Best budget makeup brands ever.

'Is there a big difference between cheap and expensive makeup brands?'

This is a question I get asked often... and most of the time, I say yes. A big yes. Generally, higher-end brands have formulas which contain better quality ingredients and higher levels of pigment.

However, nestled amongst the aisles of low-cost makeup, are major brands which perform consistently and boast a range of products worthy of a higher price tag.

If you need to replenish a few supplies but don't want to blow the budget, behold my All-time Favourite Bargain Makeup Brands:

THE OSCAR GOES TO: RIMMEL
Rimmel's brand statement is "Get the London look". Hmm. Personally I prefer not to look freezing and pale... but odd catch-phrases aside, in my opinion Rimmel is, the best true budget beauty buy on the market.

Why? For the extremely low price, Rimmel is a higher quality than many other leading cheap (and many expensive) brands, the range is constantly updated and reflects new trends, the products have good levels of pigment and the colours have a wide-ranging appeal.

TRY:

'RECOVER' FOUNDATION (ABOUT $17AUD): Trust a British brand to develop a product especially designed to conceal the effects of a cracking hangover. A cheap and perfect solution for the day after the night before, this is one of the best anti-fatigue, light-reflecting foundations I've tried. The primer is pretty damn special too.

VINYL LIPGLOSS (ABOUT $10AUD)
Many cheaper glosses make me look like I've locked lips with a vat of olive oil, and any wisp of hair will stick to my lips like glue. Not so with the the Vinyl range. A non-sticky formula and a carefully chosen range of colours, including fresh summery peaches and neutral pink-browns which suit almost everyone. Second prize goes to Rimmel's Sweet Jelly range - a sheer, sweet gloss which tastes amazing too.

Also look out for: 60 Second nailpolish (a fun, chip-resistant range of summer brights and Uma-Thurman-darks at an ultra-cheap price); Hide the Blemish concealer (great coverage); Volume Flash Mascara (does what it says); and a very decent range of eye shadow quads for next to nothing.

THE BEST SUPPORTING ACT GOES TO: MAX FACTOR
"The makeup of makeup artists"... Umm... I've never seen a professional makeup artist with a kit full of Max Factor, but kudos to being the brand for budget foundations and great lip colours.

The brand may not have the grooviest reputation, but the formulas are sturdy and reliable - essentially this is the beige Mitsubishi Lancer of the makeup world.

Time after time, Max Factor produce a solid product which, despite not being the sexiest addition on the market, performs even better than the last.

TRY:

MIRACLE TOUCH FOUNDATION (ABOUT $27AUD): A weightless, seamless formula which glides on smoothly and delivers beautifully blended, long-lasting coverage. Great if you like a slightly fuller coverage and a no-mess application (it comes with a high quality latex blending sponge).

LASTING PERFORMANCE FOUNDATION (ABOUT $27AUD): My first brush with the brand came through this particular foundation, and I stuck with it for 2 years before reluctantly daring to try something new. It lasts all day, all night and into the next morning if you're still going - and never cakes, fades or creases. It's that good.

Also look out for: Second Skin foundation (almost undetectable coverage); their excellent range of cream blushes and Lipfinity glosses (the pretty pink 'Angelic' just scooped a major beauty award for Best Gloss of 2009).

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

BOURJOIS: If only for the superb range of eyeshadows and liners, and the '10 Hour Sleep Effect' foundation: a miracle in a bottle.

LOREAL: Spookily similar to Lancome and worth a go. The True Match Minerals foundation is the only budget brand of mineral powder I can recommend without hesitation.

REVLON: Because every self-respecting makeup kit should contain a Super Lustrous lip gloss in 'Pink Afterglow', 'Shocking Spice' or 'Glossy Rose'.

NATIO: Because their lipliner range (less than $11AUD) features some of the best nuetral shades ever - try 'Tulip' or 'Nude'. And the primers, tinted moisturisers and nail polishes are all outstanding quality.

...MEH:

Covergirl and Maybelline.

Tips:

~ When buying cheap, be careful with eyeshadow in particular. Test it by rubbing your finger lightly onto the shadow. If the colour doesn't appear really dense and slightly creamy on your fingertip, avoid it - it's loaded with fillers and will fade faster and look nastier than than a WAG with a cheap spray tan.

~ Beware of cheap foundations with talc as a main ingredient (check the ingredients on the label). The flash of a camera against a talc-based foundation will leave you with a face whiter than a post-surgery Michael Jackson. Talc should stay where it belongs: on nana's bathroom shelf.

Happy budget buying!

~ Rosie x

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