Well isn't this a bit of a bright and electrifying post for a dull and dreary Wednesday evening (the so called "summer weather" here in England is currently terrible at the moment). But there's nothing stopping us Brits from splashing a bit of summer all over our faces. Now it is no hidden secret that when you look into my makeup bag that I am a complete MAC lover. Yes when I was younger I used to use Forever 21 and Miss Sporty makeup, but there's nothing to say that budget makeup is a bad thing to have in your makeup collection. Makeup from high end brands like MAC and Charlotte Tilbury tend to be very pigmented and rich in colour whereas, budget brands tend to be less pigmented which doesn't last as long on the skin (well, so it is said). Recently I have been asking a lot of makeup artists on whether they use budget makeup in their collections and all of them have said that they did. Whilst it is nice to use pigmented products, sometimes it is easier to add colour and blend with less pigmented products (especially when trying to create a natural look). But yes, sometimes really cheap makeup can be really nasty which almost looks dust, but some well reputable and affordable brands can be extremely vital in any makeup kit.
If you have been an Eltoria reader for some time now, you will know that I am always inclined to a great budget buy. Not too long ago I reviewed some makeup products by Elf Cosmetics, and I have to say that I was really impressed with its quality and durability (click here to see that post). So when I received these gorgeous eye shadow palettes from Freedom, I was extremely excited to give them a good go (I mean take a good look at those colours!). For a good palette at MAC it will set you back around £50.00 and it is usually costs around £12.50 for one, but these mono eyeshadows above will only spare you £1.00 each and £6.00 for a palette like the one below. And yes you did read that correctly. As you can see from the image above, these mono eyeshadows in Smoulder 211 and Brights 299 are really well pigmented for their price. They apply onto the eyes really well and their colour intensity does not fade after being blended with other eye shadows, and nor does they fade easily over a long period of time. I have been combining these colours with my other MAC eyeshadows to create some really effective smokey looks (they are great for adding colour... especially the purple above) So take a look at some more colours by clicking here as there are loads to choose from.
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| Above: Pro Decadence Palette |
I wear lipstick every single day and as you can probably imagine I am rather picky when it comes to wearing one. Not only does the colour have to be right but also its texture, durability and richness are equally as important. I'm one of those people who unfortunately suffers from very dry and sore lips...I know, even in the summer and I still have a problem. So finding lipsticks that are equally as hydrating as Moisture Renew lipsticks by Rimmel London are unfortunately quite difficult. As you can see in the images below (especially the swatch on my hand) these lipsticks are again quite pigmented. I wouldn't say that they are as pigmented and last as long as MAC lipsticks, but they certainly make a great day lipstick if you don't mind topping up at least once or twice a day. Some lipsticks can end up being quite drying on my lips which can make my skin a little flaky, sore and very uncomfortable. And not going to lie it does make me a little concious. However these lipsticks were not drying at all and managed to hydrate my lips comfortably throughout the day. These lipsticks only cost £1.00 each and I must say that they are very useful for travelling.
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| Above starting from the left: Pro Bare, Pro Pink, Pro Now |
Some of you will remember that I compared high end blushers with budget ones (click here to see that) and I concluded that the differences between the two can be marginally similar all but the price. However I have to say that this blusher isn't as pigmented as some other budget brands, but it still gives off a rather pretty light pink finish to the cheeks. I personally think that budget blushers tend to be better if they are entwined with a highlighter, that way they appear a little more pigmented and stay on the skin for much longer. You can pick up this blusher for £1.00.
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| Above: True Loved Blusher |
Overall I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with this brand- I was expecting their products to be a little more expensive! Do you have a good budget beauty brand that you can recommend? What do you think of the products above?
Much Love
Eltoria x
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