Best Value Cosmetics Include E.L.F. and Wet & Wild

When it comes to value cosmetics, you don’t have to spend a ton of cash to look like a million bucks. At your local drugstore, there are plenty of excellent options to get the look you want without having to overspend on luxury makeup. Here’s a rundown of some of the best options in value-priced cosmetics.

Eyes.Lips.Face (E.L.F.)
A relative newcomer to the scene, E.L.F was launched in the spring of 2004 with the goal of bringing quality cosmetics to the masses at an affordable price. Affordable, it seems, is somewhat of an understatement: Every single item in the E.L.F. line is priced at a meager one dollar. The line offers eye shadow quartets, mascara, foundation, eye and lip liner, lip gloss, blush, highlighter, bronzer, nail polish and more- without wavering from its admirable commitment to reasonable prices. E.L.F. also offers a full line of cosmetic tools, including tweezers, lash curlers, brushes, and nail grooming implements.

Best Products: E.L.F.’s tweezers ($1) rival any pair on the market (including Tweezerman, $15) with their super angled tip and heavy duty construction. The Eye Widener pencil ($1) is a white pearlescent liner that is virtually identical to Benefit’s Mr. Frosty ($18); just a quick stroke instantly wakes up tired eyes. Beautifully sheer and absent of tacky glitter, the Shimmering Facial Whip ($1) leaves skin gleaming just as well as MAC’s iridescent Strobe Cream ($28.50). The Shielding Lip Gloss ($1) is not to be missed, either. Unlike many other value products, it has a built in SPF to protect lips as well as make them gleam with a slick, lustrous shine. Where to Buy: You can purchase E.L.F. online (http://www.eyeslipsface.com) or at select Target, Walgreen’s, and Quick Check locations.

Wet n’ Wild
Wet n’ Wild’s brand lineup used to be full of tacky “party” colors and shoddy ingredients with nary a winning color to be found. However, since a 2005 re-launch of the line by its parent company, Markwins, Wet n’ Wild has matured considerably. With a vast selection of wearable colors, quality ingredients, and superior formulas, the brand now offers a variety of brilliant options for the beauty maven on a budget. They also boast many variations of each type of product. Eyeliner comes in pencil, liquid, and powder. Lip color is available in stick, balm, pencil, gloss, and plumping liquid. With an enormous assortment of hues, Wet n’ Wild allows you to try even the wildest trend with only a marginal investment.

Best Products: Wet n’ Wild offers almost every shade of lip and nail color imaginable, with a selection that is just as diverse as MAC’s (but for only a tenth of the price). Their MegaPlump Lip gloss ($3) is packed with MaxiLip peptides and cinnamon oil, matching up to the luxe formulas of pricier alternatives like CityLips plumper ($29) and TooFaced Lip Injection ($19.50). The CoverAll Concealer Stick ($1) is a thick, creamy formula that’s just as pigmented as cult favorite Dermablend ($18), and makes a superior solution for even the darkest under eye circles. Check out the MegaLiner liquid eyeliner ($2) for a detailed line that won’t smudge or budge, and the super cheap eye and lip pencils ($.89) at a price that lets you try any color on for size. Where to Buy: Wet n’ Wild is available at most grocery and drug stores (including Rite Aid, Walgreen’s, Duane Reade, Kmart) and also at Walgreen’s online store (http://www.walgreens.com).

N.Y.C. Cosmetics (New York Color)
Born in 1999, N.Y.C. is owned by the same company that manufactures another excellent value cosmetics brand: Sally Hansen. Nonetheless, N.Y.C. Cosmetics stands on its own as a well rounded product line with a great assortment of items that are on par with some of the most adored luxury cosmetic products. In fact, N.Y.C seems to be well aware of this commendable achievement; their website proudly displays a section called “Dare to Compare”, where they challenge customers to evaluate their version of popular items from companies like Clinique, Chanel, MAC, and Benefit. N.Y.C. has also differentiated itself from other value brands by incorporating good-for-skin ingredients like allantonin, vitamins, and shea butter into its formulas, a route usually reserved for more expensive brands due to the cost of higher-quality ingredients. As an added bonus, the company is adamantly against animal testing and also participates in charitable causes like the “Look GoodâÂ?¦Feel Better” program, which helps provide free makeovers and cosmetics to cancer patients. Great products, great prices, and karma pointsâÂ?¦what more could you ask for in a value brand?

Best Products:
The Nail Glossies Enamel ($1.99) with nylon and vinyl protects fragile nails and offers an amazingly sleek shine. The Bronzing Face Gel ($2.99), an oil-free sheer gel that gives you a healthy island tan look, just like Benefit’s Glamazon liquid bronzer ($26). The Perfect and Correct Concealer Kit ($3.99) comes in Warm or Cool and contains four mixable, blendable shades to cover every conceivable imperfection. Mod Quad CrÃ?¨me Eyeliner Kit ($3.99) gives an application that’s just as smooth as the much-loved Smashbox Proof CrÃ?¨me Eyeliner Kit ($32). Ultra Last Lipwear ($1.99) is a give-in for one of the best bargains in cosmetics: it’s heavily pigmented, long-lasting, and leaves lips feeling softer then they were before application. Where to Buy: N.Y.C is available at Wal-Mart, Target, Eckerd, CVS, Rite Aid, Stop and Shop, and Ulta. The brand is also available in Ulta’s online store (http://www.ulta.com).