BWB Beauty Awards: Affordability and Quality
These BWB awards are for the babes on a budget, for the skincare lovers without full-time jobs and for all fiscally responsible wellness lovers.
Too often, lower price points come at the cost of quality. But as the beauty industry moves away from big companies to small indie brands, affordable quality is becoming a more focused ethos. As Gen Z becomes more interested in skincare and beauty, there is a higher demand for products within a smaller budget. And despite popular belief, sustainability can coexist with affordability and quality in perfect wellness harmony.
Everyone deserves personal products that have safe & effective ingredients. These BWB awards are for the babes on a budget, for the skincare lovers without full-time jobs and for all fiscally responsible wellness lovers.
The Sustainable Shower
MONDAY
MONDAY is a brand that embodies all three pillars that I look for when shopping: sustainability, affordability, and quality. When it comes to haircare, lower prices may indicate unsafe chemicals and ingredients that contribute to hair loss. But at MONDAY, your shampoo & conditioner ditches the parabens and sulfates for coconut fruit extract, jojoba oil and carrot root extract. Plus, the products come in pretty pink bottles made with recycled plastic.
The TikTok Star
The Ordinary
If any skincare ingredient was the breakout star of 2020, it had to be hyaluronic acid. While more and more products include this superstar skincare ingredient, the best one keeps it simple. Cut out all the fragrances and added ingredients and keep your skincare simple, affordable and… Ordinary. I love The Ordinary because it makes high quality skincare super accessible through low price points and transparent through simple formulations.
The Pharmacy Favorite
CeraVe
Not all drugstore products are created equal, and sometimes we grow out of the brands that our local pharmacy carries. But, CeraVe is one of those skincare saviors with staying power to keep up with the times and the trends at the same price. I love to use the Healing Ointment when my skin needs some extra TLC, and the Salicylic Acid Cleanser is an internet favorite for soothing problematic breakouts.
The Subscription Saver
Myro Deodorant
Sometimes, the best way to save money is through a subscription service that also saves plastic. With Myro, you can select a reusable deodorant holder of your choice and receive refillable canisters of up to three different scents per month. When you sign up, you pay just $10 a month and there are no late fee penalties for changing your next delivery date. I find that one refill can last me up to three months, which makes the subscription a convenient money saver and a sustainable choice.
The Target Treasure
Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch Hydrocolloid Acne Patches
When you’re in a pinch, hydrocolloid patches are the way to go. I discovered Mighty Patch at Target last year and it is one of my favorite 2020 discoveries. For just a few dollars a pack, you can have a pimple patch on deck for whenever you need to heal a blemish quickly overnight.
The Mask Makeup Queen
e.l.f. Jelly Pop Dew Primer
When it came to quarantine makeup, 2020 was a big year for mascara, primers and setting sprays. I found a lot of beauty bloggers recommending a particular sticky primer that was a bit too expensive for me to keep up with. Instead, I gave this magical e.l.f jelly primer a whirl to prevent my mask from stealing so much of my foundation. For the price, this product is a make-up must — masks on and masks off.
Teresa Deely is a graduate from Columbia University with majors in English and Creative Writing. She is a freelance writer and marketing assistant working for clients in the wellness, jewelry, creative, and sports industries. She believes that one’s skin is yet another canvas and vehicle for art, and has loved styling her hair and applying makeup from a young age. Spending much of her time in educating youth and leading enrichment programs for children, she is highly motivated in discovering new ways to care for herself and sharing them with others.
As Gen Z becomes more interested in skincare and beauty, there is a higher demand for products within a smaller budget.
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