Top 10 Beauty Products Under $6

Yeah yeah, I know - six dollars is kind of a random price. Why not good ol' five bucks? Because, my dear smartypants, kindly observe that there's some sort of beauty product pricing policy in place that makes brands always charge just a little bit over $5; like maybe in our make-up obsessed minds, $5.99 is actually close to five bucks, so we happily spend the extra $1?! I  don't know - I don't make the rules. Under six dollars it is. So, in no particular order:

1. INM Out The Door Fast Drying Topcoat ($4.95 for 0.5 fl. oz/15 ml) I've used Seche Vite, I've used Sally Hansen, Essie, OPI - I really tried my fair share, and Out The Door is the only one I've repurchased. Mostly, because it's inexpensive and works just as well as the rest - and gets gloopy slightly less quickly than the others. I could always find it in Bartell's Drugs in WA, but haven't tracked it down yet in NY; you could always order online, especially that Amazon has some giant sizes of this for much less per ounce.

2. Epic Blend Hemp Lip Balm in Coconut* ($3.49 for 0.15 oz /4.2g) I hadn't used stick lip balms in a while, but they're an absolute make-up bag essential - and you can't go wrong with the mineral oil- and paraben-free Epic Blend Lip Balms. I was sent the entire range of 12 balms to try, and from the three varieties they offer (Hemp, Vegan and More Moisture) the Hemp ones were my favorite, especially the Coconut and Vanilla scents - yum. I find that the Hemp range applies easily on the lips but has a slightly heavier consistency than the Vegan and More Moisture balms, which makes them last better on my dry lips. My mom's favorite was the More Moisture Lip Balm in Grape, which she liked for its lightweight, non greasy feel.

3. Essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lip Gloss in Candy Bar ($2.99 for 0.13 fl. oz/ 4 ml, swatched and reviewed here). I still really, really like this lip gloss, and Candy Bar is such a beautiful coral shade. It's almost hard to believe that you can make such a great gloss for such a low price - and I actually can't believe how come they don't come in a huge variety of shades... I'm actually slightly worried that it's no longer available on Ulta's website - has anyone heard any rumors?

4. Fyrinnae Eye Shadow Minis ($2.25 per sample 1/3tsp, my notes on pressing and swatches here). Did I mention that not all my inexpensive finds are from the drugstore? Because sometimes you  need to go on a quest to find the really good ones - well, not really a quest, more like just shopping online. I've pressed my Fyrinnae loose eyeshadow samples into these dinky pans, and now I use them every time I do my make-up: their neutrals are so unique, the brights wonderfully complex, and the glitters... Oh, the glitters.

5. Yaby Eyeshadow Refills ($3.15 for 3g). Speaking of dinky eyeshadow pans, I also really enjoy using my Yaby eyeshadows in Antique and Pottery, swatched and reviewed here. So if you have an aversion to pressing pigments and can't deal with the little jars of Fyrinnae shadows, these Yaby ones are another great option - and they also have a good variety of neutral mattes.

6. Orly Mani Mini Nail Polishes ($3 for 0.18 fl. oz/5.7 ml). It seems like that these nail polish minis from Orly may not be the easiest to get hold of, but if you see some, grab a shade or two - they're the regular awesome Orly formula, just in a smaller size bottle that you may hope to actually use up in your lifetime. My most used shades are the rose gold Rage, a China Glaze Ruby Pumps dupe called Star Spangled, and a pastel mint Gumdrop. If only more nail polish brands jumped on board the mini size train!

7. Wet n'Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Trios ($2.99 for 0.12 oz) Nope, no inexpensive finds round-up can be complete without some Wet n'Wild eyeshadow love. I've depotted mine into a handy-dandy magnetized palette that makes them even easier to use, and as you can see from the state of these pans, they're well loved. Seriously, if you don't have the budget to buy shadows from high-end brands, these are very, very good for the price, and come in a wide range of neutral and bright shades in shimmery and matte finishes. I still remember the thrill of tracking down their Limited Editions...

8. NYX Powder Blushes ($5 for 0.14 oz/4g; Mauve is the shade pictured in the first photo). My NYX blush swatchathon is still one of my most popular posts on the blog, and we all know why: NYX Powder Blushes are a drugstore classic. You know, sometimes you get caught up in the product hype and later regret buying multiple shades of something, but I've never regretted building my collection of NYX blushes - I still reach for them all the time.

9. EcoTools Flat Eyeliner Brush ($5.29 ea; it seems the new version of this brush on EcoTools website has a different shape, but you should still be able to find the older one as well). This was the first EcoTools brush I ever bought, and it started my love for the brand; I always have at least a couple of their brushes in my everyday rotation. This is a very straightfoward brush, but I find the bristles just right for defining my eyebrows or lining my lashline with powders. I believe I've had mine for close to five years now, and it's still just as good as the day I bought it.

10. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge ($5.99 ea) Finishing strong with the tools, you guys. I've devoted a whole post to my review and demo of this bright orange sponge, so I won't repeat myself too much, apart from reiterating that you need it - and after trying the famous Beautyblender, I confirm that there's no reason to shell out nearly four times the price for one (also, my BB sponge still leaks that neon pink dye! Grrrr). The Real Techniques sponge is perfect for making higher coverage foundations blend seamlessly into the skin. It also looks fun :)

If you still can't get enough of these inexpensive beauty finds, you can check out my Top 10 Drugstore Make-up Favorites - there are some repeat products, but I've tried to avoid too much overlap. What are your favorite beauty buys for under six bucks?

*Disclaimer: Product marked with an asterix (*) is a PR sample I received free of charge for review consideration. All links are non-affiliate. All opinions are 100% honest and unbiased, no matter if the products featured were purchased with my own monies or provided as press samples. Thank you for reading!