Article posted by BR Natalie
Remember when $5 would get you a lot? Lollies. Lots of them. Glitter hairspray. 2 or even 3 magazines. What does $5 get you now? A (small) bottle of Diet Coke. A couple of chocolate bars.Half a glossy mag? More of a pop than a bang for your buck.
So when Merilyn, Queen of BR, asked me to put my well honed shopping skills to use, I was excited. And then came the 'uh' moment. I had to find great beauty buys for under $5. And that's $5 retail price, if it's on special, great, but the usual full price must also be under $5.
Never one to shy away from a challenge I set out to find great beauty buys by heading out to my local shops, pharmacies and even supermarkets. And surprisingly, I came back with quite a haul. And I even left some bargains on the shelves for next time!
Here's my top finds!
Lip Care
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Maybelline Baby Lips. RRP: $4.29. With 650 reviews and a 4/5 average rating this lip balm is a winner for under $5. Cute packaging, a ridiculous number of flavours, scents and colours and the promise of baby soft lips for up to 8 hours. And you can sneak it in your grocery shop. Nothing better than a write-off beauty buy right?! Readily available in your local supermarket and pharmacy. |
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Skinfood Lip Balm. RRP: $4.99 100% natural, NZ made, Vegetarian Society approved, free from animal testing, free from parabens, genetically modified ingredients, artificial colours and harsh detergents. And you thought natural meant expensive! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
Bath and Shower Care
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Ecostore Lemongrass Soap. RRP $2.50 You might be thinking a soap is a soap - but when it's consistently rating at 4.6/5, there's got to be something great about this particular bar of bubbles! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
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Orginal Source Shower Gel. RRP $4.49 Whatever flavour your buy will smell good enough to eat - if you resist licking your arm after you're a stronger woman than me! I have a few on the go, for different needs. Lime for a refreshing morning shower, Shea and Honey for a relaxing, comforting shower and Vanilla Milk and Raspberry to smell irresistable. But I just couldn't resist picking up a Mint and Tea Tree! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
Hair Care
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Pantene Pro V Hair Treatment 3 Minute Miracle. RRP: $2.99 We found these on offer 2 for $5 - even more of a bargain! 3 Minute Miracle is an intensive treatment for severely damaged hair to help reduce split ends. Find a salon that can beat that price for a treatment! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
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Hask Keratin Protein Hair Treatment. RRP: $4.99 For just under 5 bux you can grab a treatment from your local pharmacy. I picked up the Keratin Protein treatment, but you can also find Macadamia Oil and Argan Oil. A great way to experiment and find your perfect oil. Readily available in pharmacies. |
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Sunsilk Shampoo or Conditioner. RRP: $4.00 Hair care. We're constantly told we need to buy salon brands to acheive great hair. Well at your local supermarket you can pick up a brand with consistently good reviews across it's range. I like the look of the Longer and Stronger Shampoo and Conditioner - for under $5 each! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
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Clip-in Hair Extensions. RRP: $2.00 Ok, these are probably not going to last a lifetime, or even a couple of months, but for $2 a pop you can experiment with bright colours for a bargain price. Great for fancy dress! Scour your local 'two dollar' shops. |
Skin Care
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Montagne Jeunesse Face Mask. RRP: $3.97 A facial and pamper session for not even $4? You can't really go wrong can you? And the range of masks is almost overwhelming - addressing almost any skin concern you can think of! Readily available in pharmacies. |
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Palmers Hand Cream Fast Absorbing Hand Cream. RRP: $4.99 Hand cream is essential for smooth, hydrated and youthful hands. After all they do for us surely we can treat them to a little bit of TLC, especially when it'll only cost us $5. For a pretty good size tube! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
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Vaseline Dry Skin Cream. RRP: $3.99 Ok this isn't exacty a huge bottle of moisturiser, but it's a brand we all know and love, and there's plenty in there for a few weeks, which makes it perfect for travelling! Available in your local supermarket. |
Personal Care
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Mitchum Roll On Deodorant. RRP: $4.49 Lets be honest, we'd pay as much as we had to to avoid the embarassment of pit stains, which is why every girl needs to find a great deodorant. And with 4.5/5 as an average rating, Mitchum Roll On is a great buy! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
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Schick Exacta 2 Colours 5 + 1 Free. RRP: $4.29 So these might be the ultimate bargain buy. They were on special for around $3.20 and you get a razor free! Now these might not tackle a forrest, but are great to have in the bathroom cupboard for those 'I need a razor....now' emergencies, like an impromtu girls night or a random trip to the pool. |
Cosmetics
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Jordana. RRP: $5.00 or less. The range that's rivalling the big guns for a fraction of the price. Take the lipstick range for example - an average score of 4.4/5. MAC lipsticks are only a teeny bit ahead at 4.8/5! Well worth a hunt around your local bargain stores for sure! Scour the 'two dollar' stores for this range. |
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Miki. RRP: $5.00 or 2 for $8.00 A budget range which is cute and fun. I couldn't resist picking up 2 products and grabbed a super sparkly lip gloss, and in honour of Purple Week, I grabbed a gorgoues liquid eyeliner pen. Availble in Unichem Chemist and Postie Plus. |
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Health Basics Nail Polish Remover. RRP: $4.59 Available with or without acetone this bathroom cabinet staple is a winner with Beauty Review members. Almost 400 reviews and a 4.6/5 average, this is clearly a $5 buy that does what it says it will! Readily available in your local supermarket. |
All in all I loved this challenge - my feet not so much. You definitely have to hunt out great beauty buys under $5, but they are out there. Now if my budget was $5.99 a product, let me tell you, this article would be a lot longer!
What's you best budget beauty buy under $5? Do you find they compare well with more expensive items or is $5 just not enough for a decent buy? Get chatting below!
Postie Plus is a good place to keep an eye out for under $5 make up bargains as they parallel import a lot of their stock.