Natural Makeup on a Budget: How I Did This No-Makeup Makeup With Only Affordable Products
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
In Partnership with L'Oreal Paris.
One thing we often talk about as beauty editors is that some of the best products in beauty aren't actually the most expensive.
Sometimes the most high-performing products are actually the most affordable.
Take the humble but mighty cult La Roche-Posay Cicaplast cream that’s been saving dry skins and impaired barriers (my friend’s mysterious rash owes it big time) for years.
Or my two favourite cleansing oils - my OG, the CeraVe cleansing oil and my new obsession, the Bioderma cleansing oil - both of which are high performers when melting off every trace of makeup from the day while leaving my skin feeling soft not stripped, and they’re both under $50.
The same goes for makeup.
You see, there’s a reason affordable makeup brands like Nyx have taken TikTok by storm.
Their cheap but popular products have gained viral status because they’re not only budget, they're really good.
From the cult Nyx brow glue gel to the glossy pout giving Nyx lip oil, after trying them for this article - I completely get the hype.
In fact, I have never liked any tinted brow gel I’ve tried until the Nyx brow glue.
That’s saying a lot.
If you’re on the hunt for cheap makeup products that you can just wear everyday for a natural look follow along this way, because I grabbed a bunch from the house of L'Oreal Paris to create a bit of a no-makeup makeup look.
I was actually shocked at how many of these I would actually repurchase again.
Keep scrolling to peep eight makeup products that are high impact and also low on cost.
We love those!
1. L'Oreal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum, $44.99
Fast facts:
- A viral tinted serum-foundation with sheer coverage.
- Leaves a plumped complexion and luminous glow to the skin.
- Contains 1% hyaluronic acid as well as glycerin.
My L'Oreal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum review:
The Loreal true match foundation is one of my favourite tinted serums or serum foundations of all time.
I actually first reviewed this Loreal serum foundation when I took a bunch of dewy serum foundations for a test drive for this article.
It instantly washes over my imperfections with just the right amount of medium coverage that looks sheer, natural and luminous.
I also find this serum foundation to be a lot more long-wearing than others I’ve tried that tend to go a bit patchy on my oily t-zone and combo skin by the end of the day.
Plus, its ‘leaving you with a plumper complexion’ is totally true, I can always notice the plumper finish on my cheeks whenever I use it.
Every time I wear it, I can genuinely see a noticeable bounce in my cheeks.
One L'Oreal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum review says:
"Best Foundation For Dry Skin."
"This smoothes imperfections and hydrates lusciously, it's easily the best I've ever used with my dry skin." - AB Customer Rach.
2. L'Oreal Paris True Match Concealer, $22.99.
Fast facts:
- A thin, blendable concealer that delivers a radiant finish.
- Designed with a soft-tipped applicator for a comfortable feel and easy buildable coverage.
- Formula contains ingredients like glycerin and caffeine.
My L'Oreal Paris True Match Concealer review:
The bad news first (and this is no fault of the concealer), I did pick a shade that was a little too light for my super dark under eyes; had I picked the shade best suited to me, this is what made it a great everyday concealer…
Firstly, the applicator!
It truly felt so comfortable to apply the concealer on my sensitive under eyes and it made building coverage much easier as well as helped that build up lay on more evenly.
Now the only downside for me is that it wasn’t full coverage enough, I need the reallllyyyy heavy-duty stuff.
However, if you only have slight shadowing or just need the perfect everyday cheap concealer under $25 that does the job and will pep up your under eyes - this one has a great creamy formula for those who only need light coverage.
With its sleek, slim packaging, this also makes the perfect handbag essential for those effortless post-lunch touch-ups.
One L'Oreal Paris True Match Concealer review says:
"This concealer does a good job of blending out the skin tone. I would recommend this concealer for a medium, day time coverage." - AB Customer Isabel.
3. NYX Professional Makeup Powder Louder Brow Pencil, $18.99.
Fast facts:
- A fibre-infused powder pencil for fuller-looking, defined brows.
- Long-lasting formula with rich enough pigment that promises up to 12 hours wear.
- Vegan and cruelty-free.
My NYX Professional Makeup Powder Louder Brow Pencil review:
This affordable eyebrow pencil made filling in my sparse brows a breeze.
Some powder pencils I’ve used in the past (even exxier ones) dry up or feel a bit sharp on the delicate hairs but this one felt soft to apply.
It left a dark enough pigment that enhanced my brows and gave them dimension but still made them look natural.
It’s also designed with a little brush on the end which I used to help lightly brush up my hairs before going in with the Nyx Brow glue to lock them in.
4. NYX Professional Makeup The Brow Glue, $16.99.
Fast facts:
- A flake-proof brow gel with strong hold and all-day wear.
- Comes in both clear and tinted shades and a non-sticky formula.
- Works to perfectly mimic the look of laminated brows.
My NYX Professional Makeup The Brow Glue review:
A good brow gel that doesn't break the bank is hard to find.
Well, Nyx just made one and made an excellent one at that.
I had heard about the famous Nyx brow glue, but was yet to try it mainly because I find it really hard to stray from two of my (much pricier) beloved brow gels.
BUT, once my brows were christened with this tinted brow gel - I was actually shocked.
I’ve never used a tinted brow gel that I’ve ever actually liked, until now.
I always end up giving them away because the formulas always come out clumpy and deposit pigment that’s too heavy for my sparse brows and nine times out of ten goes on super blotchy.
It's always a mess.
