20180412

Affordable Beauty | Haul & Review


I've recently been trying out quite a few new affordable beauty products so for today's post I'm going to be swatching them and letting you know what I thought. We've got everything from Superdrug's own brand to ColourPop, so hopefully there's something in here for you!

Touch in Sol No Poreblem Primer | £15 | This was originally going to be my initial post on this product but I've ended up mentioning it a lot before this went up! It's just an amazing smoothing primer that stops makeup emphasising fine lines or large pores. It gives a satin finish and really prolongs the wear-time of my foundation. It's become an everyday staple for me!

Maybelline Total Temptation Mascara | £8.99 | I've been using this mascara for a good couple of months now and I really like it. It gives a feathered, fanned-out look to the lashes, nicely lengthening them and adding a bit of volume. I've had no issues with flaking or smudging with this either. It's not going to overtake Lash Sensational for me but it's been a nice little change.



Ecotools Confidence in Bloom Beauty Kit* | £15.72 | I have a ton of products I've been trying from Ecotools so I'll give you a bit of an overview and pick out my favourites! There's a flat liner and a flat concealer brush in here that I don't really use but outside of that, this set has the core components you need. In here you get a dense buffing brush for foundation - personally I still prefer a sponge, but this is nice enough. There's a large angled brush that can be used to apply powder or bronzer. My favourite from this set is the round tapered 'setting' brush - I actually find it perfect for bronzer and it can also be used for blusher. Finally there are three eyeshadow brushes: one fluffy for the base colour, one that's slightly flatter to shade with and a smudger brush. I personally prefer natural brushes for eyeshadow but if you like synthetic then these are pretty good.
 

Ecotools Six Piece Day to Night Set* | £13.36 | This little set comes in a travel-friendly pouch and contains a more stripped-back set of essentials. The face brush is what I use every day to apply powder because it picks up the right amount of product and distributes it evenly. There's a pointed concealer brush which I actually use to tidy up my brows. You get a larger eyeshadow shader brush, though personally I prefer the one in the other set. I personally don't use the lip brush but there's a really nice precise crease brush in here.

Ecotools Skin Perfecting Brush* | £6.19 | This is supposed to be for foundation but of course there are no rules when it comes to brushes! I find the angled shape and the fairly dense bristles make it perfect for blending out cream and liquid bronzer and contour products to get a smooth, even finish.

Ecotools Perfecting Detail Blender* | £4.30 | & Colour Perfecting Minis* | £6.28 | I wasn't expecting to like these much, as I'm a BeautyBlender fan through and through but I was pleasantly surprised. I personally prefer the full-sized version because it still works for concealer and doubles up as a foundation sponge, so why have two when you only need one? I like the little edge it has to get into awkward spots and I did like the smooth finish I got with this. Personally, I still prefer the movement and flexibility of my BeautyBlender but if you just can't spend the money, this is definitely worth checking out.

Ecotools Tri-Fecting Wedges* | £6.18 | I'm not a huge fan of these kinds of sponges because you kind of have to 'swipe' as opposed to bouncing them across the skin. I'd recommend the blender over these.

Ecotool Perfecting Blender Applicator* | £4.64 | This is essentially a blending sponge on a brush handle. Personally, I'm not into it! I would much rather just hold the sponge in my hand to get the right level of control, so it's an unnecessary product for me.

Ecotools Face Mask Mates* | £6.19 | Ok, so this mask brush and sponge set isn't always going to be necessary, but I do have a few messier face masks that can be a bit of effort to apply (you know the ones: they come in a pot and can get under your fingernails - ew!) This brush is a hygienic, tidy way to apply face masks evenly and the sponges are great for getting them off. I use the sponges damp and they're especially handy for clay masks that harden onto the skin, which can be a little bit annoying to get off with water alone.

Ecotools Makeup Brush Cleansing Cloths* | £5.50 | I wasn't hugely impressed with these - they just didn't do a good job of cleaning my brushes when I was in a rush before I went away. It's a shame because they seemed like they'd be really handy for travelling and emergencies. I'd recommend the Superdrug B. brush cleanser that comes in a spray bottle if you're in need of a quick fix.


Ecotools Small Expert Thermal Styler* | £10 | I actually don't go for these kinds of round blow-drying brushes, so I've passed this on to my mum, who always uses them.

Ecotools Smoothing Detangler Hairbrush* | £10.50 | I really like this paddle-style brush. It's very gentle when it comes to detangling and can be used for blow-drying. The gaps in the back of the brush help the air to flow through, preventing the handle from getting hot.

