Regardless of where we hail from, we think we can all agree that everyone loves a budget-friendly beauty buy.
In fact, even celebrities — who have access to the very best beauty products — still make room in their beauty kits for affordable makeup, skin care, hair products, fragrance, and the like.
Don’t believe us? We’ve taken the liberty of finding the beauty products under $20 that even A-listers are fans of. Keep scrolling to discover the picks celebrities deem worthy of their personal collections…
Weleda Skin Food Original
from $19.75 at Amazon Australia
This nourishing pick has a cult-following, which includes celebrities like Julia Roberts, Victoria Beckham and Zooey Deschanel. Julia uses it as a hand cream after washing the dishes, while Victoria likes to wear it as a thick body moisturiser. “It keeps your skin so hydrated and moisturised. It’s really, really thick and I love how it feels all over the body. It’s a really great product,” she said via Instagram. Zooey on the other hand told The Strategist that she applies it to her face to combat dry skin: “It’s amazing and it’s cheap.”
Neutrogena® Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes
from $5.99 at Chemist Warehouse
“I tried others and I like Neutrogena’s especially because they’re both so moisturising and effective. They don’t have any alcohol in them, and I don’t know how they do it, but they get everything off — even the eyelash glue,” Jennifer Tilly shared with The Strategist. “I mean, I just filmed this season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and it’s terrible what these makeup artists do to my face on a regular basis.”
Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Glazed Donut
from $14.99 at Priceline
Sonia Kruger counts Lanolips 101 Ointment as one of her favourite beauty products. “This lip balm is great value and they have delicious flavours like glazed donut and dulce de leche, salted coconut and mango sorbet …..yum,” she tells beautyheaven.
Cetaphil Moisturising Cream
from $15.12 at Amazon Australia
Adriana Lima recently appeared on Vogue’s Beauty Secrets and shared that her go-to body moisturiser is a budget-friendly buy from Cetaphil that was recommended to her by her paediatrician. “I learned this [from] my kids’ paediatrician, believe it or not, so I use this on my baby,” she explained. “You cannot go wrong. I use this every day.”
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion SPF50
from $15.99 at Chemist Warehouse
Jennifer Garner shared with Vogue that she’s a stickler for SPF, but she prefers to use an affordable option during the day. “You always have to do sunscreen, it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry, but you must. You gotta layer that SPF on. See right here? I wasn’t serious about SPF when I was younger,” she said pointing at some pigmentation on her face. “Nothing looks better in your fifties than sunscreen in your twenties, ladies, you heard it here first.”
L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray
from $8.99 at Chemist Warehouse
“I know this is going to make me sound like an old lady, but I still swear by Elnett,” Rachel Bilson admitted in an interview with Allure. “It’s great. It brushes out, and it’s a miracle.”
Weleda Skin Food Light
from $20.84 at Amazon Australia
While other celebs swear by the original formula Hannah Waddingham really rates Weleda Skin Food Light. “It’s absolutely brilliant on flights and just a real, all-purpose. It’s like my version of Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour ($34.99 from Chemist Warehouse),” Hannah told Harper’s Bazaar. “You can put it on your elbows, put it on your lips, [it’s] really gorgeous and smells fabulous. You can use it on your legs. But it’s something that always keeps my face calm and moisturised.”
Eau Thermale Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
from $14.39 at Priceline
Country singer, Miranda Lambert, likes to keep a multipurpose balm on hand at all times too, but her weapon of choice is Avène’s Cicalfate+. “This is one of my favourites,” she told Country Living. “Whether I’m outside with the animals or on a long run on the road, I swear by this lotion to keep my skin protected and hydrated.”
Patchouli Perfume Oil
from $12.99 at Amazon Australia
Drew Barrymore’s favourite perfume is a simple roll-on patchouli perfume oil, which she applies to her pulse points. Triloka Patchouli Perfume Oil is her go-to, but if you’re looking for an alternative available in Australia we recommend Gya Labs Patchouli Perfume Oil. “Scents are extremely powerful at determining our moods,” reads her website Drew’s Little Yellow Book. “Drew feels her best with a drop of Patchouli Triloka Perfume Oil on her wrists and neck. The fragrance transports her to a lush, luxurious place each moment she catches a slight scent.”
Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
from $6.99 at Chemist Warehouse
The Outset founder, Scarlett Johansson, has her skin care routine taken care of with products from her won brand. But she’s still a fan of affordable finds like this classic hand cream. “You know that Neutrogena Hand Cream that’s, like, old school? I keep that by the sink,” she told New Beauty. “It’s more of a balm than a lotion, but I just keep that by the sink because I wash my hands 40 times a day.”
Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream
from $6.99 at Chemist Warehouse
Bethenny Frankel has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to affordable beauty products. The reality star and entrepreneur likes to compare the quality of luxury and budget-friendly formulas to discover the best beauty offerings available, and then she tells us all about it. “I think [Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream] started because La Mer makes ‘soft’—they’re very similar products with very similar ingredients,” she explained in one of her Instagram comparison reviews. “I like Nivea Soft a lot.”
Sudocrem
from $6.50 at Woolworths
Celebrity makeup artist, Rae Morris, recently shared her favourite skin care hack with her TikTok followers. She likes to slather on Sudocrem as a face mask, and apparently the results are rather impressive. “I have no foundation [on]. Look how smooth my skin is,” she said excitedly in the video. “I’m quite sensitive. I think I’ve over-peeled my skin during my life[time], but I’m really impressed. The bumpiness has literally gone. I’ve done this for two nights in a row: I do my normal skin care, throw it on, and just go to bed.”
Main image credit: Getty Images
Have you tried any of these beauty products?
Spam below by Lily Curtis.
BH, please remove.
How is $43 cheap for a mascara? How is Nars also considered cheap? Hmmm….
Yes it is funny what other people find cheap.
No cheap in my books.
Not cheap I meant
Some excellent brands.
Everyone seems to love Weleda skin food
I want to try the patchouli oil!
i would love to too!
me too !!
Cetaphil products are good value.
can vouch for that elnett hairspray, yes amazing
good to know
I’ve used Sudocrem as an undereye cream for years. It helps to de-puff and fights wrinkles better than the most expensive eye creams that I’ve used in my 50 years. Lanolips and Cetaphil are my other go to’s.
I think at the price it is worth a try at least
Wow JL -what an amazing tip !!
The Sudocream hack – HOW DID I NOT KNOW OF THIS????!!??! Brilliant! I’m going to add some in my next order!
I have heard of most of these and have tried them. The Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Glazed Donut, in particular, is insanely good. Just when I thought I was over Lanolips, I got roped back in with it.
I broke out in hives during a trip away. Thank goodness I had Sudo cream, really good stuff.
Norwegian Hand Cream is a cult classic, I adore it.
Some gorgeous looking products
Elnett, Norwegian Hand Cream, Nivea & Sudocrem – yes, good stuff!
Of all of these I have only tried Nivea.
Good selection -I would use any of these.
Love Weleda
Eau Thermale Avene Calcifate is a staple in our ensuite, my husband uses it more than me.
That’s a round up of really consistent brands – you can pretty much rely on anything from them working well.
Patchouli Perfume Oil sounds a nice choice
I bought some Sudocream today so can’t wait to test it out!
Some good brands here; Cetaphil and Weleda are my picks
Might try the Sudocreme hack!
Some great products to try. I like the look of Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Glazed Donut. Will give it a go.
These are good
I do like the look of the Neutrogena® Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes at $5.99. I use cleansing towelettes quite often if I am in a rush.
I may give the Sudocream as a mask a try, it does have lots of healing properties and great after a sunburn.
I dont use masks at all but my daughers love them
I’d like to try the sudocream idea… Annoyingly sold out thanks to tik tox
I don’t have any Sudocream laying around as my kids are big now.
I want to try Sudocrem as a face mask now.
I love Nivea Soft Moisturising Cream.
A few of these are faves of mine also.
The hand cream is awesome
I was given Lanolen for my lips when I was in hospital and therefore I guess the Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-Balm Glazed Donut would worth checking out. Must be good??
I do like the look of the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray
from $8.99 at Chemist Warehouse. I dont usually use hairspray but this one look nice and price good