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The IndyBest team’s top Amazon beauty buys under £20, from mascaras to lip balms
Add these inexpensive hero products from big-name brands to your shopping cart
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We all know Amazon serves us online shoppers well, whether you’re a keen deal-hunter browsing the retailer’s Treasure Trunk and secret outlet store, or if you’re after inflatable hot tubs and last-minute gift ideas.
Perhaps one of the retailer’s lesser-known strengths is its vast selection of beauty hero buys, and a stellar range of cosmetics and skincare stalwarts, from Kiehl’s and Aveeno to Maybelline and L’Oréal Paris.
And as much as we’re keen on a good product, we also love a good deal – and Amazon’s full of them, with limited-time offers on a whole host of skincare fail-safes and beauty products from trusted brands.
Read more: 10 best lip oils for a hydrated pout
Run out of make-up remover or your favourite eyeliner? Next-day delivery is here to save you – perhaps now more than ever, with us all stuck at home and high street shops proving a distant memory.
Whether you’re mixing-up your skincare routine for spring or want to experiment with eyeshadow as the end of lockdown looms, you can do it all for less on Amazon, with the site being the place to stock up on your favourite inexpensive finds.
But as with every category on the online giant’s website, there are endless products to browse through, so we’re on hand to bring you some of our favourite finds available right now on Amazon.
From fuss-free micellar waters and mascaras to lip balms and cleansers, here are the best beauty buys to add to your shopping cart.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Emma Henderson (Editor)
Elizabeth Arden eight hour lip protectant with SPF15: £15, Amazon.co.uk
I love a lip balm. I’m one of those people who has about seven on the go, for different times of the day and severities of lip concerns. But one I’ve been buying for a few years and is comfortably in the top of my favourites is this one. It’s got cult status for a reason – it’s just so bloody good. Yes, £20 for just 3.7g of product is spenny, but often it’s available for £15 or even £10 on Amazon. And trust me, it’s worth it.
Designed to be more like a lipstick in shape than other balms, it’s easy to glide on and is super nourishing thanks to the vitamin E. The first time I bought it, it soothed my wintery chapped and rough lips within a day. After using it, my lips feel very hydrated and it doesn’t feel thin or quickly wear off as other balms do. If you can’t justify using it as your all-day, everyday lip balm, use it at night and during winter. Your lips will thank you.
Eleanor Jones (Executive editor)
Rimmel glam’eyes liquid liner in 001 black glamour: £3.55, Amazon.co.uk
I’ve worn a cat-eye flick every single day since I was about 16, and no matter how many flashier or more expensive liquid liners I try, I always return to this one: it’s my desert island beauty product.
The glossy black formula comes with a brush applicator rather than the oft-found felt tip, which I personally find so much better – it rolls over my naturally hooded eyelids effortlessly, with no dragging, and I can genuinely swoop it on in about five seconds flat. Once it’s there, it stays, but if the odd smudge does occur it’s also super easy to bump back up with a quick second layer (pre-pandemic, I could do this from a moving tube carriage, which is testament to the ease of application). It’s affordable anyway (usually about £5.99 in Boots or Superdrug), but this price on Amazon is the best I’ve found.
Read more: 14 best eyeliners that are foolproof and won’t smudge
Louise Whitbread (Freelance)
CND rescue daily keratin treatment: £16.06, Amazon.co.uk
Having rotated between gel and acrylic nails, sometimes both, for years leading up to the first lockdown, it’s safe to say my nails are in very poor condition: dehydrated, brittle, flaky, you name it. This brush-on oil that’s rich in keratin is a fast-acting solution with which I see noticeably stronger nails within just a week of use, with none of the usual painful splitting I am prone to.
You do need to stay on top of it though, applying twice daily and massaging into nails. I keep it by my bedside to ensure I don’t forget. It has a pleasant but not particularly strong smell and is ideal for treating years of damage.
Eylure dybrow eyebrow dye kit, dark brown: £6.17, Amazon.co.uk
As I’m not blessed with naturally full, bushy brows, during lockdown I’ve taken to tinting them myself with this easy kit from Eylure. An absolute novice when it comes to tackling my sparse hairs beside filling them in with an eyebrow pencil, I can confirm this product is foolproof. Simply mix together 1cm of the dye cream with three drops of the activating solution and comb through brows with the brush that comes included. To ensure that none of the dye ends up all over your face, outline brows with vaseline.
Once you’ve evenly distributed the product through the hairs, leave for six minutes (you can leave it on for longer if you want a darker colour) then take a cotton pad and wipe away the excess and vaseline and voila, you’re left with perfectly groomed brows. I find I usually get five weeks of colour from it, and it’s the easiest way to look and feel put together every day without a scrap of make-up. You get roughly 12 uses from each box, and I’m already on my second one.
