I’m a beauty expert – the 10 best budget make-up buys you need in your life and they’re all under £10
IN 2022 I tried out more affordable beauty products than ever before – and the quality has been a pleasant surprise.
In fact, I haven’t tested a single “bad” budget beauty item in the past year.
Innovation, coupled with consumers’ demand for transparency, mean it is virtually impossible to find a poor-performing product from any of the well-known high-street brands, no matter how low the price point.
Despite the budget boom, affordable brands are feeling the pinch as much as the rest of us.
Make-up giant Revlon filed for bankruptcy in the US earlier this year and Unilever increased product prices by 11.2 per cent.
The Ordinary has announced its “Colours” range, which includes cult foundations and concealers costing £6 each, will disappear from shelves next year after poor sales failed to cover the production costs to make them viable in the five years since launch.
It’s not all bad news, though.
With 52 per cent of women planning to reduce their beauty spend next year, high-street retailers Boots and Superdrug both relaunched their budget own-brand cosmetics offerings this year – and you can build a complete make-up bag fit for any occasion with products under £10.
Here’s how . . .
A buildable base
A LIGHTWEIGHT foundation can be layered for special occasions or on bad skin days, and sheered out when you don’t need the coverage.
Pick one with skincare ingredients for a natural glow to avoid cakiness.
Available in 40 shades, L’Oréal Paris True Match liquid foundation with hyaluronic acid, £9.99, Boots, is dermatologist-approved, non-comedogenic, and contains hydrating hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and glycerin, making it suitable for all skin types.
Hardworking concealer
TO save cash and space, pick something that covers under-eye bags as well as breakouts, such as NYX Professional Makeup HD photogenic concealer wand, £6, Boots.
It has a creamy, medium to full coverage formula that virtually erases discolouration without creasing in fine lines or catching in dry patches.
A little goes a really long way, so the tube lasts for ages.
Translucent powder
THIS will take down shine and improve the longevity of the rest of your make-up, without looking dusty.
Picking a translucent, rather than tinted, powder means you can use it all year round, instead of having to switch shades once you get a tan.
I love Revolution Pro translucent hydra-matte setting powder, £8, Superdrug.
It is finely milled and gives an airbrushed effect without drying the skin.
Voluming mascara
NO matter how tired you are feeling and looking, a couple of layers of mascara can make all the difference.
With only one in your kit, you need something that volumises and lengthens for serious wow factor, such as Lottie London Super Fake mascara, £6.95, look-fantastic.com.
It doesn’t flake or smudge, and you can layer it up for a false-lash effect without it getting clumpy.
Neutral lipstick
AS far as I’m concerned, you only need one shade of lipstick for everyday wear – and that’s one that closely resembles your natural lip colour.
Pick a hydrating formula so it adds a low-maintenance, polished finish that feels comfortable to wear all day and is easy to reapply without a mirror.
You would be hard pressed to find one that ticks all the boxes and comes in cheaper than 17.
Créme Lip, £2, Boots.
Eyeshadow Palette
UNTIL six months ago, I was an eyeshadow snob.
I really didn’t think anything on the high street could hold a candle to premium eyeshadows, and it’s the one product I would have said you had to splurge on.
That is, until I tried E.L.F. Cosmetics bite-size eyeshadow quad, £4, elfcosmetics.com, which I can’t rave about enough.
The shadows are pigmented, buttery and easy to blend.
And the quads come in ten shade variations, ranging from classic black and bronze smoky shades to pink, khaki and trending navy, coming in at £1 per shadow.
Tinted brow gel
NATURAL, “lifted brows” are set to be 2023’s biggest beauty trend.
So step away from heavy pencils and powders and instead reach for a dual-purpose tinted brow gel such as Sleek Brow Getter fibre brow gel, £7.99, Boots, which contains fibres to add fullness without creating an overly drawn-on look.
A bold lipstick
THIS is definitely an added extra, and not something you will wear every day.
But if you have a special occasion or want to experiment with your look, it is the easiest way to make a dramatic change.
Pick a long-wearing matte formula so you don’t need to worry about reapplying or having it smudge over your face.
For staying power, you can’t beat Maybelline SuperStay matte ink lipstick, £9.99, Superdrug, which comes in a whopping 43 shades.
Innovator is the perfect pillar-box red, and the pointed doe-foot applicator means you don’t need to use a lip liner for precision.
It needs to be low-maintenance, or you won’t ever reach for it.
Blusher
THIS is the year I finally got on board with blusher – and now I can’t believe I ever lived without it.
It is the easiest way to make your face look lively and it sculpts the cheeks much easier than contour.
I find cream blushers look the most natural and are the easiest to blend out.
If you are still unsure, pick a delicate pink that is not too daunting and can be built up as you gain confidence, such as Collection Gorgeous glow stick, £4.99, Boots.
The stick format is completely fool-proof and the dewy finish gives a youthful glow.
Bronzer
FOR the most flattering hint of colour, pick a matte formula.
It will bring out the warm tones in your skin without looking fake or enhancing texture.
As well as finish, the shade you pick is also important.
Look for one that is only a hue or two darker than your natural skin tone, otherwise it can look muddy.
Rimmel London Natural Bronzer, £6.99, Boots, comes in four shades, so you can pick the one that suits you best.