Here are some good and not so good make up things I've bought recently

[Sparkletastic]

Good:
Benefit They're Real mascara - really ace brush, smooth and sleek mascara, no clumping
Benefit Browzings - wax and powder kit - soooo much better than eyebrow pencils
Benefit Realness of Concealness kit - not convinced on Lemonaid eye primer thingy but the rest is good
Bobbi Brown foundation stick - you think it will be hard to blend but it isnt at all and makes my knackered 40 year old skin look almost dewy (almost......)
Bobbi Brown creamy lip colour in Brown Sugar - good browny pink with long- lasting glossy finish
L'Oreal colour riche lipstick in Tafetta - got for a couple of quid off some website and it is the flattering neutral I've been looking for all my life

Not so good:

Bobbi Brown long-wear cream shadow in Sand Dollar - too dark for the all-over eye colour I wanted and quite hard to use if you have finger nails due to small pot.
Maybelline eye studio Lasting Drama gel liner - doesn't stay put and I always get a panda ring on upper eye are

Now you.....

Righto - going to try NYC powder for cheap thrills and then get the MAC one next time I venture To The City...

And yes to whoever said Swarovski Aura - have a tester for that and it is lovely - packs a punch but quite complex. I got a cheapy Curve Chill by Liz Claiborne off Amazon the other day - nice if you like the white tea type smells but no staying power whatsoever so needs liberal application a few times a day.

Surprisingly good:

MyFace mascara - smallish brush is really effective at lengthening/thickening lashes, and it was 1/3 off at Boots, so less than my usual Max Factor False Lash Effect. As I was buying it, the No7 lady tried to persuade me to buy a No7 mascara instead, and that made my mind up. (Have never had a good No7 mascara, and assume no one else has, hence their free eyeshadow quad offer.)

Disappointingly average:

Soap & Glory Show Good Faith foundation/primer - it's OK but a bit glittery in some lights.

Good:

moroccanoil
oil cleansing method
L'Occitane 100% Shea Butter tubs (have them everywhere)
Elnett hairspray - never bettered
LilyLolo foundation
Bobbi Brown cheek stick in Coral
OPI nail varnish

Bad:

Waitrose BBB (too greasy)
Ojon shampoo/conditioner (made hair heavy)
Ojon spray (deeeesgusting smell)
No7 nail polish

Good;

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
No7 airbrush primer
No7 lip pencil in Nude
No 7 illuminator

Not worth the money;

BB concealer (too dry)

benefit shit imo

you ALL need to buy the £££££ Rapdilash serum for the most amazing long natural eyelashes

am amazed

Good:
Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Cream Conditioner, brilliant for my frizz
Nyx blusher in Tickled, cheap imitation of Nars Orgasm and looks great, a peachy shimmer
L'Oreal Hip metallic purple eyeliner?it looks like a sort of subtle black on. Goes on really easily but stays put
Prada cologne, my favourite ever
Garnier under-eye roller thing, feels cold and refreshing when you put it on though not sure if it does more than that. I like rolling it though

Dubious:
Mac Strobe cream, not sure it makes any difference to anything except may clog pores
Estee Lauder Doublewear Light Foundation I got after people here raved about it but it's too thick for me and I have a horrible feeling the one I was sold is too pale for me

Bad:
Nyx pencil eyeliner?too hard
Tresemme Naturals conditioner: too watery, does absolutely nothing for my hair despite great reviews

Lesser. Is it the mans prada ? I like that

No, it's a woody oriental which is more subtle than most and I can't resist using it every day.

Good
Bumble and bumble straight and grooming cream. Both very good at what they do
By Terry powder compact - good coverage, somehow both glowy and mattifying
Clarins orange one step cleanser - this is more a rediscovery - love it, esp on currently mad post pregnancy skin

Meh
Lancôme hypnose mascara (disclaimer: I am a mascara philistine and rarely find one I like)

Nothing I hate recently.

Re red lipsticks, I can't rave enough about Chanel rouge coco shine in monte Carlo, brilliant sheer red (and the more pigmented original rouge coco reds are also fab - feel amazing, last well given how light they are)

lesser where do you get NYX from? I've not seen it?

Good : Avon perfume, lasts all day, smells fab.
Bad : Estée Lauder double wear concealer, off in minutes, does not stay put all day. Crap.

I'm not in the UK. But you can buy online from www.nyxcosmetics.co.uk, and there are lots of reviews, colour swatches, and comparisons with Mac and other products that Nyx duplicates, etc on blogs.

Good
Boujois feutre eyeliner
Soap and glory mother plumper
Different grape clinique lipstick

Bad
Maybelline mascara used to be excellent now smudge like a bastard

yeah, NYX is a really good budget brand. I've got a few bits and really like them all. They do a great palette which is a dupe for the Nars Naked palette. If you google it, there's a couple of online UK shops that sell the brand.