For anyone who loves makeup, shopping at Sephora is one of the most enjoyable experiences. There are very few things I love more than heading into my local Sephora, trying out several different swatches, and then walking out with an exciting new product to try. But as we all know, makeup isn’t a cheap hobby. It’s hard to buy products in places like Sephora without spending over $40. Which isn’t exactly practical for those of us who live on a budget.

Since spending a lot at Sephora is pretty much inevitable, I think it’s important to make our purchases worthwhile. We don’t want to waste an absurd amount of money on products that don’t work well. I can’t even tell you the number of times I’ve splurged on a product only to find myself disappointed with the outcome. It’s frustrating but it’s really helped me realize that high prices don’t necessarily mean great quality. There are some majorly disappointing products at both the high-end and the drugstore level.

Today I thought I would share some of my favorite buys from Sephora that are under $30. These items may be pricey, but they are definitely worth their cost. I’ve been using a few of these products for years and have never felt compelled to deviate from them.

So, without further ado, let’s head into the products!

At $23, the Tarteist Pro To Go Amazonian Clay Palette  has been one of my best Sephora purchases of all-time. The eyeshadows in this palette are amazingly pigmented. When I first swatched them, I couldn’t believe how vibrant the colors stood out on skin. Even without primer, the shadows are bright and fairly long-lasting. I love that the palette is comprised half of shimmery shadows and half of matte ones. The combination allows you to create a wide variety of looks, ranging from bold and glittery to soft and neutral. If you’re looking to purchase a high-end palette but don’t want to spend over $50, this one is a fantastic choice.

My holy grail liquid eyeliner, the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner, happens to be an under $25 item that I continuously pick up at Sephora! Over the years, I’ve tested out a lot of different eyeliners, but I’ve never found one that I’ve loved as much as this. “Stay All Day” is the perfect name for this liner because it doesn’t fade off at all. I can apply it early in the morning and still have the same dark line by nighttime. I always know I can rely on this liner, even on the hottest of days.

While the Stila liner is my holy grail liquid liner, I really love the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil  as well. These pencils are so light and gentle on the eye. You barely feel them, even when applying to your waterline. While they don’t last as long as I would hope, I like the way the color comes out on my eyes.

The Urban Decay Original Primer Potion has cult status and rightfully so. This primer makes eyeshadow look incredibly vibrant throughout the entire day. It keeps your makeup looking fresh and prevents oily lids. I love using it on super humid days when I know I’m going to be outside a lot, because I know I can count on it to keep my makeup from sweating off. Obviously it works best with Urban Decay shadows, but I’ve found that I can use it with other shadows and still get good results. If you don’t already have this primer in your makeup bag, I strongly suggest giving it a try.

Another holy grail of mine that makes the list is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. The Brow Wiz is also a product I’ve been using for a pretty long time. The pencil has a spooly on one end and the product on the other, which is really convenient when you’re going between combing your brows and filling them in. The Brow Wiz is great for on the go too. It’s easy to toss it in your purse or bag for travel or even quick touch-ups. A lot of people draw comparison between the Brow Wiz and the Dipbrow Pomade, but I definitely prefer the Brow Wiz. While it may contain less product, the spooly is such a useful tool.

Tarte’s Pearly Girl Vegan Teeth Whitening Pen is another item under $25 that I purchased at Sephora and had a good experience with. As a consistent coffee drinker, my teeth developed some stains earlier this year. I ended up really wanting to try a teeth whitening product, so I picked up this one while I was out shopping one day. I was definitely impressed by how well it worked. The pen applicator made is very easy to apply. Plus, the product itself had a subtle, minty taste. Pearly Girl significantly reduced the appearance of stains on my teeth and overall was a worthwhile product to try.

Something else that I’ve really enjoyed using has been the Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel. This brow gel comes in a mascara-style bottle with a spooly applicator. It’s the perfect product for those days when you’re running late and don’t have the time to completely fill in your brows. While it isn’t as precise as my other brow favorite, the Anastasia Brow Wiz, it’s certainly a time-saver. With a few quick strokes of the applicator, you’ve got significantly fuller brows. You don’t have to spend a lot of time on your brows with Gimme Brow, but it still gives them that polished look.

Those are a few of my Sephora favorites for under $25! I haven’t written any price specific posts in quite a while, so let me know if this is something you’d like to see more often. Budget-friendly posts are some of my absolute favorite to read just because they’re so useful. High-end makeup can be pretty pricey, so it’s nice to know what products are worth the splurge. These items have definitely been worth their prices to me and I hope if you try some you have the same experience.

Thank you so much for reading.

What are some of your Sephora favorites?

Sincerely,

Instagram  | Twitter | Bloglovin | Pinterest | Facebook