Ecotools Polishing EcoPouf* | £2.70 | A shower pouf obviously isn't the most exciting product in the world, so I'll keep it brief! This is a really nice, solid pouf so I really like it for smoothing and exfoliating my skin in the shower.

Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush in Warm* | £8 | This actually came with my Ecotools package but you can pick this brand up on iHerb. Like all Physician's Formula cheek products, this has a really pretty design. The formula is luminous but not shimmery and gives a natural flush of colour that lasts well on my skin. This shade is warm - a sort of deeper peachy-pink colour.



Gosh Colour Drops in Purple (for Yellow / Dull Skin), Green (for Red Skin), Lighten & Darken* | £9.99 each | I don't think I've come across this sort of product at the drugstore before but of course colour correcting has been a huge trend over the past couple of years. These aren't lightweight watery drops like you might expect; instead they have a fairly thick, creamy consistency, so you only need a tiny amount (otherwise you risk altering your original formula). Personally, I find it all a bit gimmicky - whilst makeup artists often use these kinds of products, unless you have quite severe redness or sallowness, I just don't think the average person needs to colour correct beyond a bit of a peachy or orange colour on dark circles. The lightening and darkening drops could be handy for some, however these can change the undertones of your foundation, so I'd personally just recommend getting skin-toned colour adjusting drops.



Gosh Metal Eyes in Moonstone* | £6.99 | I really like using this kinds of metallic brown-bronze eyeliner on my lower lash line and my Urban Decay ones are obviously a lot more pricey than this! I really like Moonstone - it's just my sort of shade and works both with warm and cool eyeshadow looks. It has a nice creamy formula that sets down after application and has pretty good longevity too. 

Gosh Slanted Pro Liner in Intense Black* | This is a potted liquid liner with a plastic slanted applicator, which makes it pretty good both for getting a precise, fine line and something thicker. It's not going to be replacing my favourite from Stila but it's fine in terms of longevity, though I do get a little bit of transfer.

Gosh the Ultimate Lip Liner with a Twist in Nougat Crisp* | £6.99 | This is a must-have drugstore product in my books! The twist-up packaging means no sharpening and the formula is smooth and creamy to apply but still prevents my lipstick bleeding and lasts incredibly well. This is my perfect warm pinky-brown mid-toned nude and goes with most of my favourite lip colours.

Gosh Fake It! Lash Primer* | £9.99 | To be honest, this is a step I don't think is necessary in anyone's routine; it just takes time and can be slightly messy. I didn't notice any significant change in how long the curl of my lashes lasted or in smudging / transfering. I also didn't think it made my lashes look better (it's a bit too much for me and ventures into clumpiness). If you have a good mascara, you shouldn't need to prime!


ColourPop Give it to Me Straight Pressed Powder Eyeshadow Palette | $16 | If you're a regular on this blog, you'll know I love ColourPop's eyeshadow palettes! The quality, pigmentation and ease of use is just amazing. This is the perfect spring palette for those of us who prefer warm tones because, along with the pinky purple colours, there are some more coppery and brown tones. I really like the mix of mattes and shimmers but also that it contains a variety of colours so you can create distinct looks. The longevity is fine, though not the best I've tried. 



3ina The Longwear Lipstick in 520, 512 & 517* | £7.95 | I'll keep it brief on these, as they weren't really my bag! The standard formula sets down and is very long-lasting, though slightly drying. They also have a metallic version, which I personally don't go for (though maybe 517 could be sort of wearable...?) 520 is a lilac, 512 a light metallic gold and 517 a warm bronze-brown. One positive is that the sheen is very fine, so it's not too over-the-top if you like a metallic lip.


Inglot Intense & Medium Sparklers in 13, 11 & 33* | £15-17 | These shimmery powders are intended to be multi-use for the face, eyes and body and come in three levels of intensity. Personally the Intense formula is not something I'd wear on my face but they do make pretty baked eyeshadows. 13 is a light but warm gold and 11 is a cooler more taupe-y silver (which isn't a colour I'd use to highlight my face anyway). Used as eyeshadows they last pretty well for me and are a nice way to try a bit of sparkle without full-on glitter. 33 is the shade I have in the Medium formula, which I like to use for my face. Even the Medium is pretty intense! This is a sort of frosty peachy-pink with an almost duochrome effect on the skin, so definitely adds something unique to my sea of golden-champagne highlighters.



