I think it's fair to say, the majority of us don't have hundreds of pounds to throw away on high end makeup every month, I know I don't. Yes I like to splash out every now and then but it's not a regular occurrence. One thing as a beauty blogger that I have made as a goal, is to find high quality high street products which are as good, if not better, than their high end counterparts. So, without further ado here are my top budget makeup picks.
Elf Powder brush
You can pick this up on the
Elf website for £3.75*, very soft synthetic bristles with a flat top, perfect for applying powder, works great on blusher too :) It has a rubberised grippy handle too and can be used on wet or dry products.
Bourjois healthy mix serum
You can pick this up for about £10.99 from Boots and Superdrug. As much as it may not be my 'go-to' foundation, especially since I have the Dior BB Cream in my life (yes, not exactly fitting for a high street post!), but this is a really decent foundation. Hands down better than the Revlon Nearly Naked which I really didn't like. If you keep your eyes peeled you could pick this up on a 3 for 2 offer.
Collection lasting perfection concealer
Hands down one of the best concealers out there, regardless of high end / high street, it's just brilliant. It's a heavyweight concealer that sets beautifully and lasts really well. The best bit, it's only around £5 in Boots/Superdrug :)
Maybelline the Rocket volum mascara
If you're in the UK (like me) you'll know it's virtually impossible to get our mitts on the iconic Covergirl lash blast mascara, however, this little beauty from Maybelline is practically the same! The wand is almost identical, the formula very similar and the look it gives your lashes is pretty much identical. The non waterproof version is pretty much as tough to get off your lashes as waterproof mascara, so make sure you have some good makeup remover to hand :) This you can pick up from Boots / Superdrug for about £7.99.
Elf lipstick
The photo really doesn't pick up the colour very well, it's actually a very bright lipstick. The packaging may not feel really high quality, but hey, you can twist the lipstick up and down and that's all that really matters :) The formulation is good, I'd describe it as a semi-matte finish. Pigmentation is great as is staying power, and for £1.50* it's hard to go wrong :) You can pick them up on the
elf website.
Maybelline colour tattoo
If you can't afford the Urban Decay primer potion (or even if you already have it), or if you have really oily and hooded lids like me then you'll love this for making your eye shadow last much longer and stay put. I use this on top of my primer, then add shadow on top - I'll get a good 12 hours out of my shadow before it's all creased - which is about double the time of just primer. Depending on the shade you get it can also add intensity to the shadow and give it a whole different look. You can pick them up in Boots / Superdrug for about £4.99 - and they last ages!
MUA Undressed palette
Not everyone can afford the Urban Decay naked palette and if you're one of them, this little beauty is only £4 and is a great quality. I won't like, the naked palette is better, but not by a whole lot. The shades are near identical just not quite as finely milled, and there's a bit more fallout with these, but for £4 it's hard to argue which one is better value. You can find this in Superdrug and on the
MUA website.
Rimmel scandaleyes kohl kajal liner
This has become a bit of a go to product for me over recent weeks. The shade nude does a great job of brightening up the waterline and opening up the eyes. And because it's a nude shade you don't get that gathering of icky goo in the corners of your eyes, result! You can pick this up in Boots / Superdrug for about £3.99.
FashionistA blush palette
When I heard MUA had bought FashionistA and was selling them at less than half price, I had to jump on that bandwagon! I'll be doing a full review of this palette (which cost £9!!!) sometime soon. These blushers are amazing quality, all very pigmented and with different finishes, some glittery, some matte and some satin, but they're all great and only cost £1.65 on the MUA website. This is a brilliant way to build up a nice selection of blushers for a great price which can be done
here.
So there you have it, my budget makeup picks for the moment. I also have a couple of tips stuffed up my sleeve to share with you too:
- Make TKMaxx your friend, they often have NYX & Physicians Formula products in for really good prices, and they're products which we can't really get very easily over here, especially the latter.
- Only buy makeup when there's an offer on. A massive % of the time both Boots & Superdrug have 3 for 2 offers on, that's the time to write down what you want and make your purchase!
- Search on Twitter for blogsales, often you'll find beauty bloggers selling off lots of their collections for great prices - quite often you'll be able to pick up a brand new item, sometimes I'll have been used a little or just swatched for a photograph.
- Make sure to check blogs for reviews of products you're thinking of buying, we may just be able to save you from buying something you'll hate :)