Read more: 12 best liquid foundations for all skin types
Suzie McCracken (Senior production journalist)
La Roche-Posay anthelios XL SPF50+: £17.50, Amazon.co.uk
I am an adult with the skin of a teenager: it lies in the “combination” camp, meaning I regularly succumb to a shiny nose and brow, and I battle endless breakouts. To keep it from going buck daft on the regular, I also try not to wear much make-up. Did I mention I’m from Ireland? I’m so pale my skin is basically translucent.
My trusty, daily companion for many years now has been La Roche-Posay’s anthelios XL sunscreen, which comes in pale-face-friendly 50+ and doesn’t make me break out. If I’m feeling a bit fancy, I’ll mix a touch of foundation into it. But I love it most when I’m doing something adventurous that requires a generous slathering of protection, like cycle touring or skiing, as its mattifying capabilities make me feel reassured that my shine will stay under control, even in stinky, sweaty conditions.
Eva Waite-Taylor (Writer)
Maybelline volume mascara lash sensational: £5.25, Amazon.co.uk
While this might not be that TikTok-famous mascara, Maybelline’s offering is consistently strong. As someone who has fair hair, I find I need a mascara that is super black to accentuate my eyes, which is exactly where this one excels. Plus, windy days cause my eyes to water, but owing to its waterproof qualities, it doesn’t run – result! At just £5, you simply can’t go wrong.
Read more: 9 best mascaras to give volume, length and curl
Daisy Lester (Production journalist)
Garnier micellar water facial cleanser sensitive skin, 700ml: £4.98, Amazon.co.uk
There are far more micellar waters out there compared to a few years ago, but this fuss-free Garnier cleanser is my pick of the bunch. it’s inexpensive, easy-to-use and does the job each evening removing my make-up while lifting away any dirt from the day. My skincare regime always begins with it as it can effectively remove even the most stubborn of eyeliners and hydrate my skin at the same time.
This popular offering from Garnier is the only micellar water recognised by the British Skin Foundation and Allergy UK because of its gentle formula. I’ve found cleansing facial wipes tend to irritate my skin, while micellar waters leave it feeling far more comfortable. With it being almost half price on Amazon right now, you can’t go wrong.
Lois Borny (Freelance)
Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, 473ml: £9.99, Amazon.co.uk
Having struggled with acne-prone skin on and off since my teens, I’ve dabbled in my fair share of skincare products – washes, toners, scrubs, all that jazz – but after trying Cetaphil face wash, its now my one true love, and I will probably never use anything else. I’ve found that most products, particularly lathering ones, strip away the natural oils in my skin, leaving it feeling irritated and a bit like a piece of stretched out cling film – but this one is extremely gentle.
Hypoallergenic and free from soap and perfume, it feels like the closest thing to washing my face with a splash of water – you’d think this would be a recipe for breakouts, but my skin has never felt or looked smoother. You only need one or two pumps per use, so the bottle feels bottomless – I buy one 473ml version and can forget about it for months.
Read more: 10 best sulphate free shampoo and conditioners
Emma Rossiter (Freelance)
Pantene repair and protect shampoo, conditioner, hair mask and hair oil set: £18.99, Amazon.co.uk
Split ends have been one of the biggest banes of my life in lockdown. I’ve tried all the usual cures – stayed away from heat styling where possible (I can’t remember the last time I used my straighteners or curlers), incorporated leave-in conditioners and hair masks. But while some have made a difference, it’s been tough to find a good product on a tight budget. Enter Pantene’s pro-v repair and protect range.
All the items are relatively cheap on their own – in fact, just using the hair mask (£4.50, Amazon.co.uk) is enough to help give hair a boost – but if you want to go the whole hog then this bundle is ideal. It more than lives up to the claims of repairing six months worth of damage in one use and within a few short weeks I found my locks looked healthier, glossier, and more full.
Eleanor Magill (Freelance)
Nip+Fab salicylic fix acid night pads: £9.95, Amazon.co.uk
I started developing the dreaded maskne at the start of the pandemic and was at a loss as to how to get rid of the angry spots around my mouth and chin. I tried various washes but found that they tended to dry out my skin which in turn makes the acne worse – a vicious cycle.
All was lost until I found these night pads which have all you could want from an acne wash – with salicylic acid to help reduce breakouts – but also contain hyaluronic acid which helps to hydrate the skin as you treat it. I use it at night time and wake up with my skin glowing and the acne already halfway healed. I also love these because there is no water required: you can do it from bed. My kind of skincare.
For more great buys, read all about Amazon’s Treasure Trunk featuring deals and offers from trusted brands