13 well-loved products that have unbelievable price tags: they’re less than SGD 5 each!

Beauty products come in a whole range of prices. We may fall into the trap of thinking that the higher the price tag, the better quality the products would be. This, however, is not true all the time. Often, affordable products can work just as good as, or even better than, high end products.

If you’re in a pinch or just don’t feel like spending so much of your hard-earned money on beauty products, here are some super well-reviewed products below SGD 5 that you can try out.

1. E.L.F. Makeup Mist & Set

This is one of E.L.F.’s bestsellers! The Makeup Mist & Set helps your makeup last longer and contains some really good stuff such as aloe vera and vitamins to soothe your skin.

If the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray is out of your budget, give this guy a try. This is my personal holy grail setting spray; it is cheap and gets the job done. I’m even on my way to finishing my third bottle!

E.L.F. Makeup Mist & Set retails for SGD 4.11 on iHerb.

2. E.L.F. Flawless Concealer Brush

Makeup brushes are supposed to help your makeup process, but if the bristles are of dubious quality, they may well be hindering your makeup instead. Some of the best-quality makeup brushes on the market can unfortunately also be hideously costly.

Not all, though. E.L.F. Flawless Concealer Brush brings the best of both worlds together, being widely raved about for its great quality and also being really cheap to boot. Some users have also doubled this up as an eyeshadow brush, especially if they find it too big for their undereye areas to be used for concealer.

E.L.F. Flawless Concealer Brush retails for SGD 7.89 on iHerb.

3. Essence Satin Touch Blush

This blush not only comes in generous amounts, it also has intense colour payoff that makes this product a steal at its price point. Reviewers have also testified that the pigment was long-lasting even on oily skin!

The blush also comes in a range of peachy and coral shades that are simple, but also easily flattering on any skin tone.

Essence Satin Touch Blush retails for SGD 4.50 at Watsons.

4. Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base

For those of us who love our eyeshadows, getting a good eyeshadow primer is half the battle won when you want to avoid a creasy mess by the middle of the day. Urban Decay Primer Potion is a holy grail already in this department, but its price may turn some of us off from trying it out.

Here is an affordable option that could be your next holy grail without leaving sizeable dents in your wallets. Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base is a primer that keeps your shadow intact all day, and it’s also white-tinted so that it makes your eyeshadow colours pop even more.

(Not to be confused with the Essence I Love Stage Eyeshadow Base which has a similarly long-lasting formula, but comes in nude shades if you don’t like the white tint of the I Love Colour)

Essence I Love Colour Intensifying Eyeshadow Base retails for SGD 4.50 at Watsons.

5. Daiso Disposable Makeup Puffs

 

Daiso offers disposable makeup puffs that come in different shapes and sizes, including ‘House’ and ‘Wedge’ shaped ones. They are ridiculously soft, bouncy and are super comfortable to use on the face.

They do a decent job of blending out foundations so there’s really nothing much to complain about these puffs. The best part is, they retail for only SGD 2 for a bag of 10 – which means you don’t have to feel guilty for not washing them and throwing them away oh so regularly.

Daiso Disposable Makeup Puffs retails for SGD 2 for a bag of 10 at Daiso stores.

6. Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge

On the topic of sponges, Daiso Puff and Sponge Detergent has received so much love online, it was hard to exclude it from this list.

Many people praise this product for being super effective in getting all the makeup gunk out of their sponges and brushes, leaving them squeaky clean and as good as new.

This detergent retails for only SGD 2 at Daiso outlets island wide which is a great steal. You can use it by directly pouring the detergent onto your sponges and by swirling your brushes in a bowl with some detergent.

Be warned though: this particular detergent is so popular that it’s almost impossible to find it in stock at Daiso stores nowadays. Daiso has brought in a different version of the detergent, but the jury is still out if the latest one is equal to the opaque white bottle.

Daiso Puff and Sponge Detergent retails for SGD 2 at Daiso stores.

7. Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask

Most K-beauty fans would have come across a sheet of Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Mask at some point or another. This line has a huge range of mask types to suit different skin needs, and its bestselling ingredients are Rose for radiance and suppleness, Green Tea for deep hydration, and Cucumber for revitalizing and soothing. Other popular types are Tea Tree for anti-inflammatory, Manuka Honey for moisturising, to Acai Berry for tightening and smoothing.

Quality sheet masks are the next best thing to facials. If you want to save on those expensive facial treatments at the salon but don’t want to compromise on your skincare, incorporate sheet masks into your beauty routine for that extra oomph in the comfort of your own home. Korean celebrities, after all, are known to mask once a day to obtain their telltale healthy, glowing skin.

Innisfree It’s Real Squeeze Masks retail for SGD 1+ each on Lazada, and for SGD 2 in Innisfree stores.

8. Aveeno Moisturizing Bar

Liquid cleansers are well and good, but we know that the really economic and environmentally friendly option is to use soap bars. Unfortunately, soap bars specially made for facial cleansing are usually either very expensive, or very drying – and you don’t want that to happen to your face!

Luckily, Aveeno Moisturizing Bar is neither of those. It contains nourishing oatmeal, which helps with acne healing, and the soap bar is said work well on all skin types, even those with sensitive skin. Best part? It’s less than SGD 5 for a 100g bar that will last you for a very, very long time.

Aveeno Moisturizing Bar retails for SGD 4.04 on iHerb.

9. EcoTools Facial Cleansing Brush

In the recent few years, it seems that facial cleansing devices have become all the rage. For some people, the bristles provide an extra deep cleansing that helps to remove even more gunk from their pores, and exfoliating the top layer of dead skin cells at the same time.

Some of the better quality devices are also extremely expensive, which is why a lot of people haven’t hopped on to the bandwagon yet. This one by EcoTools doesn’t really vibrate like some of its counterparts, but the soft bristles still do the job, massaging your face without irritation, and deep cleansing it at the same time.

EcoTools Facial Cleansing Brush retails for SGD 4.31 on iHerb.

10. CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch

While hydrocolloid acne patches aren’t a new thing on the market (the 3M Nexcare ones have been around for more than a decade), they’ve recently made a comeback with all this hype around the Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch.

One packet comes with 24 patches of varying sizes, so you can paste them on anything ranging from smaller whiteheads to those big cystic under-the-skin types of acne. Reviewers usually leave it on their pimple overnight – the hydrocolloid material will absorb the fluid from the pimple and promote its healing, leaving it flat and looking better by the next day.

Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch retails for SGD 4.61 on iHerb.

11. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque

This mask has been mentioned time and time again when we talk about beauty products that have gained a cult following because they’re both affordable and good.

The Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque has a clay-like consistency which apparently helps to deep cleanse pores and leaves people with skin that looks “visibly better” after one use.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque retails for SGD 4.83 on iHerb.

12. Innisfree Beauty Tool Air Magic Puff Glow

The small puff sponges that come along with BB cushions or other cushion foundations feel so good on the skin and helps foundation apply evenly, but they also tend to accumulate product and aren’t easily washable. The good news is, you can actually get replacement puffs!

If you don’t like to use these for foundation, you can also use them for setting powders. Unlike brushes, using these sponges to pick up setting powders allows you to really press the powder into the skin and lock in your makeup.

Innisfree Beauty Tool Air Magic Puff Glow retails for SGD 2.50 on Althea.

13. Vaseline Lip Therapy

Chapped lips aren’t cute, but not every lip balm on the market (no matter how tempting they smell) can do the job. Vaseline, or petroleum jelly, is probably one of the most hydrating substance you can apply on your lips to keep the moisture in and prevent flaking.

Vaseline traditionally comes in a tub form and you’d have to dip your finger in to get the product out. Ain’t nobody got time for that! That’s why we love this Lip Therapy packaging which is convenient to carry around and also easier and more hygienic to apply on your lips without making a huge mess.

Vaseline Lip Therapy retails for SGD 4 at Watsons, other drugstores and supermarkets.

Featured image from Claire Talks Beauty.

Additional reporting by Vetra Leow.