Breaking Beauty Podcast

Episode: Drop Everything: Our 2026 #DamnGood Budget Beauty (Under $30!) Guide is Here

Hosts: Jill Dunn & Carlene Higgins
Date: February 11, 2026

Episode Overview

This special “#DamnGood” edition is the Breaking Beauty Podcast’s eagerly-awaited annual budget beauty guide, where veteran beauty editors Jill Dunn and Carlene Higgins round up the best beauty products under $30. Targeted for 2026, this episode crosses makeup, skincare, fragrance, and more, spotlighting innovation, K-beauty influences, trending dupes, and celebrity-approved favorites straight from the red carpet. The hosts share insider testing stories, memorable PR anecdotes, and practical tips for all skin tones and budgets.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Budget Beauty Guide Ground Rules and Trends

• Annual Tradition: The February episode focuses exclusively on great products under $30, in both US and Canadian dollars ([02:09]).
• Categories Covered: Skincare, makeup, fragrance, and nails, along with viral social media launches and red-carpet picks.
• Inflation Call-Out: Some products just barely fit the “budget” category now ("Revlon ones are $23 at drugstores now" – Jill, [18:39]).
• Inclusivity: Both hosts note a real improvement in offerings for all skin tones and price points.

2. Skincare Innovations Under $30

Bubble Soft Swerve Barrier Restore Balm

• Price: $18.99 USD | $26.99 CAD
• Key Points:
  • Geared originally for Gen Z, but now rebranded as suitable for mature skin as well, with Leighton Meester as the face ([04:45]).
  • Packs plant-based lipids (squalene, shea butter, candelilla wax), glycerin, and magnesium sulfate for winter skin relief.
  • Features a “grinder” packaging innovation for hygienic application:

    “It’s almost like shaving it off… like a pepper grinder, but it comes out the top and it’s a cream.” – Carlene ([06:09])

  • Performance: Rich, non-comedogenic, clear upon absorption, suitable as “ski care” ([07:28]).

Cocokind Milky Soft Face & Body Cleanser

• Price: $18 USD | $22 CAD
• Key Points:
  • Milky gel cleanser, effective as a one-step face and body wash ([11:53]).
  • Large 400ml bottle—unusually generous at this price.
  • Improved formula over similar “milky cleansers” with notable makeup-removing power ([12:56]).

Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum

• Price: $21 USD | $25 CAD
• Key Points:
  • K-beauty hit with real-tech glass skin ingredients: niacinamide, peptides, hyaluronic acid ([13:11]).
  • Not fragrance-free; highly scented.
  • Noted as a dupe for high-end niacinamide serums ([14:06]).

The Ordinary R Lipids + Ectoin Micro Emulsion

• Price: $13 USD | $17.80 CAD
• Key Points:
  • Not a toner, but a milky moisturizer, “thinnest I’ve ever seen…almost like skim milk” – Carlene ([15:27]).
  • Uses “micro fluidization” tech, ideal for oily or acneic skin needing moisture with a matte, soft-focus finish ([16:57]).
  • Contains ectoin – billed as the anti-stress, soothing ingredient of the year:

    “I felt like the side with The Ordinary was more moisturized and less dry in an overnight test—run stars across the board!” – Carlene ([17:49])

3. Makeup: Viral Lips, Blushes & Foundations Under $30

Lip Oil, Balm & Stain Standouts

• Laneige Juice Pop Lip Oil Stain

  • Price: $23 USD | $31 CAD
  • Glossy, juicy tint, K-beauty inspired packaging, lasting power (“the look of glossy tint and it can be done poorly, but they've nailed the pigment/stain ratio” – Jill, [19:27]).
  • Scarce—already selling out three days into launch.

• Revlon Glimmer Lip Treat Balm & Mask

  • Price: $11.99 USD | $14.99 CAD
  • “Desserty” flavors, peptides, squalene; doubles as balm and mask ([22:06]).
  • Used at the 2026 Grammys on Lainey Wilson ([23:15]).
  • Long-lasting, glassy finish, with scent-free and pigmented options.

• Nyx Lip Lingerie Lip Liner Stain

  • Price: $12 USD | $13.99 CAD
  • Pen-style liquid marker for sharp, lasting lip lines, inspired by REM Beauty/Maybelline’s earlier markers ([29:27]).
  • Note: Store “cap down” to prevent drying out ([31:00]).
  • 14-hour claim holds up in testing.

