It's always a big dilemma for me when beauty shopping - to go for a product which is affordable but a little plain, or something expensive and extravagant which makes me feel sophisticated when pulling it out of my makeup bag - it's a bit of a brain vs heart thing.
When Voucher Codes got in touch about their new SOS (Steal or Splurge) Box, which contains 3 lipsticks, concealers and mascaras, all from different price brackets, my inner-product tester-outer became really excited. I've taken the challenge on to see if the extra money is actually worth it, and choose my favourites out of the bunch.
Concealer
Under £5 - Collection Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer in Fair
I adore this concealer and it is by far my favourite of the bunch and also the cheapest. It has incredible coverage for even the most stubborn of spots and also matches my pale skin perfectly. Admittedly I have already been through about 10 tubes of this and that just goes to show that I really bloody love it AND it's affordable to keep repurchasing.
Under £10 - No7 Concealer
This was my least favourite of the concealers – despite being a pale shade it’s still quite dark for my skin and also hasn’t got as great a coverage as the other two. It’s a creamy stick in a tube but it takes a while to warm up and I felt it also clung on to any dry patches also.
Under £20 - Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Porcelain
This was my second favourite; it's a good concealer which covers imperfections well but it is a little bit too creamy for my liking. It means I definitely need to set it with a powder otherwise I feel quite sticky. I love the packaging though (there’s a tiny mirror in the lid for on the go touch ups).
This was my second favourite; it's a good concealer which covers imperfections well but it is a little bit too creamy for my liking. It means I definitely need to set it with a powder otherwise I feel quite sticky. I love the packaging though (there’s a tiny mirror in the lid for on the go touch ups).
Mascara
Under £5 – Miss Sporty 24h Pump Up Booster Mascara
I wasn’t incredibly impressed with this mascara. Although it’s affordable and has a nice big brush, it’s not too great at adding product to the lashes. It makes a good ‘base’ mascara (adding one of the below on top) but I wouldn’t wear just this.
I wasn’t incredibly impressed with this mascara. Although it’s affordable and has a nice big brush, it’s not too great at adding product to the lashes. It makes a good ‘base’ mascara (adding one of the below on top) but I wouldn’t wear just this.
Under £10 – Maybelline The Falsies Volum’ Express
This is my winner of the bunch – affordable, easy to find in on the highstreet and a really great mascara at lengthening and adding volume to my short lashes. This is buildable without being clumpy and the curved brush makes application easy.
This is my winner of the bunch – affordable, easy to find in on the highstreet and a really great mascara at lengthening and adding volume to my short lashes. This is buildable without being clumpy and the curved brush makes application easy.
Under £20 – Clinique High Impact Mascara
I really, really like this mascara. I think Clinique are great at creating good quality mascaras but I preferred Maybelline just because it’s more affordable. This gives me beautiful long lashes but is just quite pricey for a product that needs to be replaced every three months.
I really, really like this mascara. I think Clinique are great at creating good quality mascaras but I preferred Maybelline just because it’s more affordable. This gives me beautiful long lashes but is just quite pricey for a product that needs to be replaced every three months.
Lipstick
Under £5 – Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Russian Roulette
Sleek Makeup is possibly my favourite high street brand for their incredible lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes. I’m already a huge fan of their lippies and so this was a nice bonus to my collection – it applies with the most gorgeous pigment and lasts well.
Sleek Makeup is possibly my favourite high street brand for their incredible lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes. I’m already a huge fan of their lippies and so this was a nice bonus to my collection – it applies with the most gorgeous pigment and lasts well.
Under £10 – Lord & Berry Lip Crayon in Fire
This was the first Lord & Berry product I’d ever tried and I was really, pleasantly impressed. This is a gorgeous, high quality product which is immensely pigmented (and also smells delicious)! I think this is my favourite of the bunch - it also smells delicious.
This was the first Lord & Berry product I’d ever tried and I was really, pleasantly impressed. This is a gorgeous, high quality product which is immensely pigmented (and also smells delicious)! I think this is my favourite of the bunch - it also smells delicious.
Under £20 – NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Red Square
I’d always wanted to try this product after hearing so many bloggers rave and review it and it lived up to expectations. The colour is the perfect postbox read but it is slightly drying on the lips so lipbalm before hand is a must.
I’d always wanted to try this product after hearing so many bloggers rave and review it and it lived up to expectations. The colour is the perfect postbox read but it is slightly drying on the lips so lipbalm before hand is a must.
Winners: Collection Lasting Perfecting Concealer, Maybelline The Falsies, Lord & Berry Lip Crayon!
I've loved taking part in this challenge - it's been quite an eye-opener that I didn't choose one high end product as my winner. I think this goes to show that even though packaging may be beautiful, the actual quality of the product itself might not be so up to scratch. This post has also inspired me to get thinking about other products - blusher, foundations, eyeliners and how they compare, so stay tuned for more of these posts!
Do you tend to Save or Splurge? What is your favourite affordable product?
xxx