Best Budget Beauty Picks to Prep for Summer

It feels like it’s the start of summer here! We are blessed to have warm sunshine most of the year but if you’re still in transition spring to summer mode I have a roundup of some affordable beauty picks to help you prep for summer. I’ve partnered with Walmart to share some of my budget beauty staples and a few new summer tries.

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Bronze and Glow

I’m normally on the tan side since because we get so much sun but a lot of you have asked for recommendations for a sunless option. I’ve recently discovered the L’oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Serum in Medium Natural Tan. It’s a great self-tanner to help even out my short tan lines and bronze up areas like my stomach that don’t get as much sun in the winter/early spring. One application darkened and evened out my tan in one evening. I didn’t have any transfer to my sheets or clothes and had no streaking. A little goes a long way, I waited around 10 minutes for it to dry. Do make sure you wash your hands thoroughly (they can stain). One application lasted me around 4 days, I was seriously impressed!

For a nice soft bronzer to tan up your complexion the L’Oreal True Match Lumi Bronze It in 02 Medium is a great natural option. It has a very pretty soft satiny bronze with a subtle glow. There’s also a lighter shade and a deeper option as well. It has a soft texture, blends easily and looks so natural. It had seriously impressive lasting power. I wore it to the beach and it stayed on my face all day! I think this is a great way to fake a tan on the face but still have it look natural. This is something you can also apply on the body as well.

As much as I love high-end highlighters I think there are quite a few good budget alternatives. The Maybelline Master Chrome Metallic Highlighter in Molten Gold has a gorgeous pretty shine in a golden glow with very slight peach tones. It’s ultra pigmented but blends out for a softer finish. This one has a creamy feel and adheres well to the skin. It doesn’t emphasize my pores or fine lines even though it’s metallic. I want to try the peach shade next! If you want a cream version the Neutrogena Glow On Face Liquid is also excellent.

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Natural Radiance

I’ve written about the L’Oreal True Match Lumi Glotions before and they remain on my favorites list. They’re a great all over luminizer you can wear under foundation, alone or on top of foundation to add the most natural looking glow. There’s enough shimmer in it to add a a glow to your complexion but aren’t frosty. I can wear it all over without it getting greasy looking. It has good lasting power and comes in four shades. I wear 902 the most. You can go one shade deeper than your natural skin tone to add a bit of natural warmth to the skin.

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Lips

Hands down the best budget shine lipsticks are the L’Oreal Color Riche Shine Lipsticks. My favorites are Luminous Coral and Sparkling Rose. If you like bold shades they have the best reds and oranges too. They’re quite pigmented even though they’re shiny. I sometimes layer/mix colors together. Luminous Coral is the best shade for summer (in my opinion).

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Nails

I think my readers are split between loving OPI or Essie for a good budget affordable color. So many of you swear by Essie and I’ve been exploring more of the opaque options. There are so many great colors to pick from! One of my go-to’s has been Topless and Barefoot for the most flattering neutral pink cream. I recently bought a few more colors and was pleased to find some pretty pinks and neutrals! Let It Glow looks so fun for the summer season it glows and has a pretty pink rose gold look. Eternal Optimist turned out to be the prettiest neutral rose pink that pulls neutral-cool (love this on the toes). I swatched a few other recent buys including Bare With Me and Lighten the Mood. I think these are go-with everything kinds of colors. Each one is applied with two coats.

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Eyes

For eyes my go-to has been the L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara in both the Waterproof and Regular formulas. For the humid months the waterproof is essential. A number of you have said you really don’t like waterproof mascara because it’s so hard to remove. I’ve also tried the regular version in Black and it’s also excellent. I pair either with the Lash Paradise Primer for added volume. For a good metallic wash of color the Infallible Metallic Paints in Rose Chrome or Brass Knuckles. Both add a natural sheen that makes the eyes glow with a sunkissed summery shimmer.

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Staples

Last but not least are two staples I just discovered are available at Walmart. The best foundation sponge is the original beautyblender and they carry it online! They also started stocking Bioderma and the Sensibio H2o is one of the best for a gentle face makeup remover. I use this as a first pass cleanser sometimes before washing my face with regular cleanser. It helps remove makeup more effectively when I double cleanse.

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That wraps up on my budget beauty favorites for the upcoming summer season! I’ve been trying out more affordable sunscreens on my test-list and have another self-tanner to try out this upcoming week. For now these are some beauty products I recommend checking out to fake a nice summer glow if you want to go sunless! As always let me know what your budget beauty favorites are! I love checking out your recommendations 🙂

Thanks to Walmart for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions my own.