17 Affordable Gems to Upgrade Your Self-Care Routine

Is it just me, or does anyone else love to change their self-care routine every month? Now that we’re nearing the end of summer, I’m looking for makeup, skincare, and haircare products that will make my glowy skin and beachy waves last as long as possible. I’m constantly making room on my shelf for new beauty goodies (and some much-needed restocks), and I hit the jackpot on my most recent trip to CVS. As I browsed the skincare aisles, the sunny-yellow packaging of Bubble’s Vitamin C and Niacinamide Serum immediately caught my attention. Bubble has the best affordable skincare products, and I’m happy to report that the brand’s latest launch is no exception. It truly gives an immaculate glow. I also love that it costs less than $20—in my opinion, it’s the perfect dupe for that $180 vitamin C serum everyone’s obsessed with.

Over in the makeup section, I couldn’t resist picking up Maybelline’s Firework Mascara, and it’s not just because of the pink tube—it’s also the wand. It has a flexible, spiral-shaped brush, giving you a fluttery, fanned-out look that mimics falsies. I’ve been using Maybelline mascaras for over a decade, and this might be my favorite one yet.