These 28 Essential Beauty Items Are So Affordable I Own Multiples

A curved brush with sturdy bristles makes for a prime separating and lengthening mascara situation. At just £9 a pop, this one from Maybelline is a great option to buy in bulk to keep in your gym bag, in your desk at work, and anywhere else where you might need to touch up.

Pimples happen, but as long as you have a hefty supply of these blemish-banishing patches, they don't have to stick around for long. 

This popular hand cream is more like a salve, and it coats your hands to protect them from drying factors like extreme weather, water, and other forms of skin-harming manual manipulation. Buy a few to distribute throughout the house to keep your hands moisturised in every room.

The perfect cat-eye doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.

You don't have to visit the nail salon to achieve vibrant, glossy nails. This topcoat is seriously like magic when it comes to making your manicure look expensive.

I'm not too proud to admit that single-use hair treatments may feel a little excessive in the packaging department, but they sure do make for excellent portion control. Especially for those with thick and textured hair types, an individual portion like this is great for ensuring that you don't accidentally use half a jar of a *very* expensive treatment all at once. Keep these on deck for those instances where you want to treat yourself to a luxe deep conditioning. 

Seriously, you can never have too much lip balm.

This multi-use salve is well worth its affordable price tag, and even more so since it offers so much utility. As demonstrated by countless makeup artists and skin whisperers, you can apply it literally anywhere, and it's sure to offer soothing moisture from head to toe.

This silky micellar water is great for removing makeup or conducting a refreshing waterless cleanse.

When it comes to holy-grail beauty buys, this French pharmacy staple tops just about every list out there. It comes in so many different sizes that you should be able to stash it just about anywhere you can imagine.

You never realise how much you need a collection of portable, LED light mirrors until you're stuck touching up your makeup under the harsh fluorescent lights in the office, or worse, in your dark car. Keeping a couple of these on hand might just save you some unfortunate makeup mishaps.

Did I mention that I'm obsessed with facial spray?

I wasn't kidding.

This gorgeous lip tint is like two products in one. On the one hand, it's a soothing and deeply hydrating lip balm packed with hyaluronic acid and active botanicals. And on the other, it's a beautiful lip tint that imparts the perfect amount of flush. You'll want a couple of shades and maybe even the clear version for your collection.

Remember that one time MAC discontinued Ruby Woo? It was bananas. In the event that the brand decides to pull a stunt like that again, I'd suggest keeping a backstock of this popular shade.

Victoria Beckham is a fan of this tubing mascara, so I'm also a fan of this tubing mascara. The reviews don't lie: It's truly smudge-proof.

This iconic liquid eyeliner will set you back a bit more than its drugstore counterparts, but it's still decently priced. Although I rotate through a curated lineup of eyeliners daily, I can't be without this one.

From makeup artists to editors, this fragrant face cream is yet another French pharmacy favourite you'll want to keep in ample supply. It's wonderful under makeup or on its own, and a dime-sized amount will leave your entire face and neck feeling supple and smooth.

You just can't get a proper full-glam beat without this OG makeup artist favourite. It locks in concealer and brightens up the face like you wouldn't believe. You might not think £26 is cheap, but I should also mention that I've only ever had to re-up on my supply of this world-class product a handful of times over the course of the last decade.

This multitasking face and body gloss is truly instant glow in a tube. It's not exactly cheap, but just a dab goes such an incredibly long way. I have it in two shades and truly believe that I'd have to cover my entire body several times over just to empty my supply.

Microfibre hair towels really are the only way to go if you're looking to minimise frizz and tension breakage. Just like any other towel, you need a few to keep in rotation, just in case your laundry and hair-washing schedules don't line up.

An enzyme peel from a facialist could cost you hundreds of dollars, so by comparison, this at-home version is a steal.

There are so many luxurious facial oil blends on the market, but sometimes it's nice to get back to basics with individual oils you know will interact well with your skin. Rosehip oil is incredibly soothing, moisturising, and plays nicely on most skin types. It's also a great carrier oil, if you want to mix in essential oils or other nutritious skin ingredients to make your own tailored treatment oil.

Our forever motto: SPF, every day, no matter what. Don't run out.

These fashionable scrunchies offer more than just aesthetic appeal. They're also make of silk, so they're super gentle on your hair without sacrificing security.

Ever since I learned that J.Lo is a fan of this face cream, I became a fan of this face cream.

This modeling mask is an important part of my Sunday evening ritual. The box contains four treatments, so they really only cost about £5 a piece. Considering how incredibly plump and hydrated they make your face look and feel, I'd say that's good value for money.

This adorably chic hand lotion pod is a piece of the iconic heritage brand you can buy without putting a savings plan in place, first.
Up next, 11 skincare brands French girls never stray from.