I Heart Revolution Chocolate Orange Eyeshadow Palette | £8.99 | I used to loooove Makeup Revolution back when I was a student so (in an admittedly slightly-impulsive move) a few weeks back I decided to try one of their new products. This isn't a dupe of anything else (as far as I'm aware), but I love the warm oranges, reds, browns and golds. It's mainly mattes but all the shimmers in here are ones that work for me. One or two of the lighter mattes aren't as pigmented as I'd like but overall the they are good and blend relatively easily. The shimmers all great! I don't think these are the most long-lasting shadows, however overall I do think this palette is a nice, affordable option (And how great is it that you can now get these sorts of big palettes at your local Superdrug?!)




Superdrug Vitamin C Orange Peel Jam Mask* | £4.99 | This mask is made with goji berry, orange peel and sugar particles - the smell is a lot but I do like the product itself. The particles manually exfoliate my skin, making it look fresher and feel softer. It makes things brighter and my skin just looks healthier overall after use. I don't think it will replace my Peter Thomas Roth but it's a great affordable alternative!

Superdrug Vitamin C Gel Moisturiser* | £4.99 | This is the standout from the Vitamin C range for me - I can't believe it's only a fiver! It reminds me a lot of the Origins GinZing moisturiser because it has a lightweight gel-cream formula. This makes it great for combination skin because it's refreshing and hydrating but absorbs so quickly.

Superdrug Vitamin C Facial Cleanser* | £4.99 | I wasn't a huge fan of this gel cleanser. It has exfoliating particles in it, which might not be great for everyday and it's also just a bit too sticky and the scent is slightly too much for me.

B. Detox Clay Mask* | £2.49 | I'm not a huge fan of the packaging of these masks; they come in a pod but there's too much product to use in one go and it's kind of messy to try to keep them (you'd have to use them over, say, two or three consecutive nights) however the product inside is fantastic. Plus, when I was looking for the links to these products, I noticed they're all available in full-sized tubs so I'd recommend checking those out instead. It's slightly difficult to comment on this charcoal mask because I only got two uses out of it and it's not the same sort of 'instant result' product as some of the others in the range. My skin felt clean and fresh after use though.

B. Hydrating Leave-On Mask* | £2.49 | This is probably my favourite from the range because it really is incredibly hydrating and softening on the skin. I used this a couple of times before bed and by morning my skin was so nice and smooth, with my dehydration lines becoming less visible. I'd definitely recommend checking this one out!

B. Glowing Clay Mask* | £2.49 | This is a really great exfoliating clay mask. it doesn't irritate my skin or leave it looking red, but I can see a noticeable difference, with my skin feeling smoother and looking fresher and more radiant.

B. Purified Clay Mask* | £2.49 | I really liked this mask! It left my skin so clean and clear and has this amazing brightening effect. It really gave my skin that 'brand new' feeling.


Design.Me Puff.Me Volumising Powder* | £9.95 | I often find that without a bit of product in there, my hair can look a bit flat. You just press this onto your roots and a little into the ends and it doesn't deposit too much product, so it's easy to scrunch your hair up and get that bit of volume. I wouldn't say it lasts all day but it gives that immediate boost and can be thrown in your handbag for top-ups during the day. The powder is very fine so it doesn't irritate my scalp or leave a visible white residue.

Sukin Hydrating Facial Masque* | £11.95 | I actually have a post coming up all about this skincare brand because I'm loving the products I've tried from them so far! This is a wash-off face mask packed full of natural ingredients and oils that's so good at smoothing, plumping and hydrating my skin. When things are looking a bit dry and tired, I reach for this.

Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Honey Bath* | £7 | I love Mandara Spa and it always pleasantly surprises me just how cheap their products are. I wouldn't say this amber, sandalwood and patchouli fragrance is my favourite from them but I love adding these honey products to my bath. They're so nourishing on my skin, leaving it nice and soft.

Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Body Cream* | £3 | I get through these pretty quickly but for £3, I guess you can't really complain! These body creams are lovely because they're lightweight but still give my skin enough hydration to get rid of dry patches of skin.

Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Bath Soak* | £5 | This is pretty much a pack of bath bombs that leave pretty rose petals in your bath tub. I do find that they make the water more nourishing but overall this is more of a 'fun' product.

Mandara Spa Amber Heaven Shower Cream* | £3 | This is a nourishing but still foaming shower cream in the same fragrance. I did also get through this one quickly and have actually already used it up! However it is a much more luxurious product than you usually get for this price-point. 


