Help me switch to cheaper make up brands

[Mrsbigroundbottom]

I will soon be leaving my well paid job and taking quite a big paycut in order to get a bit of a work/life balance.. I'm fine with adjusting my spending in all areas apart from make up! I've always bought expensive brands and I'm panicking now as my masacara is about to run out - I can't justify spending £30 on a new one... maybe more like £5-8!

Is this possible? Can anyone reccomend any REALLY good, cheaper products?

I currently use:
Laura Mercier Cream foundation
Diorshow mascara
Guerlain kohl eyeliner
Chanel liquid eyeliner
Dior blusher
MAC lipstick
Various 100s of MAC and Chanel eyeshadows

Also if any of you can wean me off of my Clarins skincare habit I'd be greatful!

Thanks, I don't want to revisit the cakey, smudgey, fading days of my youth

The lady who did my make up for a friend's wedding said that it's all about the purfume they put in it which makes it appear more luxurious.

She had a case load of Bobby Brown, Laura Mercier and MAC though!

The Aldi concealer is very good. I am using their foundation too, not sure about smell but gives lovely smooth finish. I also use their facial wash and moisturisers which are excellent. Rimmel 'day-to-night' mascara is great and not to £££.

I'm using the Aldi moisturisers and the lidl perfume and I'm loving both :)

Def sleek for eyeshadows
Maybelline mascara is good and their gel liner is a match for MAC plus it comes with brush
Concealer under eyes - I use collection 2000 illuminating one
Brow pencil - asda is fab especially the blonde, no red tones in it
Currently using almay nearly naked foundation very glowy and lovely, £3 off my local market
Asda also do a copy of benefit high beam and bobbi brown shimmer brick
Barry M dusts with a primer under can be lovely for night
I would spend money on Urban Decay potion primer as it lasts months and makes any shadow stay on and look more pigmented

I have completely switched to cheap foundation - Bourjouis Healthy Mix Serum is amazing.

Personally, I spend on facial skincare stuff (especially sunscreen and moisturiser, and cleanser) and then try to save on make up, as i'd much rather look after my skin than anything else. For cleanser, I use the Eve Lom as I have NEVER managed to find anything as good. It's crazy expensive (£30), but lasts 6 months, so works out about £5 a month. Then decleor neroli oil (as there's so much central heating which dries out skin) and nuxe moisturiser. Then, you need less foundation (as your skin's in good condition), concealer etc.

I find that the MAC eyeshadows etc. last for ages and ages, so you may not even need to replace them anytime soon. For blush, bourgeois is very good, well pigmented, and for mascara Maybelline is great and is around £5. I honestly don't find much difference between it and things like Lancome or Guerlain.

Have you tried the 'wrap london' site they had some nice Ling skirts in the sale section might be worth a look.

Oops sorry wrong tread. !!!

Tesco Barbara Daly is cheap and good for powder and mascara x

I don't think anyone has mentioned Avon yet. I've yet to buy something I haven't used til it's finished. Their Anew range is good for skincare although I am terrible and forget to use it and will turn into a wrinkled old hag

In my make up bag just now I use:
Avon Glimmerstick eyeliner/kohl thingy
Avon blusher
Revlon foundation bought from the outlet, mucho cheapness!
Revlon loose powder see above
Mabeline mascara (yellow chunky one)
Avon nude lipstick
Rimmel bronzer

I also have loads of eyeshadows in bug pallets from Virgin Vie and Ruby and Millie I got for Christmas a couple of years ago, but have every colour I could ever want!

Aldi does a really really lovely moisturiser too. Smells wonderfully of roses and is rich and creamy.

I'd been spending funny money on face cream until I found this for £1.99 a pop.

I second Sleek eyeshadow, huge range of colours and very pigmented, they even have their own Urban Decay Naked stylee selection - I have about 5 of their palettes. In fact Superdrug was a bit of a revelation altogether, I bought an excellent Collection 2000 under eye concealer which is on a par with my Mac Moisture Cover.

