Budget Brands To Try

If you can go into Boots or Superdrug and leave with only one thing, then you have more will power than me. High street brands are my weakness and that 3 for 2 offer needs to be taken advantage of, right? Since venturing into make up many years ago, I have trialled a variety of budget beauty brands and today I thought I'd give you the run down of a handful of my favourites. 

Soap and Glory | Whenever I go into Boots, the Soap and Glory aisle is the first one I scour. Their iconic Original Pink™ scented bath and body products have continually made their way into my daily routine for as long as I can remember. The Flake Away Body Polish and The Righteous Butter are often the solutions to my dry patches, but it's Soap and Glory's make up range that has shone for me lately. The Kick Ass Instant Retouch Pressed Powder* is perfect for brightening the face and setting make up, whilst the Peach Party Multi-Colour Blush Brick* adds a peach glow to the cheeks.  

Colab | In my early teens I was surgically attached to dry shampoo, but over the years I have lost the love for my beloved Batiste and stopped using dry shampoo altogether. It wasn't until I picked up Colab - Paris that I began to change my mind again on dry shampoos. The lightweight spray doesn't leave any white residue or build up in the hair, but instead it minimises grease and adds volume. If you're looking to venture into the world of dry shampoos to prolong how long a hair wash lasts, then I would thoroughly recommend giving the Colab range a try. 

Bourjois | My love for Bourjois started many moons ago when I encountered the little round pots of eyeshadow and I was sold instantly. Years later, Bourjois are still a firm favourite of mine, constantly impressing with their cult products and new releases. Although the Happy Light Matte Serum Primer and Smoky Eyes Eyeshadow Trio are two of my most beloved Bourjois, there's one product which is a notch about the rest - the Healthy Mix Serum Foundation. The vitamin rich, lightweight formula makes for a fresh, even coverage that has a natural finish; perfect for the transitional months between Summer and Autumn.  

Sleek | I remember when there was a massive hype around Sleek's eyeshadow palette in Storm, but it didn't stop there. Their contour kit and blushers are both best sellers and for a very good reason too. Lately they have begun to make a name for themselves with their replicas of high end products. The hue that has captured mine and many other's hearts is Rose Gold, a coral pink blush that has a finely milled formula that adds a subtle wash of colour that can be built up to create a strong sheen on the cheeks. 

Rimmel London | When I first started getting into make up, Rimmel, Natural Collection and Miss Sporty were my go-to brands. You know those clear mascaras that didn't really do anything for your lashes? I bought in bulk and ended up having enough to last me a life time. Moving on a fair few years and I have only just started to reintroduce Rimmel into my collection. To ease myself in, I picked up their lip liner in the shade East End Snob, infamous for being a Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk dupe and I got hooked. Many lipsticks and lipliners later, I have built up an extensive Rimmel collection again. 

Invisibobble | Hair bands are never going to be the most exciting topic to talk about, but as they are an essential for tying your hair back on a regular basis, I thought it was about time I caved in to the Invisibobble hype and see what the fuss was about. Although at £3.75 they may seem a little bit steep compared to the bumper packs of hair bands you can get for £1, these traceless hair bands had me hooked from the first pony tail. They helped to reduce my hair tie induced headaches and I no longer had that heavy, tight feeling you get from wearing a hair band for too long. Although I haven't noticed much difference in my split ends, my hair has stopped falling out as much and feels a lot less knotty. 

Topshop | Topshop released their make up range back in 2010 and since then it has become a staple in many people's make up bags. Their striking shades of nail vanishes and high quality make up are enough to get any beauty fanatic hot under the collar. For me, Topshop are the cream of the crop when it comes to high street highlighters, as no one can do them better. From the Glow Highlighter in Polish that is perfect for strobing, to their bronzed highlighter in horizon, Topshop pretty much have all your highlighter needs covered.

What budget brands do you recommend?