway successes of new British CBD skincare and aromatherapy brand Nature’s Journey is this pillow mist, which is actually also a gorgeous room spray. It makes me feel like I’m in a boutique hotel about to face-plant into the fluffiest duvet in the world. I have tried dozens of sleep sprays and most smell overwhelmingly of lavender but this blend of chamomile, lavender, rosewood and ylang-ylang feels modern and sophisticated. The bottle contains 500mg of CBD as well, which adds to the relaxing inhalation. There’s also 20 per cent off for new customers (HELLO 20). Plus it’s Leaping Bunny approved so you can really sleep easy!" VW
The gel polish remover: Cutex Ultra-Powerful Nail Polish Remover, £2.99
“One of my new year’s resolutions was to not pick off my gel manicures and remove them properly myself at home. And thanks to this nail polish remover, I have stuck to my resolution. You still have to do the usual steps of buffing away the top clear coat with a file, saturating a cotton pad with the nail polish (I wrap my fingers in kitchen foil too), and leaving it to soak for at least ten minutes, but when you remove it will have lifted enough to then be able to scrape it away with a nail stick. Side note: if you have children, this is also the best nail polish remover for that awful overly glittery nail polish that you think should come off far more easily than it actually does especially when you’re frantically trying to remove it on a Sunday night so they don’t get told off at school the next day. Thank you, Cutex.” SJCS
The unexpected mascara colour: 3ina The Color Mascara 503, £12
"When the 90s' nude lip was going viral last year, I was all over it. I love that fleshy red-brown tone and snapped up various lipstick and liners to recreate the look. Now, the trend is expanding to lashes with lots of mascaras also coming out in the same hue - they’re a bit brown, a bit pink and a bit red. I know it might sound strange to put this kind of colour on your lashes but it really does work and looks amazing on all lashes and eye colours. I have dark lashes and brown eyes and it creates an almost tortoiseshell effect and really makes my eyes look more sparkly. SJ, who has very fair lashes and blue eyes has also tried this one and says the red tones make her lashes look warmer and her eyes look brighter. And isn’t it refreshing to have something other to choose from than black or regular brown?" CC
The hair reviver: Arkive The Reset Dry Shampoo, £12
"When celebrity hairdresser Adam Reed told me he was adding a dry shampoo to his brand, Arkive I was so excited. I’s a massive hit in my household, we’ve finished several of the Everyday Shampoos, £12. Adam is a huge fragrance aficionado (he has one of the biggest collections I’ve ever seen) and scent plays a huge part in all his haircare products. He has developed two signature scents for his range to evoke childhood experiences and his new dry shampoo features the 'No One Elsie' scent of fresh tomato leaf and rhubarb. Adam describes it as the scent that reminds you of catching up with old friends. The product itself is the perfect hair pick-me-up for day two or even four. It leaves your hair looking fresh and bouncy and contains baobab oil to nourish an itchy scalp. As I just finished a dry shampoo in last month's empties I’ll be using this one to the very last spray." AR
The sensitivity-soothing night cream steal: SOS Night Cream, £5
"SOS is a little-known brand for sensitive and rosacea-prone skin that keeps churning out really good products at accessible price points: the 50ml version of this cream is just £16. Formulated by a semi-retired chemist who feels that sensitivity and inflammation should be taken seriously and is often under-served, all the fragrance and irritant-free products are aimed at effectively hydrating and calming the skin and this reformulated night cream is no exception. Sumptuous-feeling but not oily or heavy, it has plenty of humectants (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, algae extracts), light lipids and a selection of botanical extracts and vitamins to boost cell energy overnight, which helps support the skin’s natural regeneration cycle. It’s like a K-Beauty-inspired sleeping pack, but without the frills, sensitising agents or price tag – while still being lovely to use." IVL
Soap-free cleansing: Beauty Kin Beauty Bar for Sensitive Skin, £9.95
"I wish this soap-free sensitive skin cleanser had been around when my son was little and battling eczema as it ticks all the boxes for dry, sensitive and itchy skin as well as being plastic-free and fragrance-free. It has soothing colloidal oatmeal as well as pre- pro and post-biotics to help heal the skin barrier by giving the skin microbiome the support it needs. I use it as a facial cleansing bar for my dry skin and love how it’s beautifully creamy and non-drying. This is a face and body ‘wash’ that anyone – including kids – can use." VW
The scaffolding for your brows: Nyx Professional Makeup The Brow Glue in Taupe, £7.99
“Having not been blessed with amazing brows, I am on the constant hunt for anything that will give them shape, keep them lifted up (which I think instantly makes me look younger btw) and create that very cool slightly spiky look. And this does all of that plus adds a bit of colour too. It comes in four shades - I have very fair brows and the taupe shade is a great match - and there is also a clear formula too. The brush is quite small which allows you to be a bit more precise and means you don’t get any of the gel on your skin. It is called a ‘glue’ but it doesn’t leave your brows feeling crunchy or sticky, which some similar brow products can. In fact, I felt it made my brows feel softer. The effect lasted nearly all day, I touched them up in the evening when I was going out, but for how much this costs I really don’t think you can go wrong.” SJCS
The perfect first eye cream: Q+A Vitamin C Eye Cream, £8
“It’s only since working at GTG that I have started to use eye cream. I always thought it was a slightly unnecessary step but members of the team have convinced me otherwise and introduced me to this vitamin C eye cream. They declared it a great starter eye cream because it’s not too potent in terms of actives - it does contain vitamin C but at a low level so great for someone like me who’s never used it before. But it contains all the things you do need such as hyaluronic acid which helps hydrate skin, jojoba and shea butter for extra nourishment and niacinamide (if you don’t know about the benefits of niacinamide, we’ve got you sorted) which is really great for protecting skin against aggressors like pollution and UV. It has a lovely texture, sinks in without feeling heavy and look at the price!” CC
The body glow: Bondi Sands Skin Illuminator Gradual Tanning Lotion, £13.99
"Although we’ve had some freezing bouts of weather over the last week, spring is approaching and what better way to get ready for the sun (I’m hopeful) than to start building up a tan without any UV damage. Look no further than this new illuminating gradual tan from the tanning gods that are Bondi Sands. This not only gives you a gorgeous Aussie-inspired tan, but just the right amount of instant sparkly glow, thanks to the addition of shimmer pigments. I love how the light reflects off my arms when I wear this and I can’t wait for the warmer weather to see how truly glow my legs look on a night out. You can apply this whenever you want, it won’t stain clothes or bedsheets and you can layer it up to build up to your desired colour." AR
The affordable cosmetics organiser: The Flat Lay Co Full Size Drawstring bag, £11
"Having spent three weeks in Australia endlessly rummaging around the bottom of each of my four washbags looking for stuff (and always finding I had the wrong bag), these flatlay beauty bags strike me as a brilliant idea. Pull the drawstring and you get a knapsack-style, generous washbag that fits more than you might think, and release it for the bag to open flat, revealing all your skincare, makeup and tools in the blink of an eye. There are inside and outside pockets as well, plus eight elastic brush holders for those who like to be extra-organised. Clever!" IVL