Beauty on a Budget (£10 or Less)

I'm a confessed makeup-a-holic, but it can be a pretty costly hobby. I'm currently a student, and so saving money where I can is a very useful tool in my student arsenal, so here I'm sharing my favourite drugstore finds to create a whole make up kit without breaking the bank (prices may vary).

My skin type is combination, so I generally try to find mattifying products, but I have included some make up which will be suitable for most skin types.

Face

Primer

Collection- Primed & Ready Illuminating Witch Hazel Primer (£4.99- www.boots.com)

This primer has a small tint to it which results in a gorgeous glowing base, a godsend for when you know you haven't had enough sleep! It also contains witch hazel which is well-known for treating spots and acne, so you don't need to worry too much about breaking out. Its consistency is on the thinner side, and it doesn't have that thick silicone feel which ensures a light, breathable feel on the face- not to mention it won't clog your pores this way!

Great at making sure your foundation has a smooth base, but it also works really well as a skin glow which you can pop over your moisturiser if you don't feel like doing face makeup that day- bonus!

Foundation

The Ordinary- Serum Foundation (£5.70- www.theordinary.com)

Love love love this foundation. It's pretty lightweight so offers light to medium coverage, but it's staying power is pretty decent if you use a primer and setting powder alongside it. I also like it's colouring system, if you're familiar with M.A.C. and how they use numbers to correlate to shades and letters for undertones, be happy because the exact same system is used here! It offers a dewy finish (I use it with a beautyblender), so if you prefer a matte look, top it off with some powder.

For it's price mark I can say no bad words about this product. It's often sold out online, but there are many online retailers e.g. BeautyBay which sell this product as well.

Concealer

Maybelline- Fit Me Concealer (£5.99 www.boots.com)

A good all-rounder when it comes to concealers and in a wide variety of shades and undertones. I love using this concealer for my under-eyes and for covering pesky spots! Its formula is liquid and so it's great for all skin-types, blends in easily and doesn't cake. In terms of staying power, it's the best I've been able to find in drugstores, although there are concealers with greater staying power, I prioritise colour matching and how it looks on my skin as I've tried others which just ended up looking far too heavy.

I also like to use this for contouring with a darker shade to create depth, and a lighter shade to illuminate and highlight my face!

Powder

Rimmel- Clear Complexion Powder (£3.99 www.boots.com)

Lightweight transparent powder which is great for setting foundation and concealer, it is not overly mattifying so it still leaves dimensions to your face without having an oily t-zone by lunch time. Conversely if you have dry skin, the powder won't latch onto any dry areas you may have.

Has been a staple in my makeup bag for years! Also, no colour matching needed as it's translucent so it's great for all year round.

Bronzer

Bourjois Paris- Delice de Poudre (£7.99 www.boots.com)

This is a cult drug store favourite here in the U.K. and for good reason! It's a lovely bronzer which doesn't flatten out your face when you pop it on top of your contour, its colour is buildable so whether you're going for a light touch of colour or the full-works is totally up to you.

Although its shade range is limited, I've always used the light colour and I have never had any issues with it myself. Although nobody says, "oh your makeup smells great," they will with this bronzer!

Highlighter

I Heart Revolution- Unicorn Rainbow Highlighter (£4.99 www.superdrug.com)

I'm a HUGE fan of the "I Heart" make up range at Superdrug, so to be honest I ought to be putting their entire highlighter range on here. Their most popular highlighter is, "Goddess of Love," but it was sold out when I went to buy it, so I picked up this one instead!

Don't be put off by the individual shades of the rainbow highlighters. I thought it'd make me look like a clown, but actually when all of the colours mesh together when using a brush, it creates a dazzling, illuminating glow. I have received many compliments on this highlighter as it's noticeable but not overwhelming. You can play around with the individual shades of the highlighter- I used the ice blue on its own when I was creating a blue themed look!

Stays on the skin beautifully and doesn't wear off during the day.

Eyes

Primer

e.l.f.- Shadow Lock Eye Primer (£3.00- www.superdrug.com)

Eye primer is totally optional, but it certainly does help to have it handy. It helps the eyeshadow cling onto something so it doesn't crease onto your eyelids as well as improving the overall colour payout of your eyeshadows.

This one appears coloured, but goes onto the skin sheer. It is honestly the best eye primer I have used, and I attest to this as my eyeshadow cut-crease and winged eyeliner stayed on point for the entirety of the day (I should also add it was 25c outside and humid).

An absolute steal at its price mark.

Eyeshadow

I Heart Revolution- Chocolate Eyeshadow Palette Elixir (£8.99 www.superdrug.com)

Eyeshadow is a bit of a tricky one, but this is my favourite palette which I use basically every day. Its colours are comparable to Anastasia Beverly Hills- Modern Renaissance, but for a fraction of the price.

You can play up bold colours with the pinks, reds and golds, but you can also combine the nudes and browns to create a subtler everyday look. Its purpose stretches further than just eyeshadow as I personally like to use the two brown shades for my eyebrows! Naturally, your ability to use it for your brows will depend on your brow colour, but I have medium brown brows and having this palette saves me buying a separate brow kit!

This is a fabulous all-rounder and the packaging is an added bonus as it looks like a glamorous chocolate bar. Also, this particular brand has amazing reviews on all their palettes (I currently own 4....)

Eyeliner

Essence- Liquid Ink Eyeliner Waterproof (£2.50 www.wilko.com)

I was SO happy when I discovered this product, I have swapped between many liquid eyeliners over the years as I'm very fond of a winged eyeliner look, and this has to be my favourite of all time.

First of all, its price mark is insanely cheap and what is even better is that it's a great product! It has a fine brush tip so you can have a subtle everyday look, or you can add extra layers to create a more dramatic eyeliner look. Its colour is great as it shows as a lovely matte jet black, and its staying power is also very favourable. I generally use two coats of this eyeliner if I need my eyeliner to last all day, but even one coat gives great colour payout and good staying power.

Mascara

Collection- Lash Surge Mascara (£4.99 www.boots.com)

Like eyeliners, I have tried many mascaras through my makeup journey. Some faring better than others (even the expensive ones I picked up Sephora in the US), this is one of my favourites.

It can come off a little clumpy at first, but if you wipe off the excess you've got beautifully voluminous long lashes. I generally only need about two coats, but what is great about this one is a) no clumpy lashes b) its incredible staying power. I always used waterproof mascaras as I thought they'd be best against humidity and rain, but this one actually stays on the longest for me! Say goodbye to the Panda Eye.

Now go out there and SLAY *not that you need makeup to slay because you're fierce anyway, but if you're partial to some war paint like me- go out and get 'em!

-A.