In My Makeup Bag: Beauty on A Budget

Hey everyone! I've decided to do a monthly feature on what's in my makeup bag. I figured it would be fun to show you what I'm into each month and maybe you'll find some new favorites too! To start, here is my makeup bag:

My makeup bag is a bit on the larger side. I've been known to live out of it for 1-3 months at a time due to our crazy Navy family schedule. That being said, I need room for my essentials and little extras. I'm not a "one look" kinda gal. This month's theme is Beauty on a Budget, between buying a home recently and purchasing Christmas gifts beauty products are not the biggest priority. Anyways, let's get to what's inside!

1. Cover Girl Great Lash BIG Mascara

This has been my go to mascara for as long as I can remember. When I started wearing makeup in my teenage years this was one of my first purchases. It's very affordable at only $5.75. It's also the best working within it's price range. It's never clumpy or flaky, and it gives me the naturally enhanced lashes that I look for.

2. NYX Enchanted Kiss Butter Gloss Set

My sister in law got me hooked on NYX cosmetics. 90% of beauty vlogger/bloggers/gurus out there use at least one item from them. I picked up this set at Ulta for less than the $10 retail cost. That comes to less than $2 per gloss, quite a steal. The colors are flattering to any skin tone, and it's a great basic starter set for those who are just starting with lip color. It's not sticky and it does feel pretty buttery on the lips. This would make a great Christmas gift or stocking stuffer for your makeup loving friends.

3. Zoya nail polish in Giovanna

Zoya nail polishes run for about $8 per bottle. This is pretty general as far as better quality nail polishes go. I received this color in my Ipsy bag, which is my $10 per month beauty sample subscription. Being that it was full size and included with 4 other samples it was basically a steal. Giovanna is an awesome holiday green color, pretty fun for those who are tired of the same old reds. 

4. NYX Eyebrow Push-Up Bra 

NYX pretty much has it in the bag for me this month. I LOVE combo products, it saves me room in my makeup bag. This eyebrow/highlighter combo pencil is awesome for cleaning up brow shape and making them look lifted. I was having a serious Groucho Marx type eyebrow issue lately and this seriously improved that.

(Not a good look! Eeek!)

This combo pencil retails for $10 on a regular basis. I got mine for $7.50 because Ulta was running a sale (yay!).

5. Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes

These are easily the best and most affordable makeup removing wipes out there. I have very sensitive skin and scrubbing away at eyeliner can really irritate my skin. These are very gentle and don't have an icky smell. You can pick these up for about $5 pretty much anywhere. It's important to wash your makeup off daily. 

My covetable item of the month:

The Naked3 Palette

This is a big one. I own the Naked2 palette and I use it almost daily. Naked3 is a neutral palette as well, but all the colors are rose-hued. I have a little obsession with rose gold, so this palette made me screech out loud when it was announced via email. (Seriously, John looked at me like I was a nutcase)

 The unfortunate part is that it doesn't come cheap, $52!!!

That is why it's my covet item, I simply cannot afford it. I'm hoping Santa is sweet to me and maybe brings this along. If not, I can always wait until there's a sale since it's not a limited edition item. The price tag is legit on these, Urban Decay makes high quality, highly pigmented makeup with amazing color payoff. So wearable. (This was not endorsed in any way, I just love them that much).

What are your favorite affordable beauty products? What is something that you might be coveting but can't afford/bring yourself to spend the money on?