Lee Stafford Choco Locks Gloss Boss* | £6.99 | This is a nice product to use on dry hair to make the lengths and ends look a bit shinier, and I don't have many products in my collection that do this. It's lightweight and non-sticky but I can see the difference. The chocolate scent won't be for everyone, but I actually quite like it!

Lee Stafford Choco Locks Butter Cream Treatment* | £7.99 | As a huge fan of the coconut mask from this range, I had high hopes for the chocolate version and wasn't disappointed! You use this after shampooing and before conditioning and it just makes my hair a little smoother, more silky and shinier.


Merci Handy Disney Edition Set* | £14.90 | If you're not familiar with Merci Handy, they do a huge range of hand cleansing gels and I always have one in my handbag. The formula is non-sticky and there are some really nice fragrances. This is a limited edition Disney set that gives me all of the nostalgia feels! The scents included are: Black Vanilla, Cherie Cherry, New Wave, Flower Power, Oh My Lemon and Lollipop. You can get 10% off this set with the code JASMINETALKSBEAUTY. 
 


Have you tried any new affordable beauty products recently?



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Disclosure - products marked * were sent to me for consideration and this post contains an affiliate discount code, however all opinions remain my own.

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22 comments

  1. I really like the Ecotools Total Perfecting Blender, I love the long flat edge for under the eye area!

    www.prettifulblog.com

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  2. The main thing to catch my eye is the Physician's Formula blush - gorgeous shade! xx

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  3. I've been really curious about that Maybelline Mascara, I hope it launches in South Africa soon x

    Candice | beautycandyloves.co.za

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  4. I love Ecotools brushes - the domed eyeshadow one is great. I haven’t tried any new drugstore beauty, but I heard great things about the yes to mid masks so I’m going to try them soon! xAllie www.theallthatglittersblog.com

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  5. I love the chocolate bar palettes!

    Lotte | www.lottebeautybox.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. I love Lee Stafford's products, the new Choco Locks range sounds incredible!

    carriefi.co.uk

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  7. What a great haul! I agree about Maybelline Total Temptation, it's a really good one and I actually like it better than Lash Sensational.

    Shireen⎜Reflection of Sanity

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  8. Love this post! I can never find a mascara I like so I might have to try the maybelline one!

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  9. You have mentioned some amazing products. The B. Hydrating Leave On Mask sounds lovely. x

    www.jordanalice.co.uk

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  10. So many amazing products here. After reading your posts I always want to spend so much money!

    Danielle xx
    https://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  11. This is exactly why I love affordable makeup - us makeup addicts can make a big ass collective haul. I am long over due for a colour pop order - I definitely need to get that 'give it to me straight' palette.

    www.themakeupaficionado.com

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  12. I'm huge fan of those Vitamin C products, I don't have the jam mask though, I think i need that next. I've been loving that GOSH lip liner to. I'm so pleased you've been loving the touch in sol primer, it's one of my favourites xx

    www.lpagebeauty.com

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  13. I got my friend to buy one of them the other week haha x

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  14. I definitely recommend it - I'm not sure why I haven't heard more about it :) x

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  15. ColourPop just always gets me with their new launches...x

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  16. The Mercy Handy set is adorable! I do enjoy their hand cleansing gels, although I generally go for more neutral options (I love those with that "hospital smell" haha because that scent makes them seem more efficient in my eyes!) but that packaging is so tempting!

    Julia x
    Last Post: Why You Should Do Things NOW | http://juliaspeaksbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/lifestyle-why-you-should-do-things-now.html

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  17. You do the most MASSIVE hauls!
    Those Disney hand gels are so cute, haha. Reminds me of childhood.

    Honestly, the ColourPop palettes look so amazing and pigmented. Do you really always get them shipped over from the US, just via the ColourPop website? I think it's just too expensive, as I never really pick up that much at once. I can't justify buying all the things, just to spread out the cost of the shipping/importing...

    Love, Charline | Charline Has a Blog

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  18. The Eco Tools range has definitely become a budget firm favourite of mine.

    www.upyourvlog.com

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  19. I always have to keep one in my bag! x

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  20. That's what I do - I either spend <£15, which means you have no customs (though international shipping is $10) and actually gets you a few bits on their website or I just keep a note of the things I like the look of over several months and spend the $50 for free shipping and just take the charges (usually £15 on a $50 order) x

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  21. I love this list! Puritans pride is my fave source for coconut oil beauty products

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