Budget vs Bling. What's your face?!

Budget vs Bling. What's your face? Are you nifty at spending hours and picking out the best budget cosmetic brands in your local chemist or are you the type that is straight to the brands counter describing your wishlist and clipping your purse open is your only chore? I am mainly a budget buyer but I won't lie I like a bit of bling! Although, I have recently being learning a great appreciation for high street brands and my pocket agrees! I love make-up, I love all the products, can I apply them properly well I'll lie say yes!!! 

Here is a list of my all my favourite face and lip products to suit all budgets!

Highlighter: `My life changed when I discovered my first ever highlighter, Benefit Watts Up (€36), the effect it had when used on my cheeks, just under my eyebrow and down my nose-AMAZING!! Highlighter is the one thing you have to in your make up bag, and if you don't have one get one NOW! I am totally head over heels in love with Catrice Cosmetics at the moment. They have thought of every beauty product for all skin types that are a must and OMG they are fantastically priced! This highlighter by Catrice works a gem. It is so easy to apply, has such a cute name "fairy dust" and is so slim it's easy to store and for a neat price of €4.49, do I need to say more!

Foundation: Foundation is probably the number one must have product in any girl's make-up bag, it is for me. I am very pale with freckles. It is so important for me that I keep my natural colouring and my freckles are not covered over. Since the dawn of "Cat applying make-up"  time, I have always used MAC, NW20 Studio Script (€34) to be exact! I always got complemented on it. Since I moved jobs, I now get payed every second week so I've had to learn how to budget. I recently read a review on a friend's blog, Love.Life on Rimmel's Wake me up foundation, read it here. For a favourable sum of €10.99, this foundation has helped me to learn budgeting very well! It is so light you will not feel it on your skin and the colour is just perfect for me. I wear the palest shade!

Contouring: I am still learning to contour properly, it's one thing that can completely change the shape of your face. I go from flat cheeks to incredible cheekbones in minutes! Of course pulling a fish face for pictures also helps! They say a shade or two darker is best to contour but I go a bit darker simply because on nights out I wear fake tan and apply darker eye make up and foundation. Isa Dora is perfect for achieving this look and for such a large product for €19, it's a buyer pleaser. The little gem on the right is a blush by Essence cosmetics, €2.50!!! Not only is it an amazing bargain, my contouring for some reason always gets complemented when I use this! Suck in your cheeks and apply just below the cheekbone and blend! 

Mascara: I have only ever used one mascara and will only ever use one mascara Rimmel extra super lash, €6.99. I used Lancome's Hypnose tester mascara (normal size retails at €27) once but I couldn't betray my old faithful! Rimmel's mascara really extends your lashes. It does what it says on the tin!!

Primer; Primer's work! The difference they make is unbelievable! I always used Gosh's primer a sweet €12 but I was converted to MAC's Prep+Prime. At a steeper price of €36 it is amazing. It's pump action extends the life of the product, it's not greasy at all and drys super fast! It's perfect!

Blusher: We all need blusher in our lives especially in this frosty weather although the cold air might contribute to further pink cheeks! When I can, I splurge out on Estee Lauders' brand of blusher, it is expensive at €45 but so worth it! When I need to budget Lidl's brand of blusher €4, is colour perfect and long lasting.

L-R Ultimate Shine 230, Ultimate Colour 110, Ultimate Colour 060

Top-Bottom 230, 060, 110

Lipstick: Catrice's range of lipsticks are great and they have fab winter colours. What worries me about cheaper brands is the colour is not as strong on the lips as it is on the lipstick itself, but this is not the case for Catrice. All their lipsticks are of high quality and all at €4.49. 

Eyelashes: Last but not least, false eyelashes! If I'm on a night out and I am not wearing a pair of these I feel naked! How sad!! On the left Penneys/Primark full look lashes are only €1.50, it's insane and they are so good! On the right, Inglot's lashes are a bit pricier at €12 but they are worth the purchase! 

Links: Catrice
           Essence

What are your make up must haves?

LOVE CAT

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