Supermarket beauty buys worth adding to your trolley

The Beauty Shelf with Emily Darlow

Beauty has become expensive. Really expensive. A moisturiser can now cost more than a weekly grocery shop and a “simple” skincare routine somehow ends up involving six serums, three actives and a small personal loan.

At the same time, plenty of us are looking at rising power bills, insurance hikes and the general cost of living and thinking perhaps the $140 overnight cream can wait. The good news is supermarket beauty has quietly become very good. Not “good for the price” good. Actually good.

Many of the brands lining supermarket shelves now use ingredients once reserved for prestige skincare and salon haircare, including peptides, glycolic acid, ceramides and advanced sunscreen filters. There are also a few products that have developed cult followings because they perform far beyond their price tag.

These are the supermarket beauty finds that genuinely deserve the hype.

MCoBeauty XtendLash Mascara
Price: $28
Buy it here

If there is one beauty product that instantly makes you look more awake, polished and put together, it is mascara. Even on days when you cannot be bothered with foundation or lipstick, adding mascara somehow makes it look like effort was involved. This one has become a genuine cult favourite for good reason. It is a tubular mascara, which means it wraps tiny tubes around each lash instead of coating them in traditional waxy pigment. The result is length, definition and surprisingly little smudging throughout the day. The best part is removal. Instead of aggressive rubbing or waterproof makeup remover, the tubes slide off with warm water. For mature eyes, sensitive eyes or anyone tired of scrubbing mascara into fine lines, that alone makes it worth buying. It also gives a softer, fluttery lash look rather than heavy, clumpy volume.

L’Oréal Elvive Glycolic Gloss Leave-In Serum
Price: $30
Buy it here

Hair tends to become drier, duller and more fragile as we age, particularly if it has been coloured for years. Glossing products have exploded in popularity recently because they help restore shine without needing a salon visit. This leave-in serum uses glycolic acid, an ingredient more commonly associated with skincare, to smooth the hair cuticle and create that reflective, glossy finish. It helps reduce frizz and gives hair a sleeker appearance without making it feel heavy or greasy. It is particularly good for dry ends or hair that looks a little tired between colour appointments. Used sparingly through damp hair, it gives that expensive “healthy hair” look without needing a full styling session.

Cetaphil Hydrating Night Cream
Price: $23
Buy it here

Night creams do not need to sting, peel or promise dramatic overnight transformations to be effective. Sometimes skin simply needs hydration and barrier support, especially during cooler months when mature skin can feel dry, tight and irritated. Cetaphil has built its reputation around gentle skincare and this night cream is excellent for sensitive or easily reactive skin. It contains hyaluronic acid to draw moisture into the skin and works well layered over serums or on its own. The texture feels rich without becoming greasy and it leaves skin softer by morning rather than coated in residue. If stronger active ingredients have left your skin feeling overwhelmed, this is the sort of reliable, calming product worth keeping on hand.

Hamilton Everyday Face Invisible Sunscreen SPF50+
Price: $17
Buy it here

Australian sunscreen standards are among the toughest in the world, which means there are some excellent affordable options available without stepping into luxury skincare territory. This sunscreen has developed a loyal following because it feels far more elegant than its price suggests. It is lightweight, invisible on the skin and sits comfortably under makeup without pilling or leaving that thick, greasy finish many older sunscreens are known for. Daily sunscreen becomes even more important as skin matures because cumulative sun exposure contributes heavily to pigmentation, fine lines and loss of elasticity. A sunscreen you actually enjoy wearing every day is far more valuable than an expensive one left sitting in the bathroom cupboard.

Lacura Caviar Illumination Day Cream
Price: $19.99
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ALDI beauty launches have become something of a phenomenon, with many products selling out almost immediately thanks to their reputation for delivering luxury-inspired formulas at supermarket prices. This moisturiser is designed to give skin a more radiant, plumped appearance and feels far more expensive than its under-$20 price point suggests. The texture is rich and comforting, making it particularly nice for dry or mature skin that needs extra nourishment during winter. While no cream is going to erase wrinkles overnight, this does give skin a healthier, more luminous finish that sits beautifully under makeup. It is the kind of product that makes skin look fresher and more rested, which is often exactly what we are chasing in the first place.

Olay Regenerist Collagen Peptide 24 MAX Night Moisturiser
Price: $70
Buy it here

Yes, $70 still feels expensive for supermarket skincare, but compared with prestige peptide creams that easily creep past the $150 mark, this sits in a much more accessible category. Peptides have become one of the most talked about skincare ingredients because they help support collagen production and improve skin firmness over time. Mature skin naturally produces less collagen as we age, which contributes to sagging and fine lines. This cream combines peptides with deeply hydrating ingredients and has a thick, cushioning texture that feels particularly comforting overnight. Skin looks smoother and more hydrated by morning and with consistent use many people notice improved softness and bounce. It is a strong example of how supermarket skincare has evolved well beyond basic cleansers and cold creams.

Sometimes beauty is not about chasing perfection or owning the most expensive products on the shelf. Sometimes it is simply about finding affordable little things that make you feel fresher, brighter and more like yourself. And increasingly, those products are sitting right next to the breakfast cereal and dishwasher tablets.