Tips and warnings on buying CHEAP MAKEUP

So today I went a little crazy and bought some really stupid thing, and I have no idea why I've done that. So I decided to write this post so that people avoid making the same mistakes with cheap makeup!

1. Cheap makeup is NOT the same as a bargain

Rimmel Scandal Eyes for £6.99 - a bargain!

Tesco's F&F Bronzer for £4 - stay away!

Makeup is a delicate thing. If a clothes maker decides to produce a cheap-ish makeup range, chances are, it's going to be bad. True, lines such as Dior, Chanel and even Topshop have spawned beautiful makeup but I am talking about the cheap stuff, you know, like Tesco's own.
Don't get me wrong, long live Tesco!, but when it comes to using that stuff on your face - it's  at your own risk and its highly likely that it will be unsatisfactory.

2. Brands are most often a sign of quality

KILL IT WITH FIRE!!11!!

You might not like the eyeshadow you got from GOSH, or the "Smoky Eye Effect Eyeshadow" by Max Factor (that stuff is NAAAASTY), but it remains true that a proper make up brand, be it drug store or high end usually knows what it's doing.
The price comes from the ingredients used - to be honest, I think we would all pay the extra pound (or dollar, japanese yen or whatever) to not put mineral oil on our eyes.
 

 3. You might find the occasional gem...

Hooray, you win!

 Finding that drugstore miracle, and there are many, is the feeling a makeup junkie strives for (usually when broke). How else will we find them, if we don't take a chance to buy them? Simple: GOOGLE IS YOUR FRIEND. Read reviews - let other bloggers take the loss, why should you pay? Ha!
Of course, you might stroll into a shop and see something for a reduced price and rarely will one go home to google the product and then come back for it... But if you do search around, you will see a lot of things pop up more than once - that's an indicator that this may be a bargain! For example, Revlon PhotoReady foundation (still need to buy that though...)  

4. Avoid brands in local shops or that are priced too cheaply FROM THE START

Reduced makeup =/= cheap makeup. If it was £10 and is now £6 - that is good.
My rookie error today was walking into my TK Maxx and buying some random massive box from a brand called PARISAX (I know, what the hell is that!?). Many tears were shed over those wasted 8 pounds which could have been put into something so so so much better....

Left to right: blusher, "lip stain", eye pencil, lipstick (yeah that pale pink goop is actually a lipstick -__-), and lipgloss.

It looks pretty, don't it? The box is probably the best part of this!

5. Save up for amazing products!!!

Those 8 pounds that I wasted out of greed (thought process: Oh look, so many things in one box!!) are actually ~60% of a MAC lipstick. Saving up for a little longer could have resulted in something professional and actually usable, albeit expensive.

So protip - do NOT give in to massive cheap sets! It is 89.999% likely that they will SUCK, and you will regret not buying that beautiful and useful foundation later on (I know I did!!)

Hope this helps!

:)
x