Nicola Louise Makeup

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Best Affordable (Budget Friendly) Makeup Products

Nicola Waters

Makeup bag on a budget?

Finding affordable makeup and makeup that performs is way easier than you think. Long gone are the days when the cheaper products were terrible. If you know, you know.

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If you are here to find out where to buy makeup on a budget, you are in the right place!

Specialising in makeup lessons, I like to give my clients access to higher-priced makeup but to budget as well. Many of my clients appreciate the budget options I recommend. I feel it is my place to advise on where you should spend your money and where you should save.

To help you build a makeup bag on a budget, I wanted to dedicate this post to all the budget makeup I think is worth buying. Of course, I haven’t tried every brand and product so this post will be from personal and professional experience.

So let’s go!



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Primers

Primers are only a requirement in your makeup bag if you have oily or combination skin and visible pores. Your skincare is effectively your “priming” stage. If you need a primer due to your skin type, or large pores, these are my recommendations.

  • The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer - this is my favourite all rounder for mattifying the skin, filling in pores and softening fine lines. I find this to be the best primer to use for your foundation to apply smoothly on top.

  • Maybelline Baby Skin Primer - this is aimed at large pores and will create a smooth base for the next layers of makeup to go on top of. You only want to use a small amount and it is best applied with a firm pressure using the pad of your finger.

  • Rimmel London Lasting Matte Primer - a true mattifying primer which will minimise the shine. This will help to control the oil production giving you a shine free base for the majority of the day.

  • Revlon PhotoReady PRIME PLUS Perfecting and Smoothing Primer - perfect for mature skin that requires blurring of pores and fine lines. When applied in a thin layer with a firm pressure, your foundation will glide on top.

Foundations

Foundation is my favourite makeup product! I currently carry around 11 brands in my kit! I love to tailor different clients to their concerns, coverage requirements, and finish preferences. Foundation is the best way to even out your skin, or in areas you may want a little coverage.

Whether you want sheer, light, medium or more built-up coverage, these affordable foundations tick all those boxes. It just comes down to the application and what you are using to apply.

  • Revlon Illuminance Serum Tint - provides great coverage straightaway, the finish is more on the natural side so think of your skin but better. It has a satin finish, and a very slight sheen to it, perfect if you are not looking for a full-on dewy finish. It is best applied with a brush or a damp sponge for a more sheer coverage.

  • L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect BB Cream - a great medium coverage but could easily be applied for light coverage with a damp sponge. It is dewy and radiates a nice healthy glow, but does need to be powder down the t-zone to take away the excess shine. My current go-to product in makeup lessons your skin looks like butter.

  • Maybelline Super Stay up to 24H Skin Tint Foundation - do not be fooled by the “tint” part of the name as it gives a medium coverage. It is messy to use as it has a dropper, but the coverage and finish are beautiful! I would describe it as a satin with a slight sheen. A brush works amazing, but a damp sponge will give lighter coverage.

  • L'Oréal Paris True Match Liquid Foundation - you can easily achieve a light coverage with a brush but it can be built up to a great medium coverage. It has a lovely dewy finish, not as strong as the L’Oreal BB Cream, but it definitely gives a your skin but better look.

Concealers

It surprises me how many women I meet who do not have concealer in their makeup bags. Concealer is an absolute game-changer! Not only will you be able to disguise dark under-eyes, but it is great for hiding blemishes and pigmentation marks, used as an eyeshadow base, or even used instead of a foundation in areas where you want some coverage.

  • Maybelline Fit Me! Concealer - the holy grail concealer in my kit that I cannot be without! You will get all the coverage you need from this, plus when applied to a well-hydrated undereye, it will look beautiful. It doesn’t look dry or heavy and can be layered for the desired coverage.

  • L'Oréal Paris True Match The One Concealer - a similar hydrating formula to the Maybelline Fit Me but with a lighter coverage. I wouldn’t say this is amazing at fully covering very dark circles, but if you have minor discolouration and want to brighten the under-eyes this is a great affordable choice.

  • Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eraser Concealer - you will get great coverage from this concealer, you need a lot less than you think when using it under the eyes so this is best used in a thin layer and built up. For hygiene reasons, I recommend removing the sponge applicator and putting it on the back of your hand.

  • Revlon ColorStay Skin Awaken 5-in-1 Concealer - if you are looking for a more full-coverage concealer, but one that doesn’t look heavy or cakey, this is a great choice. Best applied in thin layers but it will give great coverage. It is a thicker formula and works well over blemishes. Again I recommend removing the sponge applicator for hygiene reasons.

Blusher

Generally speaking, I will advise people to invest in this area of their makeup bag, especially for powders. It is all about the quality of the powder in my eyes. But for this post, these products are the exception to the rule. Plus two of the brands I carry in my kit as I genuinely think they are great.