I was immediately impressed by this tinted brow gel and reckon it’s one of the best cheap brow gels I’ve EVER tried.
The shade 'Taupe' was perfect for my brow colour and gave me a natural finish rather than making them super dark which is what I've experienced with other brow gel tints.
The small brush was magic, helping fluff up and set my brows leaving me with a soft laminated look that didnt clump.
I brushed over them a few times and each time they separated my hairs perfectly while still making them look fluffy and full.
I can’t believe I waited this long to try the viral Nyx brow gel.
I will 100% be repurchasing this.
Watch our resident makeup artist Megan take us through her best Nyx makeup products in the YouTube video below:
5. L'Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Volumising Mascara, $32.99.
Fast facts:
- Offers ‘panoramic volume’.
- The formula has a 5% Stretchflex complex that wraps each lash for perfectly separated, clump free lashes.
- Is designed with a multi-level brush with short and long bristles to volumise and fan all lash types.
- Is smudge-proof and also suitable for sensitive eyes.
My L'Oréal Paris Panorama Volumising Mascara review:
I actually did a whole Loreal panorama mascara review article and you can find it here.
I must say though, I liked it better this time around, and I think that’s because I applied a few more coats this time.
Like I always say, any mascara that can give this zero curl and short lash lady any sort of length or volume is worth adding to cart.
And yes, this is a great pick mascara for everyday wear - gives just enough length and volume that's ideal for day-time.
6. NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick Blush, $24.99.
Fast facts:
- This Nyx blush is a dual-ended stick with two complementary shades.
- A travel-friendly design that allows you to sculpt, shape, and brighten your cheeks with ease.
- Has a hyaluronic-infused formula and is vegan and cruelty-free.
My NYX Professional Makeup Wonder Stick Blush review:
I’m not even going to wait until the end of this article to tell you my final thoughts on this one, I’m going to tell you right now, this was one of my top affordable makeup picks from this routine (after the brow glue gel).
Firstly, I love that it comes with visual directions on the box so you can see precisely where the placement of each shade should be.
The shade I used was 'Coral + Deep Peach'. I applied the Coral on the tops of my cheeks and the Deep Peach which leaned towards a pink-ish brown like a contour shade right underneath to “sculpt”.
Now, I did make the mistake of applying a little too liberally and ended up with a little blush blindness on first application.
After I learning that hard lesson, I applied a little less (and advise you to do the same) on the other cheek and once blended in, left with me a gorgeous flush that stayed on ALL day.
I was actually shocked at how long-wearing the stick was, the kind of result you would expect from more expensive blushes.
I also had a pinker shade with me too, and happened to be with my aunt that day who spotted the affordable pink blush and asked if she could try it.
Just look at how it livened up her mature skin (you can see it applied on her right cheek) giving her a beautiful healthy flush:
So I would say this is also a great affordable blush for mature skin too.
It’s multidimensional, super easy to use (but blend quickly!) and is perfect for travel.
7. NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip, $19.99.
Fast facts:
- A high-shine lip oil that offers long-lasting hydration.
- Comes in 5 slightly tinted (but juicy) shades.
- Infused with ingredients like cloudberry oil, raspberry oil and squalane.
My NYX Professional Makeup Fat Oil Lip Drip review:
I’ve said this many times, but I’m not really a huge “lip gloss” girlie.
That said, I’m slowly starting to dabble in the lip gloss pond again thanks to the buttery formulas and non-offensive shine that are making my dry pout very happy.
I've seen how juicy and gorg the Nyx lip oil looks on many Adore Beauty staffers’ pouts but was yet to try it on my own.
My first swipe was with the shade 'Follow Back' that looks like a stunning shiny copper which I’ll admit, scared me a bit but once I swiped on my lips it didn’t lay on as glittery as it looks.
It just left a gorgeous shine that was perfect for everyday wear and now I can see why so many people keep this viral lipgloss in their handbag at all times!
8. L'Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray Mist, $29.99.
Fast facts:
- A long-lasting setting spray that promises up to 36 hours wear.
- Helps prevent makeup transfer and smudging.
- Has an ultra-fast drying time of 3 seconds.
- Super fine mist to ensure even application.
- Water-proof, sweat-proof, transfer-proof.
My L'Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray Mist review:
I'm not going to lie - I had little confidence that a “cheap setting spray” could actually keep my makeup in place all day because I usually set mine with the more expensive ones, so you can imagine how surprised I was when it very much did.
The super fine mist promising an even application is no BS. No watermarks, no stickiness just a sea of super fine mist evenly coating the face.
I actually have a bougie setting mist I have to use by spritzing on my beauty blender first because when sprayed straight out of the bottle, it SHOOTS at me leaving me nearly blind and with splotchy droplets.
Not this one though!
And with the Infallible setting spray, the proof - is in the pudding...
Here’s my makeup done at around 10AM and then right before I was about to cleanse everything off at 9PM:
The only thing that had slightly faded was my concealer. The rest of my base was still on and still looking fresh and dewy.
Another one on the "I'll be repurchasing" list.
One L'Oréal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray Mist review says:
"I have long shifts usually and used makeup. this set it through my whole shift. No smudges, no sweat. Just perfect looking makeup." - AB Customer Rosie.
Finally...
When it came to the performance of a lot of these cheap viral makeup products, I kept my expectations low, and still can’t get over how good some of these affordable makeup products truly are.
The fact that I will actually be repurchasing a lot of these and already know they'll be staples in my cheap everyday makeup routine says it all.
Discover more affordable L’Oreal Paris products below:
