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

NO7 especially when they have the £5 off voucher or Avon.

I do think the more expensive mascaras are worth paying for though.

ive switched to soap and glory cleanser and moisturiser and its been great, just as good as clarins or chanel. I couldnt get to boots this week and needed more night cream and eye gel, i picked up dirty works stuff in sainsburys. seems very good too. On special offer at the moment as well.
superdrug do some very cheap make up brands that are quite good, MUA most products about £1, they get great reviews on beauty blogs.

i much prefer the garnier roll on under eye concealer and the caffeine one to touche eclat. touche eclat is a high lighter and highlights my bags and wrinkles!

oh and a great mascara i picked up on my way into work as hadnt had time to put make up on and forgot my make up bag, Collection 2000 big fake. I used to kid myself i couldnt wear cheap brands but i can't tell the difference, have to admit to keeping a chanel lipgloss or lipstick in my collection for in my handbag especially on nights out

Another vote for Rimmel Kohl pencils
Another who doesn't like Maybelline mascara.

Soap and Glory "Marvelips" is £8 but lasts for quite a long time and is fab. (Thanks warmandwoolly for the tip about Elle magazine).

My budget facewash is a bar of Lush "Honey I Washed the Kids" soap. I think it's probably not designed for face (and I have sensitive skin) but I used it by mistake when I was hungover tired and my skin was amazing afterwards.

Another one here for Soap & Glory mascara - it's not cheapest (£10) but it's good sized tube and is similar to the Benefit BadGirlLash mascara and as OP's have mentioned there is often a 3 for 2 offer on S&G at Boots. S&G eye shadow palettes are quite good too.

Aldi Q10 daycream - cheap as chips. Have been using it for years and highly recommend. Their facewipes are pretty good too and 79p a bit of a bargain!

I'm amused at Urban Decay and No7 being 'cheap' - UD eyeshadows cost as much as MAC ones (though imo are better). I can tell some of you have never had to squeeze the pennies...or at least need to tell me where you're buying your Urban Decay

If you live anywhere near the west London Westfield, I'd recommend trying Inglot. What you want are the 'freedom system' shadows which are about £4.50 each and VERY pigmented. These do not come in little pots, you need to buy a palette OR I would recommend buying a Yaby freestyle palette or a UNII palette to pop them in. Not sure about their other products, but I picked up a grey shadow there that's virtually the same as a NARS one I have.

I also like Organic Surge skincare, though I'm too scared to try the higher end stuff in case I wind up with a £30 lipbalm habit.

Oh, I have a Bourjois mascara with a kind of black tip on the end of the tube - not sure of the name - anyway, it was free with something else and it's actually really good. Much better than the £25 one I was using before (albeit got free)

No 7 is lovely and Boots often do £5 off vouchers.

M&S make up is (apparently) manufactured alongside Chanel and is (apparently) of similar quality - I haven't noticed much of a difference so there may be some truth in this!

Maybelline good for foundation.

Liz Earle isn't hugely expensive and is really loved - also The Sanctuary range is gorgeous!

Google "make up and macaroons". Addictive blog about make up. Bought heaps of infallible eyeshadows on her recommendation, and they are awesome!

Mippy - I agree about UD, it's quite pricey. No. 7 you can often get pretty cheaply though because of all the 3 for 2 offers and the like, some of which you can often combine with a £5 free voucher. It's getting to be one of those brands which I don't consider unless there's an offer...

Ebay.

Try out the colours etc you like in the shop, then see if you can find it shoplifted cheaper on Ebay.

Ooh astronaut You've given me another option - shoplifting

Boots natural collection mascara is £1.99

I just switched on a mn recommendation and it is great!

Oil cleansing is amazing. I alternate with simple face wash for speed when needed.

So for the Clarins alternatives I haven't really found a day moisturiser I like that is fluid non cloggy and has an spf so I have to say at the moment I have gone back to multi- active day.... I have ditched serum and night cream in favour of oil cleansing method then rosehip oil (or superdrug vitamin e oil) and garnier synergie night cream (i find garnier synergie too much as a day cream- did like their youthfull radiance day cream but they don't have one with spf...)

What is this oil cleansing method?

I use
Neutrogina moisturiser
Nivea bog standard night time moisturiser- its fantastic if you have dry skin
No. 7 lift and luminate foundation
No.7 tinted moisturiser
Avon lip sticks or No.7
Lancome (or Avon mascara) as I am allergic to lots of mascara but you can get it much cheaper on the net
I have spent a fortune in the past 20 years on expensive moisturisers and foundations and I have never found price equated to quality. I have drawers full of Clarins, Clinique, YSL, Lancome, Chanel and yet I always end up using cheaper stuff. The only expensive thing that I think is worth it is the YSL touch eclat - the others don't come near it. The Boots stuff used to be good but they changed it.

agree with the natural collection waterproof mascara - i've been using it for years - it's really cheap and comes up well in ratings in boots online reviews

No 7 eye pencils (they go on without dragging and don't shift once on)
Max Factor Masterpiece mascara (buy when have £5 Boots voucher)
Bourjois or Rimmel liquid liner
Tesco Skin Wisdom or Superdrug Vit E moisturiser (has SPF 15 in it)

I don't use foundation, lippy, blusher or eyeshadow. And my make up lasts ages, so surely what you already have wil keep you going for a while?!

I used to work for Boots and was told that all their make up comes off the same production line and only differs in packaging. So No 17 = Natural Collection = No 7.

Boot Natural Collection blushers are pretty decent for 1.99.

Revlon nail varnish v good, especially the grey and nude shades.
Urban Decay eyeshadows aren't cheap but they are excellent (and agree better than Mac) and last for ages.
Une balm stuff is about 8 pounds and really lovely - am going to try one of their 'proper' lipsticks next.
Max Factor do reasonable foundations but I must admit that I am now a Bare Minerals convert (and where can I get THAT cheap then please folks?!).

Also - does anybody know a decent Benetint rip-off?

Oil cleansing, basically you use a mixture of olive oil, or sunflower or rice bran oil etc, with small amount of castor oil.

Rub on face, even over make up, massage, put hot wrung out flannel or muslin over face and steam. Wipe oil gently away and repeat about 4 times.

Rinse with cold water to close pores.

No need for moisturiser, perhaps use a little dab of oil mix if dry.

There are whole threads that can explain it better than I can!

I used to use Clarins oil cleanser for about £18. This is essentially the same...only better!

Remus - I haven't tried it, but people I know rate the Superdrug 2True tint. It's £1.99 so probably worth a go?

A really fantastic budget brand is NYX. I think you can only buy it online in this country, but I have a few things and can't fault any of it. I have eye pencils, blusher and an eyeshadow palette which is comparable to Urban Decay's Naked palette. All really great.

ELF cosmetics are fab too.