  • No7 Lip & Cheek Tint - though restricted colour options, this is a great liquid blush. It is very pigmented so only a small dot is needed to get a flush of colour. Bonus points that this is also a lip tint! This is an alternative recommended product that I would give clients if the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser Blush is out of budget.

  • Milani Baked Blush - a holy grail of a blush that is in my kit! The colour pay-off is fantastic and never looks like a powder on the skin! All the shades have a sheen that makes the skin look healthy and dewy.

  • Collection Filter Finish Liquid Blush Wand - this is a personal product I tried, it is another great alternative to higher-end brands. It dries down quickly so you do not have much playtime with this but once it's on it's on! The packaging is hideous, the product comes out everywhere so it can get messy!

  • L'Oréal Paris Melon Dollar Baby Blush - a little surprised that this does not look “powdery” on the skin, for years I have avoided budget powder blushers, and still do. But this is the exception to the rule and is a product I would recommend for a cheaper alternative to high end blushers. Two shades are available, this pinky-peach and also the a peach called Life’s A Peach.

Eyeshadow

Recommending eyeshadows is a sticking point for me as generally I recommend investing in your powders for the quality. However there are a couple I would recommend as the are quite decent. I love cream eyeshadow as a base under powders or worn alone so I have included a couple of brands I use and love.

  • Revlon ColorStay™ Crème Eye Shadow - if you like a shimmer eyeshadow these creams are beautiful. They act as the perfect base under your eyeshadow powder as well as a standalone shadow. I find that cream eyeshadows are very versatile.

  • Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow - one of my favourite cream base alternatives to the MAC Paint Pot. Once this has dried down and set in place it will not budge for the day. Again another great product to use as a base under powder eyeshadow or alone.

  • NYX Professional Makeup Ultimate Shadow Palette - a palette with a great mix of neutral brown tones with a couple of beautiful shimmers. Not all the deeper shades are brown, they have a red hue to them. Plenty of options to create different eye looks from simple to a more smokey eye.

  • Maybelline Eye Shadow Palette - The Nudes - for a cheap eyeshadow palette the powder quality is good. These are easy to blend which is what you are looking for. Very affordable with a mix of matte and shimmer shades.

Eyebrows

If you are not currently doing anything with your brows start now! It makes a huge difference to framing your face and making the whole makeup appear more pulled together and groomed. It is actually quite easy to fill in your brows when you get the hang of it, my advice is to fill in only the sparse areas and follow the direction of the natural brow.

  • Rimmel Wonder'full 24hr Brow Mascara - a cheaper alternative to the Benefit Gimme Brow, this formula has small fibres which will attach to your existing brow hairs. The gel itself is not too thick, it is more on the fluid side compare to Benefit so it much easier to apply.

  • Maybelline Express Brow Fast Sculpt Eyebrow Mascara - a new firm favourite which has been added to my kit! The wand has one side of shorter bristles to apply the gel onto your brows, and a longer side of bristles to help brush them the gel through. It takes a couple of goes to get used to the application but it is really good. Once the formula dries down it will stay in place.

  • NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil - if you prefer to use a pencil the fine tip on this will help you to achieve realistic hairs. It is precise and easy to use without going over the top creating dramatic brows.

  • Rimmel Brow This Way Eyebrow Kit - if you like to use a powder I would personally reach for your eyeshadow palette first to see if you have a good colour match. However, this little compact is great and comes in two different shades with two tones allowing you to tailor how soft and deep you want your brows.

Mascaras

Mascara I find comes down to your preference of what you are looking for the end result to be. Here are some of my top picks all with different results.

  • Maybelline Mascara Lash Sensational - this mascara will give a slight curl to your lashes, as well as volume. You can create a more natural look with this one but it can also be built for a more intense look.

  • Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High - if an intense look is what you are looking for this is definitely the mascara for you. It works to create a more lengthened look, it has a very striking finish!

  • Rimmel Extra Long Lash Mascara - if you like the separated lash look the wand on this mascara will do just that. You will also achieve a lengthened look.

  • Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara - this is a water-resistant mascara that claims to provide a clump-free application. I say claims because it comes down to how much pressure you put on the wand. I use the waterproof version in my kit and I genuinely love the results you get.

Lipsticks

I have a few options for lips depending on the finish you are looking for, and what you feel most comfortable wearing.

Setting Sprays

Settings sprays are great if you are finding your makeup is struggling to last. Initially I would look at your skincare routine to see if you are getting enough hydration, this helps with how well your makeup applies and lasts. If you are confident your skincare is solid then introducing a setting spray at the end of your makeup will help to keep everything in place for longer.

I really hope you found this post helpful with finding some great affordable makeup products!