I'm a Beauty Editor, But I Love These Affordable Products Under £20

There is nothing I find quite as exciting as beauty shopping. Sure, in my job as a beauty editor, I get to test a lot. But nothing beats a day of dropping by a perfume hall or picking up a new TikTok-viral beauty product to test it for myself. (Anyone else love the thrill of the chase to pick up a sold-out product?) I could easily fill my weekend with beauty browsing.

The thing is beauty products can be expensive, especially if the latest must-have product happens to be a luxury one. Decking your whole makeup bag up can soon become pretty expensive. The good news is that there are so many affordable beauty products to be found—some are even very similar to the more expensive counterparts. While we love to treat ourselves on a luxury beauty brand now and again, it can be kinder on your wallet to find a cheaper alternative.

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(Image credit: @alicezielasko )

Having tested a lot of beauty products for my job, I know that there are some luxury beauty products that are absolutely worth the investment, especially when it comes to skincare products like serums that do a lot of heavy lifting in your routine. Others, however, I think you can save money on. Take mascaras, for instance. Many high-street mascara formulations are just as good, if not better, than the £30+ ones. So you can probably get away with spending less on your lashes.

To find out which affordable beauty products are actually worth switching to, I've compiled some of my favourite luxe beauty products with some purse-friendly alternatives. Trust me, they're really that good.

The 13 Best Affordable Beauty Products

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Next Up, 18 Affordable Beauty Products That Are Just as Good as These Expensive Ones

Eleanor Vousden
Beauty Editor, Who What Wear UK

Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.

Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.

Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.

When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.