Budget beauty products seem to be everywhere at the moment and with the credit crunch it couldn't come at a better time.
Mascara for a pound and lip gloss for under a fiver seems perfect but how well does it actually work? Are cheaper products just as good as their more expensive counterparts or is some stuff just worth splashing out on?
Female First hit the make up counters to find out how products up and down the price scale compare.
Today we look at foundation.
Elf Shielding hydro-Tint Foundation is the cheapest foundation around at just £1.50. The liquid is quite thick so it's hard to distribute evenly. It did however last the day with no touch ups required.
Lacura Foundation, £2.49 at Aldi, is great. It goes on really easily, doesn't feel sticky and lasts all day. In fact it looks as good in the evening as it did when first on in the morning. Great value for money.
W7 Sheer Colour Foundation, £4.95, goes on quite easily but feels a bit heavy and cloggy on the skin. On the plus side the colour is nice but it felt too uncomfortable to keep on for too long.
Prestige Wet Dry Foundation £6.99, is a great long lasting foundation, even surviving a night in the pub without going patchy or needing touching up. It's really light and doesn't clog the skin. We would definitely buy this foundation again.
L'Oreal Paris Infallible Compact Foundation, £10.99 leaves a great natural finish. It lasts all day but a few coats are required. The foundation is nice and light so the skin can breath.
Max factor Natural Minerals, £12.99, is lovely and light but unfortunately it needed reapplying by lunchtime. It does give a great natural looking colour though.
Clinique Stay-True Makeup £18.50, gives a lovely colour and lasts the majority of the day but it can be a bit difficult to get it out of the glass bottle. It has a great lightweight texture and dries quickly but without drying out the skin. It would be really good for those with skin prone to break outs as it keeps areas of irritation moist.
Benefit Some kind-a Gorgeous Foundation £19.50, is super light, you can hardly tell you're wearing it. It provides good, even coverage and a natural colour. However it doesn't last all day and needs touching up throughout the day.
Another strong competition but the only foundation that ticked all of our boxes was Prestige's. It has a good colour, long lasting and a light texture. What more could you want? It's not the cheapest product but it's a long way of the most expensive and is great value for money.
FemaleFirst - Jessica Watson