Budget make up

[TheOriginalMessyBun]

Hi,

Please could you help me with my search for budget everyday make up products?
I have very little money at the moment and well, very little life, however, I would like to look reasonably decent when I venture outside the house with the DC.
With the little money I have, I would like to get my face sorted each morning and look alive/awake: tinted moisturiser, mascara, eye brow product, blusher...
So far I've thought of getting The Ordinary Serum foundation. I haven't used it but can't think of any tinted moisturiser type that would deliver for that amount of money. I have tried Aldi BB cream (does nothing), Nivea (was orange on me), Bourjois Healthy Mix (cakey).
For mascara I've been using Maybelline Great Lash waterproof, which has been ok, but if anyone can recommend an even better, similar priced one that would be great!
Biggest question mark is the brow product. My eye brows are sparse and I would love them to be 'natural' but more bushy. I've tried eye brow pencils but they all look reddish brown on me (I'm mousy brown a cool brunette! ). Is there one that is good but not too expensive and would make my brows nice n' bushy?
Lastly, a good non glittery blusher may be necessary to achieve the alive/awake look.
Do you think it is possible to find all products and spend say, a fiver or so each? I will be grateful for your advice!

For brows try the NYX micro brow pencil in ash brown - It’s much cooler toned than most cheap brow products. Glossier ‘boy brow’ is also really nice for fullness but a little more expensive.
Sleek are good for budget blush and I like the ELF blush bronze duo too.

I tried the ordinary serum foundation and didn’t like it personally but know lots of people do, I just found it still looked obvious on my skin. I’ve never really found a budget foundation or tinted moisturiser I love, it’s usually the area i tend to spend more (love bare minerals tinted moisturiser).

Please try Kiko for blusher, a lot of products are very cheap but really good. I work for a high end makeup brand but prefer a lot of kiko. Lipsticks £3.90, blushers about £5, eyeshadows from £2.50. I also second NYX for brow pencils.

MUA from Superdrug. I've used most brands (wasted a fortune) and most of the products are just as good. I use the blusher, mascara, lip glosses and pressed powder as well as a primer and concealer set. All are really good and so cheap

i second mua. primark make up is also very good for the price.

I've been using Avon cream to powder foundation - it's very light, looks great and cost £6!

IMO Primark foundation is as good as if not better than double wear and only £5 a bottle! However, I recently bought the Revlon Photo Ready primer and it's so good I wear it just on its own regularly. Makes my skin look so smooth and poreless. Essence mascaras (wilko) are about £3 and brilliant. All the brow kits I bought were too warm toned for me so now I use a cool brown eyeshadow and a small angled brush. Revolution and MUA are good for blush. Bourjois are nice too and they smell lovely.

Wilkinson Essence stuff is so so cheap and amazing quality for the price. Love the eyeliners, nail varnish, lipsticks and blusher and plan on trying out more of the range because it’s such great value.

For foundation, I like No.7 ones. Mascara, I like Soap and Glory, although I very rarely wear it as I have dark, thick lashes anyway and I usually wear glasses and find when I wear mascara my eyelashes feel uncomfy against the glasses. Blusher - I'm currently using No.7 and it's a stick, it's ok but I wouldn't buy it again, it doesn't blend very well and the colour seems to be either non-existent or too much all the time . I used to use Sleek powder blush and really liked that. Unsure about eye brow products as I have very dark, thick ones, which equally require a lot of expensive maintenance...

Revolution do some good blusher palettes. Or Boots Natural Collection do some good single ones.

MUA do some good products called Pixel - blushers, highlighters etc.

Primark do surprisingly good lipsticks and nail polish, about a pound each.

Bourjois Radiance Reveal concealer, or Maybelline Age Erase one are both good.

W7 palettes are great for eyeshadow and around £4
Avon teenage foundation not bad and sometimes on offer for buttons

I am also a cool toned brunette. For brows I really like a product from Makeup Revolution (=superdrug) that has 3 eyeshadows and a wax in a palette. You mix the eyeshadow with the wax and you draw it on with a brush (included in the kit). The kit comes in 2 shades, light and dark and costs £2.
Even though I am quite dark the darker eyeshadow from the ‘light’ kit suits me best.
For mascara I swear by max factor false lash but I must warn you, its not a natural look!

Bourjois for blusher. A little more expensive than some other brands, but mine literally lasts a couple of years and they have so many colours. I also use their volume glamour ultra black mascara. I've tried others and keep coming back, it's definitely the best for my lashes

Try this for eyeliner. It is liquid eyeliner and a softer eyeliner pen in one: Gleader Leopard Shell Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner Make up + Free Eyeliner Pen

It costs £1.07. I bought one for my home and one to keep in the office.

Wilkinson's essence mascara (I like the black tube with green writing) is very good , it's just as good as my benefit one.

I agree with the above that Superdrug MUA is good budget make up. Superdrug definitely for brows anyway, they had a huge choice in our largish one nearby. Body Shop when they have offers (nearly always) have some good tinted moisturiser and blushers.

I love kiko too Good make up at a good price. Sadly a lot of beaches have shut now. They have an online store but that’s an issue if you do t know yr shades

Wilkinson also do a good cheap range.

I had a Revlon photo ready foundation that I loved, does anyone know where to get it now?

I'm like a one woman lily lolo advertising machine.

Eye shadows aren't the cheapest but last for ages. Wet the brush and you can turn into an eyeliner. Foundation is great and good value. Ditto blusher which lasts forever

I've bought quite a few thing things from E.L.F in the past and thought they were great. I'm still using their Lock On Liner and Brow Cream (bought over 1yr ago) to fill in my brows and they do look natural. The prices are brilliant!

Wow, so many suggestions, thank you all!
I've had a quick look, but need to do more serious research to find the right products. MUA and e.l.f for example look so great overall, I could imagine spending a small fortune on them!
I previously tried to find the Essence Make me brow, as it's supposed to be a dupe of the Benefit one I think, but could not find it in our local Wilko.
Lots of great suggestions, thank you again!

I have noticed a few of the Kiko branches have shut but they seemed to open them all very fast, so not entirely surprised. Their nail polishes are good.

Anyone rate Hema make up?

Pure Magic Minerals powder foundation is great and very cheap. I would also recommend Primark's waterproof mascara.

I use the revolution stick foundations, they are amazing, you can wear it sheer, or build it up for a fuller coverage. I used to use the Anastasia Beverley Hills dip brow for my eyebrows but recently bought the Revolution one and it's a good dupe. When buying stuff for your brown look for 'ash brown', they won't be as red toned! Most of my other makeup is ELF. And I wear a lot of makeup geek eyeshadow, you can buy just the pan and build your own pallet. I used to spend a fortune on makeup, but there are so many good affordable brands these days that it's not necessary, a lot of them are cruelty free and vegan too which is a bonus for me!

Revolution. Dirt cheap and their eye make up palettes are fab and the make up stays on.