Good healthy skin starts inside and trying to solve skin problems by applying toxic creams and lotions isn't the answer. Almost all prepared skin care creams that do not claim to be natural (and some that do) contain harmful chemicals that are known to lead to disease. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and absorbs whatever you put on it directly into your blood stream. The link that flyingflower posted tells about some of those chemicals. Read the labels on your products to see which poisons are in them. I use organic coconut oil of a high grade (that can also be used in cooking) after a bath or shower as a protective layer for my skin and it's also good to remove makeup. I also use essential oils for skin care. Pay attention to what you eat, especially the oils. Your skin is a reflection of the general state of your health. EVOO, coconut oil, and butter are the healthiest oils to eat. Also lots of fresh vegetables are necessary for good health. I use only organic as I don't want all the noxious chemicals. I take Omega 3 supplements and occasionally flax oil altho I hate the taste. I also take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement to provide what my diet might miss.

I don't know where you live, and be careful about stating cheap and good in the same sentence. Make sure you are not using fragrances made for candles; not body safe.

I also have to be careful with scents. They not only make me have a headache but my eyes itch and sometimes I will break out in hives. From Bath and Body Works, I can use Moonlight Path - a light lavendar scent. I also like White Citrus. Anything like the musk scents (Sensual Amber, even though I like the smell of it) will make my eyes itch with in a few minutes. I recently have been on a search for a new scent in lotion or bath powder since I can't wear the perfumes. I found one I really liked but hubs didn't care for it. It was Cashemere by Donna Karan. I can't describe it but I put some of the lotion on and it didn't bother me in the least bit and the scent lasted. I ended up with the lotion for the fragrance Beautiful since I had worn the perfume years ago when I still could and l liked it. Hubs liked it but not the price! Oh well, it goes under the Christmas tree so it made it happy - less shopping for him on his own. Put some of the ones you think you may like on the little cards they have at the counters and lay them on your dresser. See which ones you can tolerate. As I said, the Moonlight Path at B&BW is the best day to day one for me. The body spray is too much but the lotion is good.

My thought is why? Why do you want to leave your lotion sitting out? I'm not saying you shouldn't - to each their own. I'm just saying rather than find a pretty bottle, I would just put the lotion back in the bathroom (or wherever you keep it). It's just one more thing sitting out. I really don't understand things like lotion, tissues, etc. all over the house. My MIL keeps a box of tissue (at all times) in her kitchen. If I'm home and need a tissue, I go to one of the bathrooms and get a tissue. I use my tissue in the bathroom too. (Maybe TMI, but I think nose-blowing and other such things need to be done in private LOL and definitely not in the kitchen.) But back to your question. Each evening/morning I go through my routine, cleansing, deoderant, teeth brushing, lotion, perfume, whatever it is depending where I am going and what I am doing, but I do that in the bathroom or bedroom and then I put those items away. I do have some foot cream in my bedroom - and as someone else mentioned, that goes into a drawer in my nightstand. To me it is just easier and then I do not have all that "stuff" sitting out.