Top 15 Affordable Makeup Products
Affordable or 'drugstore' makeup sold in high street shops like Boots and Superdrug can often be hit or miss. Some of the products perform better than high end brands, and some are not even worth buying. I have tried & tested so many different affordable brands over the years and have found some really great products which I like to keep stocked up in my kit. To read about my favourite affordable foundations, click here. For my favourite affordable concealers, click here. Some of the brands listed below offer pro discounts, click here for information on how to apply.
NYX Cosmetics
NYX is one of my all time favourite affordable makeup brands - they have so many products to choose from and always impress me with their quality. Like any makeup brand, high end or affordable, there are a few products I've tried which aren't worth repurchasing. Listed below are a few of my must haves from NYX Cosmetics.
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
This liquid eyeliner is one of the best I have ever tried - I don't use any other liquid eyeliners as you really can't beat the formula and longevity of this! It's super black, easy to apply and the brush is very thin which helps to create a perfect, crisp wing. Liquid eyeliner can be tricky to apply, but the right brush and formula can make all the difference. If I had to choose 1 affordable product that is my absolute favourite, this would be it.
Slide On Lip Pencil - £6.00
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
These lip pencils are so creamy and long lasting. They are waterproof and make applying lip liner much easier as they glide on and don't drag on the lips.
Recommended Shades: Urban Cafe, Nude Suede Shoes, and Sugar Gloss.
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
These eyeliners have a similar formula to the lip pencils above. They are very creamy, pigmented and glide onto the eyes easily. The shimmery shades are so beautiful in the waterline and really make the eyes pop.
Recommended Shades: Gold, Taupe and Black.
Butter Gloss - £6.50
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
I have used these glosses for years and never get tired of them. They are so creamy and buttery on the lips with no stickiness at all. The nude shades are so beautiful and work well on all skin tones. Definitely a must have product for your kit!
Recommended Shades: Fortune Cookie, Madeleine, Creme Brule, Tiramisu, and Apple Strudel.
Micro Brow Pencil - £10.00
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
Good quality brow pencils can be really hard to find and this is one of my favourites. This brow pencil is affordable, long lasting and easy to apply. The pencil is super thin which allows for more precision and you can create tiny hair strokes through the front of the brow.
Recommended Shades: Ash Brown, Taupe and Espresso.
Glitter Primer - £9.00
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
When using sparkly eyeshadows or pigments it can be difficult to get them to stick. This glitter primer is ideal for any loose pigments or glitters and makes them adhere to the eye much better than a concealer or normal eyeshadow primer. I like to apply this onto the lid and press the pigment on top for a super sparkly effect.
Makeup Revolution
Makeup Revolution is another of my favourite affordable brands. They have so many products which work really well and their prices cannot be beat. Makeup Revolution also has a pro range called Revolution Pro, specifically designed for makeup artists. The palettes are great quality and their brow pomades are some of my all time favourites.
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
These little palettes are so pretty and create the most beautiful glow on the face, You can mix and match the shades together and the highlighters are very pigmented. The packaging is very luxe and sparkly and they are small enough to easily fit in your makeup bag.
Recommended Shades: Rose Fresco & Peach Royale.
Loose Baking Powder - £5.99
(LFTALEXN for 20% discount)
If you are looking for a good affordable baking powder, I would highly recommend these. They come in lots of shades and there is a colour to suit every skin tone., It can be tricky to find loose powders which work on deeper skin tones but the darker shades of these look gorgeous on darker skin.
Recommended Shades: Banana Light, Lace, Banana, and Terracotta.
Brow Pomade - £6.00
These brow pomades are just as good as the Anastasia ones, I have repurchased these so many times and always like to keep them stocked in my kit. They are pigmented, easy to apply and last forever on the brows. Make sure to keep the lid tightly closed when you are not using them as they can dry out.
Recommended Shades: Ash Brown, Taupe and Chocolate.
Pout Bomb Plumping Gloss - £6.00
This gloss truly is the best clear gloss I have ever tried. Its super shiny, not sticky at all and slightly plumps the lips. This gloss also comes in other nude shades which are equally as pretty on the lips. The applicator is jumbo sized so it makes application easy and they are small enough to easily pack in your makeup bag for nights out.
Recommended Shades: Candy, Kiss and Glaze.
Beauty Bay
Beauty Bay recently launched their own products and I have been consistently impressed with each one I try. The eyeshadow palettes are some of the best affordable ones I've tried and are of the same quality as palettes which are double or even triple the price. They always have offers on so you are more than likely able to get a further discount on the price.
Nude 42 Colour Eyeshadow Palette - £23.00
This is the only nude eyeshadow palette you'll ever need! It has so many gorgeous shades and the pigment is insane. The mattes blend like butter and the shimmer shades are so reflective and sparkly. I get so much use out of this palette and you can create pretty much any neutral look using this.
Nude Matte Lipsticks - £4.00
Beauty Bay has really nailed it with their lip products - these nude matte lipsticks are so pigmented and comfortable to wear. The lipstick has a matte finish that isn't too drying and the nude shades are gorgeous.
Recommended Shades: Freckle and Tea.
This little palette is the perfect travel option as it has all of the shades you'd need to create a soft glam look. I use the brown shades for brows and liner and find them t be very pigmented and easy to blend.
Maybelline
Maybelline has always been a staple brand for me, even before I became a makeup artist. Their mascaras are hands down some of the best out there (even better than high end brands) and their lip products last so well on the lips. Like with any brand, there are some products that I've tried and have not been too impressed by, but overall I think they are definitely a good brand to stock in your kit.
Lash Sensational Mascara - £9.99
This is one of the only mascaras I use on clients as it really does everything you need, It's super black, doesn't smudge at all, and the brush is great for catching those hard to reach lashes in the corners. The formula is long lasting and doesn't flake off drop a curl throughout the day. or I prefer to use the waterproof version on clients, but the normal formula is equally as good.
I have tested and tried so many formulas of liquid lipstick and this is by far the best affordable one I've tried. The applicator is a nice triangle shape so you can really get a precise edge and the pigment is insane. It glides on the lips so easily and really does last all day. These don't feel too dry on the lips or crack throughout the day, and look beautiful with a gloss on top.
Recommended Shades: Loyalist, Poet and Driver.
