Best affordable makeup I’ve discovered recently
It’s time for some new reviews! This one’s for the makeup and beauty lovers, especially anyone who’s looking for affordable products, great value for money, and maybe a designer dupe or two.
Fancy a little springtime makeup bag refresh?
Oulac cream eyeshadow pots, matte or pearl | RRP 9.00 for 6g
The Oulac brand – a French company – is fairly new to me, and their products are vegan and cruelty free. Their cream eyeshadow pots are a lot of fun, remind me of certain eyeshadows that cost £20+, and perform well for everyday wear. There are multiple shades, many of which are super-bright and glittery or metallic, but I find their matte (CM-prefix numbers) and pearl finishes (P-prefix numbers) the most versatile.
The pretty colour in the picture above is ‘Nubile‘, CM05, a fairly matte peachy-pink nude shade that gives a soft wash of colour. I love it for a barely-there makeup day with a quick bit of mascara, and already have my eye (sorry) on a few other colours.
Smudge a bit on with a fingertip, blend with a fluffy brush if you like, and head out of the door looking fairly put together with minimal effort. While the headline price is £9.00 per pot, you can find their whole shade range on Amazon UK for around £5.00 to £7.00 most weeks. The official Oulac website is more expensive and sometimes out of stock, so Amazon’s probably your best bet.
FIND AT >> Amazon UK (all shades in their drop-down menu)
Revolution Jelly PH Lip & Cheek Stain | £5.99
This brand new addition to the Revolution Jelly range is a lot of fun at a purse-friendly price. The gel based cheek and lip stain contains a reactive pigment that interacts with the pH of your skin to create your own shade. This might be a peach colour, a rose, or even a hot pink. Apply lightly to begin in case you’re the kind of person who gets the flourescent pink shade!
It seems to be a nice dupe for the Milk Makeup cooling jelly stain that does pretty much exactly the same thing, but at a far higher price tag. Meanwhile, I still love the original Revolution’s Lip & Cheek Stain in ‘peach orange‘ (a pretty light peach for pale gals), and their subtle light Jelly Bronze stain – both applied sparingly with a flat-topped brush for a natural glow.
BUY PH STAIN AT >> Revolution Beauty, Boots or Superdrug (best offers)
L’Oreal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation | £11.99 for 30ml
Yes, this excellent foundation has been around for a few years, but the line has recently been updated with six brand new shades and I *finally* found a colour match for my skintone (1.5W if you’re interested, similar to MAC’s new NC12, let the joy be unbounded). Their shade range was always very comprehensive but these extra options fill in a few gaps with the more unusual undertones, from cool to warm and pale to dark. Maybe one could work for you too.
If you haven’t tried this formula before, it’s very easy to blend, medium coverage but buildable if you need it, and has a long lasting natural-satin finish plus SPF17. One small drop seems to be enough for my whole face if applied with a foundation brush, so a bottle should last for a very long time. I buy when it’s on offer, which happens most frequently at Superdrug, especially in payday sales and 3-for-2 deals.
BUY AT >> Superdrug (best offers) or Lookfantastic
Essence The Super Peptide Glossy Lip Treatment | RRP £3.49 for 10ml
This ‘lip treatment’ has a milky, glossy texture and is enriched with nourishing ingredients such as peptides, shea butter and vitamin E. This formula is somewhere between a liquid balm and a gloss, and gives your lips a healthy, hydrated look with a non-sticky finish.
The lighter shades barely show up on the lips but shade 03 ‘Toffee-tastic’ is a lovely rosewood-brown if you’re looking for a bit of colour. It’s remarkably similar to the more expensive ‘Toast’ peptide lip shade from Rhode, with much the same texture but a far smaller price tag. Designer dupe alert.
You used to be able to get most Essence products from Wilko, but unfortunately they don’t sell this new range on their website. Don’t worry though, they now stock lots of lovely Essence goodies at the three shops mentioned below.
BUY AT >> Boots, Parfumdreams UK or Notino
[Confession: I own three, one for each main work bag and one for my office desk. I’m a sucker for a nice tinted lip balm, especially during the colder months.]
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