Tesco's Barbara Daly range has some real gems, I like her illuminator and I also have a very pretty opalescent grey eyeshadow pen which I love.
Another second for Bourjois mascara - I'm a recent convert, it used to be Lancôme and Diorshow all the way, now I prefer my Fast and Perfect.

And Avon Supershock gel eyeliner is completely brilliant.

I use the maybeline waterproof mascara which is pretty good. I like thier dream matte mousse too, it's great when you need to put your face on quickly. The rest I use is UD, it's not cheap but a little goes a very long way as they are very very pigmented, dp has bought me a few of thier book of shadows and smaller shadow sets and I've used them loads but they barely look touched.

Sleek eyeshadow palettes, definitely.

Old Mac eyeshadows that were too dark make great eyeliner - just invest in a decent eyeliner brush. Dry for a smoky line, damp brush for a clean one. You can do the same with the dark colours in the sleek palettes.

Mineral foundations last forever.

I like UNE tinted lip balm thing (can't remember the full name).

Liz Earle I love for cleanse and polish, toner (if you use it) and eye products. Don't get on with the moisturiser personally.

Avon do some pretty good mascara, as do Maybelline.

I normally use Illamasqua and MAC but recently found witch hazel make up in tesco, it's tinted moisturiser and face powder but it's amazing, £5 each and 3 for 2.
It covers everything!

I use Body Shop foundations and concealer pencil and I love them. Also, if you buy a loyalty card in there for £3 you get 10% discount on every shop and free vouchers every 4th purchase, it works out well.

You could try getting this months Elle magazine which has a full size SOap and GLory mascara and money off coupon for soap and glory makeup when you spenf ten pound. I second the Bourjois rec. The packaging is pretty and the products I have tried have been good.

Ooh I love this thread!

I have always bought the best I can afford which isnt much not admiitedly! The 1 product I wouldnt buy that cheaply is foundation, I was a Clinique addict but now have down sized a bit to Revlon - mid range I think their colourstay foundation is great and about £12.

Mascara - I second Maybeline and have noticed a few people saying big yellow one - thats the 1 I use, its called The Collosal Volume Express - cats Eyes - and its the best Ive used!!

Bourjois, Loreal and BarryM for eyeshadows. Bourjois did a fantastic pink shimmery liquid type eyeshadow which seems to be discontinued - I need some more!!!

Avon - great for their glimmersticks eyeliner and eyebrow pencil and mineral foindation which I use on my nose as it really disguises my pores.

Love the thread - wanted to add www.cheapsmells.co.uk can be great for a bargain if you know what you want

oooh sorry .com not .co.uk

Really do not like Maybelline mascara. Tried it more than once based on recommendations.

I think Bourjois is/was made by same people as Chanel? Perhaps someone can enlighten if true or urban myth?

Love the thread!

I like Loreal Infallible for Foundation - its nearly as good as Doublewear for about 1/3 of the price.

Would second recommendations for No7 - apart from the nail polishes (try Topshop for cheap and cheerful up to the minute shades) I'm always really happy with anything from there (mascara, blusher, powder, eyeliners, eyebrow pencil).

I wouldn't recommend Simple moisturiser - wasn't that impressed tbh.

Carmex for lips is super - and only about £2.

Max Factor mascara - Masterpiece or 2000 Calorie are both really good

I use Max Factor Lasting Performance foundation but keep hearing good things about the Bourjois Healthy Mix one so thats next on my list to try.

Rimmel Kohl Pencils

Maybelline Liner Express liquid eyeliner is the best I've tried.

Bourjois Eyeshadow

L'Oreal for Lipsticks

I hate cheap skincare products usually but Rimmel wake me up foundation is surprisingly good.

I like l'oreal mascaras, and superdrug has some amazing brands with fantastic cheap nail varnish which seem to me as good as any of the expensive ones (except Chanel but that's in a league of its own) here www.superdrug.com/browse/mu-nails

And body shop eyeliners