Five favourite budget make-up buys

I am a self-confessed make-up hoarder and I have drawers bulging with eyeliners, lipsticks and powders. I love bargain hunting, and over the years I have discovered a handful of cheap products that I keep going back to. These five items below cost a grand total of just £18.94, so when the inevitable happens and all of my everyday make-up runs out at once, it doesn’t cost a fortune to replace!Collection Work The Colour Eyebrow Kit – £3.99

I have very dark eyebrows which have become quite patchy in certain areas so I’ve been filling them in with make-up for the past five or so years. I’ve used affordable products such as the Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil, £2.99, all the way to the more expensive Benefit Brow Zings, £24.50. I liked both of these but I wanted something that didn’t need regular sharpening like pencils and that was a little bit lighter on my purse. I came across the Collection Eyebrow Kit in Boots and snapped it up immediately because it was so cheap and it came with three different shades, a mirror, eyebrow mascara and a mini brush. The middle shade works best for me and is easy to apply with the angled end of the brush and the clear mascara seals everything in place. The best part is, the product lasts me the whole day without needing to be topped up!Essence Blush Up! in 10 heat wave – £3.50

I usually use Rimmel Lasting Finish, £3.99, which is an absolute bargain in itself, however I stumbled upon this Essence blush a few weeks ago and snapped it up because I thought it would be a good ‘back up’ blush for when my usual one ran out. When I started using it I was really surprised at how pigmented it is and pleased that I didn’t need to put on a lot to get a good effect. In fact, with this product a little really does go a long way! It also looks really pretty in my make-up bag because of the bright, ombré colours.Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner in Black 1 – £2.50

If you only buy one product from this list – make it this one! This is my ultimate make-up item and my absolute favourite liquid eyeliner. I’ve been using it for years and always have a couple floating around my dressing table. I’m also a fan of Rimmel Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner, £5.29, but Collection wins for me hands down because it lasts longer and is half the price. This particular product is raved about in the beauty world and rightly so; it’s easy to apply, isn’t at all watery, is virtually smudge-proof, and has a brush suitable for creating fine lines or thick flicks. My favourite thing about this eyeliner is that it doesn’t need to be topped up very often, I can go to work at 9am and come home at 7pm without it budging at all.

Miss Sporty Studio Colour Quattro Eye Shadow in 403 Smoky Brown Eyes – £1.99

This is a relatively new addition to my make-up collection but is becoming one of my favourite items. The eyeshadow palette has four shades, shimmery gold, bronze, light brown and dark brown. I like to wear the gold as part of my everyday basic look because it is quite understated, and when I’m going out for the evening I normally top it up with the darker tones to create more of a dramatic, smokey look. Each shade has great pigmentation which is brilliant for such a cheap item and is small enough to be kept in your handbag in case you want to top-up throughout the day. The brush is a standard mini eyeshadow applicator which is good for on-the-go, however I prefer to use one of my other brushes when I’m doing my make-up in the morning and I can take more time.Collection Lengthening Mascara in Ultra Black 17 – £3.99

I’m a big fan of this mascara because I just need to swipe it a few times over my lashes for it to completely cover them. It creates a really full effect quickly and I never need to top-up during the day. The wand is made up of plastic bristles which stop clumping, but if I put on coat after coat it will inevitably start becoming heavy and clog up my eyelashes, so I try not to use too much of this at once. It’s perfect for finishing off my eye make-up and for such a cheap price, it’s a staple basic I always make sure I have to hand.

Frankie x