Ah, Valentine's Day. No one seems to like it, and yet we all wind up participating anyway. For kids, the drama is all about making valentines for all 80 of their elementary school classmates. For grownups, the big stress is finding gifts for our loved ones that don't cost a million dollars or make us look like giant cheapos.
This is why you absolutely cannot go wrong with drugstore makeup. It's cheap, glamorous, and fun. It doesn't cost as much as jewelry and it doesn't fade away like flowers. Heck, it's not even fattening. All in all, it's pretty much the perfect Valentine's Day gift.

1. e.l.f. Essential Silver Box Plumping Lip Gloss Collection

Lip plumpers usually cost about as much as having actual plastic surgery. Which is why this set of three plumping lip glosses is so amazing. It costs just $3 and comes in a sparkly silver box, which saves you the effort of wrapping things. So if you need a last-minute gift for not much money, this is a good bet.More »

2. Stila Lip Glaze Trio

Stila products usually don't make my lists. Don't get me wrong, it's an awesome brand, and as soon as Iwin the lottery, it'll be all Stila, all the time at my house. (Well, OK. It'll be a lot of Stila, a lot of the time. It's hard to remain faithful to just one brand, when there are so many awesome products out there.)

My point is that Stila stuff is great, but usually super expensive. Every so often, however, they come out with a gift set that meets my cheapo -- er, frugal person -- standards, and I indulge. This lip glaze trio is one of those rare, relatively inexpensive Stila products. You can buy this online for around $12.More »

3. Red Rose Shaped Scented Rose Petals

My favorite thing about these soaps is the packaging. It looks exactly like those heart-shaped boxes of candies we used to buy for our crushes in school. (Side note: Do kids still do this? Or do they buy heart-shaped apps for each other at the app store or something like that?) Anyway, this is cute and very Valentines-y. My only word of caution is that if you buy this, you should probably buy some candy, too. Because if your sweetheart sees this box, she or he will definitely be expecting sweets.More »

4. e.l.f. Studio Silver Box 144-Piece Ultimate Eyeshadow Palette

The best presents are the ones that we'd never get for ourselves. Most of my makeup loving friends admit that they've always wanted one of those giant, fishing-tackle sized boxes of eyeshadows. Unfortunately, those things usually cost about as much as a car payment, and are significantly lower on most adults' priority lists. Which is what makes this 144-piece eyeshadow palette such a great gift. It's a thing that most of us have always secretly wanted, and it's cheap: $15 right now, down from $30.More »

5. Burt's Bees Bee Pampered Spa Set

Valentine's Day hits right in the middle of winter, when most of us would cheerfully trade our skin for a rhinoceros hide -- you know, something softer and less leathery looking. Sugar scrubs and body butters help soften up our dry winter skin. Burt's Bees makes some of the best stuff in the business. This set comes in cranberry and pomegranate and costs under $25.More »

6. Philosophy Candy Hearts Gift Set

I always have to remind myself that you can't eat Philosophy products. Most of them smell like birthday cake to me. So this shampoo and body wash gift set, which is actually supposed to smell like candy, might actually cause the planet to implode with sweetness. Anyway, it's a cute, pink, candy-like gift that won't rot your teeth. $25.More »