Foundations & Concealers

• Nyx Make Them Wonder 24hr Soft Matte Foundation

  • Price: $16 USD | $18 CAD; 14 shades in Canada, 45 in US ([33:05]).
  • Small squeeze tube, but “a little goes a long way; the spread is incredible” – Jill ([33:14]).
  • Medium-to-full coverage, soft matte finish, “not flat 2016 matte,” includes vitamin C and hyaluronic acid ([34:38]).

• e.l.f. Soft Glam Concealer

  • Price: $5 USD | $6 CAD; 36 shades ([35:41]).
  • Blurred satin finish, “didn’t crease under the eyes—a big win,” and doubles as a redness corrector ([36:39]).
  • Noted as a dupe for Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin concealer ([38:16]).

Trending Blushes

• CoverGirl True Blend Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous Blush

  • Price: $12.99 USD | $14 CAD
  • Large size, baked marbled finish reminiscent of Hourglass. “Very pigmented, run don’t walk everybody”—Jill ([42:53]).
  • Viral shades: Rose Latte (sold out), Strawberry Drizzle (“tiptoeing into that red blush trend” – [42:53]).
  • “No more ‘doesn’t show up’ for drugstore blushes—these are highly inclusive” ([43:15]).

• Essence Soft Touch Bouncy Blush

  • Price: $5.99 USD | $6.99 CAD
  • Dewy powder, Dior Rose Glow vibes, notable pigment, “essentially indistinguishable” from higher-end blush after face test ([46:59]).
  • All shades under $10.

• Maybelline Cloudtopia Cheek & Lip Mousse

  • Price: $9 USD | $13.99 CAD
  • Whipped, airy, tousle-proof mousse, made in Korea – “it’s very clearly, if you can’t beat them, join them [with K-beauty]” – Carlene ([48:55]).
  • Red carpet credit: Worn by Zara Larson at the 2026 Grammys in “Coral Illusion” ([49:26]).

4. Fragrance: Luxe Scents for Less

• Odele Hair & Body Scents
  • Price: $16.99 USD (100ml; at Target)
  • Odell branches from haircare into minimalist hair/body mists, “looks expensive, bit Byredo-ish vibes” ([51:04]).
  • Standout notes: Grapefruit zest, mandarin orange, bergamot, bitter orange peel ([51:55]).
  • “A luxe moment in a Target aisle… these really stood out to me in the mix of everything” – Jill ([52:06]).
  • Clean, 100% natural fragrances, “gorgeous for hair and body” ([53:01]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On budget category scope:

  “Makeup, skincare, fragrance… nothing here is more than $30. Woohoo!” – Jill ([02:09])

• On packaging innovation:

  “It’s almost like shaving [the balm] off… like a pepper grinder, but it’s a cream.” – Carlene ([06:09])

• On inclusivity:

  “People were saying, ‘what has happened to drugstore prices?’ I’m like, we still got Essence. Everything is less than $10.” – Jill ([44:33])

• On red blush virality:

  “The viral shade is Strawberry Drizzle—tiptoeing into that red blush trend Rosemary Swift started with the Victoria’s Secret models.” – Jill ([42:53])

• On innovation pressure:

  “All of these drugstore players are suffering from K-beauty, because that’s where the excitement and the innovation is.” – Carlene ([44:51])

• On fragrance budget luxury:

  “A luxe moment in a Target aisle… these really stood out to me.” – Jill ([52:06]) “They’ve really elevated the game of budget beauty.” – Carlene ([52:38])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:09 – Introduction to the Budget Beauty special (#DamnGood)
• 03:37 – Skincare picks: Bubble Soft Swerve, Cocokind, Medicube, The Ordinary
• 18:10 – Lip products: Laneige, Revlon, Nyx stains
• 33:05 – Foundation/concealer section: Nyx, e.l.f.
• 41:06 – Blush breakdown: CoverGirl, Essence, Maybelline
• 50:24 – Fragrance finds: Odele Hair & Body Scents

Useful for New Listeners

Whether you’re deciding what to snap up on your next Target run, want a red-carpet-approved balm, or are searching for a winter skin fix, this episode offers trusted, up-to-the-minute recommendations from editors with deep insider knowledge.
The hosts keep a conversational, approachable tone—peppered with memes, TikTok references, and candid product test stories—with a focus on finding beauty wins at a realistic price.

Full product lists, discounts, and links are available on their blog and Instagram.