Am going to be skint for next 3 years. Please help a MAC addict find a great alternative and also some great jeans that don't cost the earth and will last forever!

[Notalone]

I am going to be a mature student next month and we are really going to feel the pinch. I don't have the best skin and need a lot of coverage so I always use MAC studio fix foundation. However at £20 a pop this is now going to be way out of my price range. Are there any cheaper brands that give full coverage and do the job as well as my lovely beloved MAC foundation?

Also I need some great flattering jeans that I can wear to death. I went to TKMAXX yesterday and found some Firetrap opnes reduced from £110 to £40. Are Firetrap any good for going the distance? Are there any other brands I should look for and where can I find bargains? Help!!!!!

Wow when I was a student I wore farm overalls, seriously, and I wasn't studying farming - I just was so skint, and they were cheap and hardwearing.

I would advise you to have a look at acne.org for your skin if it's spotty - the regimen worked for me. Personally I wouldn't ecomomise on your foundation, not if you're happy with it - try and cut pennies somewhere else.

Do students wear stylish clothes these days? I thought the point in being a student was that you could spill beer / chemicals all over them and wear them again and again (after occasional washing)

Good luck with your course - what are you studying?

Thanks Zazen. I am going to be studying Occupational Therapy so I will either be in jeans or in uniform on placement I should imagine.

I am 30 so am unsure if students do wear stylish clothes or not, its been a while , but I really want some good quality (ideally fitted boot cut) jeans that will be just as good for matching with a nice top for a night out as for slobbing around in.

What foundation to you rate? Is MAC the best one on the market do you think?

Deffo invest in a couple of nice pairs of dark denim hardwearing jeans - Gap sale is usually a good place to start but out of sale they are no more than £40 and last really well.

Foundation - If you really want to save a few pounds, Max Factor or Number 7 are pretty good if they happen to have the right colour for you. But expensive foundationlasts longer and you need less, so it may be worth splurging on that anyway.

Oooh - I never though about Gap! Do they last forever from there then? Do they do high riser ones too? My belly is not what it used to be and most of the low waisted belly hang out ones are not great with stretchmarks and a slightly saggy belly!

Kama - - I didn't know that about MAC. What do you use now instead? I used to have a friend who used Max Factor and her skin always looked fab but she had great skin anyway so I thought it was just her skin and not the foundation that was amazing. I also find MAC is hard to get hold of. At least Max Factor and No 7 are easier to come by. Which one out of these is the best do you think?

Mac really messes with my skin too - as do some other 'luxury' brands like Chanel & Bobbi Brown!!! I have, however, never ever had a reaction to anything from Boots No. 7 (and their tinted moisturizer is great, so I would think their foundation would be good too).

can't help with the jeans [skirt girl]
but i have been very pleasantly surprised by bourjois make-up and even more surprisingly the rimmel london stuff. very cheap and effective.

i find next jeans to be good quality and decent prices. i dont know if this is cheap as i dont use mac but this site says 50% off.

topshop jeans are good...they have loads of different styles to choose from and varying waist and leg measurements so you can always find some to fit.
I use clinique which isnt cheap but i think is cheaper than MAC.

Think I am going to have to trawl the high street until I find some decent jeans. I hate jean shopping too but its a necessary evil! I am gonna look in Gap, Top Shop (I used to love their moto jeans when I was a teen) and will try Next too. Does anyone know about the more expensive brands to be found in TKMAXX? I found diesel, Firetrap and french connction ones which should have cost a fortune full price. Are these normally so expensive because of the name or are you paying for quality too?

I must admit I have never had a problem with no 7 anything so will see what their foundation is like. Does anyone know if they do testers to take away so I don't make a mistake?

Thanks for the link btw SSSSBTSS

Uniqlo are quite good for jeans. I have a pair of boyfriend jeans from there and they are very soft and comfortable.

I buy nearly all my jeans at TKMaxx as I really think the 'designer' ones are a complete rip-off price-wise. Having said that, they do fit really well, and if I can get them for £40 as opposed to £100+ then I'm happy. I think Diesel jeans look great and are comfy. I have also bought Citizens of Humanity jeans and 7 for All Mankind ones from good old TKMaxx, and all are great. If you see Earl jeans, those are great too.

I also leeerve my Moto skinnies, which I got from Topshop and which I have quite literally worn to death.

Agree with Gap for jeans and suggest you try to improve your skin rather than trying to cover up with make up, Liz Earle is v good (I used to have bad spots, not since using her range), is pricey but lasts for ages and ages (maybe ask for it as presents?).

Liz Earle gave me spots! A pity because I love the smell of Cleanse And Polish.

Asking for things as presents is a good idea.

What do you plan to wear your jeans with?

How funny janeite, Liz Earle only thing to cure my spots!!

French Connection and Topshop are both good for jeans. What about ebay?

Trouble with my skin is I am allergic to a lot of things and this is what makes me break out. I use washing powder, shampoo etc that is ok for me but all it takes is for me to wash my hands with something I am not used to and its game over sadly. I have never heard of Liz Earle. Can anyone give me more info?

In relation to the jeans I am looking for a versatile hard wearing pair, preferably in a dark indigo / blue colour. Something fitted that looks great on a night out as well as with a jumper and boots and not too expensive either. Probably asking too much hey?!

Barbara Daly make-up from Tesco is brilliant for coverage - the concealer in a little pot and the all-in-one base - and it's cheap.

I like my Boden jeans - dark blue wideleg or bootleg might work for you. In the sale you can get them for £20-£30.

Barbar Daly sounds good. Re Boden and ebay though I would prefer to be able to try jeans on first. I must be an odd shape but the same size jeans look different depending on what shop they come from.

Through the mumsnet link you can get a 10% discount on Boden and free returns - so you can send things back at no cost (free postage).

For fuller coverage foundation try Maybelline dream matt mousse. I've tried a LOT of different foudations at many different prices and keep coming back to that.