Just 12 supermarket beauty products under $20 that are actual game changers.

Everyone’s budget for skincare, makeup, hair and body care is different, but now more than ever, we’re all looking for bargains.

The good news is (and trust me on this), you can find lots of affordable products that do what they say they will hiding in the beauty aisles of your local supermarket.

So, next time you leave the house to stock up on snacks and toilet paper (while observing social distancing rules), chuck these 12 supermarket beauty products under $20 in your trolley.

WATCH – here’s how you can use leftover coffee grinds as skincare for your face! Post continues after video.

1. Mascara Wands, $12.29.

Yep, we're only one product in and I've already cheated with a chemist buy, but in my defence, everyone needs a mascara wand (also known as a spoolie) in their life.

If you listen to Mamamia's You Beauty podcast, you would've heard Leigh Campbell and I bang on about spoolies over and over again. Makeup artists use these brushes on clients to keep mascaras hygienic, but I use one to brush my eyebrows every single morning because it's the quickest way to make them look 'done' and open up your eye area. I also use them after filling in any gaps in my brows to brush the product through for a natural, seamless finish.

Another spoolie tip: if you've run out of your regular eyebrow gel, you can apply some hair gel on your brows or give your face a decent spritz with setting spray before brushing them into place.

2. MCoBeauty Highlight and Glow Stick in Nectar, $14.

MCoBeauty have a lot of great beauty products (I tried their infamous facial hair razor here), but the Highlight and Glow Stick in the shade Nectar is particularly good if we're talking about simple, time-saving products.

That's because it's a cream highlighter and blush in one you can also use as an eye shadow. Very handy if you'd like to look a bit more alive on a Zoom call.

Swipe this on all of the high points of your face - cheekbones, down the bridge of the nose, cupid's bow and eyebrow bone - for a natural glow. To use as an eye shadow, simply tap the product on your eyelid and set with a translucent powder or similar toned shadow, and dab over the apples of your cheeks for blush.

3. Sun Zapper Zinc, $9.99.

When a member of our You Beauty Facebook group posted about this skin-tone zinc stick, the people went wild.

It's genius because if you get pigmentation or freckling in summer (think brown sun spots on the forehead, under the eyes, over the nose or along the upper lip), you can swipe on a layer of this over the top of your SPF 50+ face sunscreen and makeup for extra protection where you need it.

4. Exfoliating Gloves, $3.80.

Yes, there are plenty of great exfoliating body products out there, but you can't beat a pair of good ol' exfoliating gloves for a simple, cheap and no-mess in-shower scrub.

Remember not to press too hard when rubbing these over scaly, bumpy spots like your legs and the backs of your upper arms, and to hang them up in a dry place between uses.

5. Elastoplast Spray Bandage, $13.99.

Listen up, because this little friend is going to save your feet when we're allowed to leave the house again.

If you're planning on wearing open toe sandals and heels, give your toes a good spray with this invisible band-aid product to avoid getting painful blisters. It's that easy.

Still not convinced? You Beauty co-host Kelly McCarren has done this many a time for weddings and events, but she takes it one step further by applying numbing cream to the soles of her feet for maximum, pain-free dancing.

6. Amolin Baby Nappy Rash Cream, $6.99.

Yes, we're talking about nappy rash cream.

Some people swear by paw paw ointment, but if you find that irritates your skin or just doesn't do the trick, you need to try Amolin.

It's a thick, oil-based nappy rash cream you can slather everywhere. Think: chapped lips, crusty nose, bug bites, cuticles, thigh chafe and other chafes down there. Trust me, it's good.

7. Neat 3B Action Cream, $20.

Speaking of thigh chafe, the day I found out about Neat 3B Action Cream was the day my life changed forever.

Rub a decent amount of this anywhere you experience chafing - inner thighs, bum, where your bra rubs - and it creates a barrier to protect your skin. When I'm wearing it, my thighs glide past one another without any chafing and it's glorious.

Side note - I also really rate Lajoie Skin's Calmmé Anti-Chafe & Soothing Cream, $24.95.

8. Garnier Fructis Nourishing Banana Hair Food, $12.

Now is an excellent time to start using at-home hair masks.

This one from Garnier comes up in the You Beauty Facebook group all the time - switch your regular conditioner with a mask once a week for an extra boost of hydration. You can also use it as a leave-in hair treatment by applying in the shower, then jumping out and wrapping your head in cling wrap. Sounds weird, but you can leave it on like that for hours before rinsing out for soft, silky hair.

Oh, and if banana isn't your jam, Garnier also do masks with papaya, coconut oil and macadamia.

9. Spiral Hair Ties, $6.

I've spoken about my love for spiral hair ties before, but if you haven't already, I urge you to seriously consider picking up a pack of these next time you're wandering the supermarket beauty aisles.

They are far less damaging for your hair, especially if you wear your hair in the same ponytail or bun style every day, because the style and material of the hair ties are designed to minimise hair breakage. They're also a bit easier to keep track of!

10. Chapstick Total Hydration +tint Lip Balm, $8.

Again, I've declared my love for these budget tinted lip balms before but I'll say it again. And again. They're that good.

The Chapstick tinted balms are the perfect middle ground between a lip balm and a lipstick, and they're SO pigmented. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Merlot red wine shade, but this rosy pink shade is perfect if you want to look like you've made an effort in less than 10 seconds.

11. Bondi Sands Gradual Tanning Foam, $19.95.

Frankly, I'm sh*t at fake tan but what puts me off about a lot of gradual tanning lotions is having to rub it in like a regular body moisturiser (which I know I should be doing, but also, don't want to).

This gradual tanning foam is one of the best I've used and feels like a middle ground between full on tanning foams and gradual lotions. It applies clear and sinks in super quickly, and I find the colour payoff after one application is enough for me.

12. Skin Republic Face Masks, from $7.99.

Finally, you can't go past a great, cheap face mask. You can buy Skin Republic sheet masks from chemists and supermarkets, and they're often on sale. I like most sheet masks with hyaluronic acid, which essentially acts as a big drink of water for your skin, but this one won't irritate your skin and actually feels nice and serumy.

Happy shopping!

This post was originally published in December 2019, and has been updated on April 6, 2020.

Do you have a great supermarket beauty buy? Tell us your recommendations in the comments below!