Beauty Queen on a Budget : The best underrated beauty picks

The festive season is definitely the most wonderful time of the year with just one little problem - the moolah issue. Ever so often, in the midst of shopping for Christmas presents and new baubles, your budget turns out to be tighter than you expected, and the rest of your essentials of the season need to be cancelled. Well, not this time!
After some trial and error, I decided to compile a list of beauty buys that are rather underrated for their brilliant performance and the best part is; I've kept them under a budget so all the individual product prices are under *amazingly enough* Rs.500!

Disclaimer: The following review is not carried out in association with any brand/company and the thoughts and opinions that are expressed below are honest and of my own.


Rimmel Scandaleyes Show Off Mascara:

rimmel scandaleyes showoff mascara london

Price: Rs. 465
Availability: Moderate. At Parcos and online stores.

Like most Rimmel products that are great quality and value for money, their Scandaleyes Show Off mascara fits in perfectly. The packaging is flashy and bright, the rubberised bristles are comfortable to use and the rubber ball bristle applicator is the focal point of this product which I admit, does take some getting used to. Overall, it gives great definition and lift to my normal sized lashes and will be a great addition for both day and night looks.



Colorama Nail Varnish:

colorama nail varnish metallic purple, top coat, clear, transparent, maybelline

Price: Rs. 100
Availability: Easy. At all Maybelline kiosks in malls and department stores.

By far the most underrated nail varnish, Colorama deserves a lot more hue and cry around their nail varnish range. The packaging is simple, the applicator is smooth and well-formed and they come in so many different shades - all for Rs.100 a pop! Honestly, it doesn't get better than this. Go ahead and buy a different colour for each look of yours.




Sunsilk Keratinology Heat Protectant Spray:


sunsilk keratinology heat protectant spray, hair styling, heat

Price: Approximately Rs. 400
Availability: Moderate. At most beauty and department stores.

With every day of the festive season requiring a new look, we're bound to be overusing our styling tools. To protect our tresses from getting fried by the time it is New Years, a heat protectant is a must before every styling process. The Keratinology Heat Protectant Spray by Sunsilk is the answer. The packaging is perfect for a quick spritz, the fragrance that it lends to your hair is divine and it definitely extends the style of your hair by a good number of hours at the least.



Lotus 3-in-1 Matte Look Daily Sunblock:

lotus 3-in-1 matte look daily sunblock, sunscreen, sunblock, tinted

Price: Approximately Rs.350
Availability: Easy. At all Lotus kiosks, beauty and department stores.

Sunscreen is a must for every season *at the risk of sounding like your conscience* just because it is winter, don't skimp on it. The Lotus 3-in-1 Matte Look Daily Sunblock is a lovely product for everyday usage with it's bright packaging and tinted shade to blend into your skin easily so you can use it as a base for makeup too! And along with all that, it also does its basic job of the actual sun protection as well.



Vaseline Petroleum Jelly:

vaseline petroleum jelly

Price: Approximately Rs.75
Availability: Easy. At all chemists, medical and department stores.

What fabric glue is to my DIY kit, Vaseline should be to every beauty kit. Vaseline is a multi-purpose salve of sorts and can do just about anything for you *except your homework, of course* Use it on chapped lips, sparse lashes, dry elbows and even minor bruises. For the hydration it provides at its extremely affordable rates, this little guy should be wearing a medal.


Lakme Eyeconic Kajal:

lakme eyeconic kajal, lakme, kohl, india

Price: Rs.199
Availability: Easy. At all Lakme kiosks, beauty stores and department stores.


On the long list of beauty essentials that every girl needs, somewhere between moisturizer and mascara is kajal and I'm certain that the Eyeconic Kajal by Lakme is probably your go-to like it is mine. It gives great definition to your eyes, lasts for quite a few hours once applied and has a slightly tender consistency making it easy on your eyes to! So whether it is for a simple rimmed eye look or a finish to your smokey eyes. don't miss out on this kajal.



Nyle Clean & Shine Shampoo:

nyle clean and shine shampoo, nyle, shampoo, herbal,

Price: Rs.149
Availability: Easy. At all chemists, beauty and department stores.

While it may not have the popularity and celebrity endorsements of its counterparts, I find Nyle shampoo pretty amazingly and oddly underrated. The shampoo has great consistency, beautiful fragrance and does just what is promises to your hair - making it clean and tidy while staying shiny as ever. With extracts like aloe vera and amla, you can be assured that your hair will  be nourished and smell fantastic in the bargain too! So don't be fooled by it's rather simple appearance because this shampoo is one you cannot afford to miss.



Maybelline Baby Lips:

maybelline baby lips, colour, tint, lip balm, maybelline, baby lips, pink


Rs. 150
Availability: Easy. At all chemists, beauty and department stores.

I've mentioned before about how important lip balm is to ever girl's makeup stash so Baby Lips needs no introduction. With its foray into tinted and clear lip balms, Baby Lips allows you to pick as per your preference. Whatever you choice is, this is one lip balm you cannot miss out on with its cute packaging and the fabulous hydration that it provides for hours. Make sure you have one for every bag that you carry!

                                                                                          Photography: Dayle Pereira for Style File


PS: If you're looking to get a makeup stash together for the festive season ahead, this post will save your life. No really, it will.


So dolls, I do hope you liked this 'Beauty Queen on a budget' series that I've started not only to get underrated and brilliant products to you, my readers but to make sure you don't overspend on items that are not worth it. Do let me know how you like this new series and if you've got any feedback or suggestions about it, that's welcome too!

You can interact with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest & Instagram as well so don't forget to tell me what you think!


xo
Dayle