Makeup On A Budget – Part 2

Hello everyone!

I’m back today with Part 2 of this blog post, click here to catch up on part one. As stated previously, I will touch upon:

• Highlighter
• Eyeliner
• Eyeshadow
• Mascara

Highlighter:

Another favourite of mine! I remember when I was first starting out with makeup and I was trying out different highlighters, I found THE ONE. I actually shattered it by accident and then I tossed it out because it just didn’t work the same. Anyways, since that particular highlighter (don’t worry I will share it below), I have not found anything that topped it. I have tried stick highlighters, other powder highlighters and liquid highlighters. This highlighter was the best I’ve ever used and since I used it, they’ve come out with different versions! Now drum roll please, it’s the…

• W7 Glowcomotion ($4.99) – I freaking love this highlighter and it’s sooo affordable! It’s not available in a pink version, though I find golden highlights suit me much better. This is seriously a HG product. Sometimes it even goes on sale for half price!!! Insane, I can’t rave about this one enough. Large pan, super blendable and very pigmented…it also comes with a mirror, super handy on the go…or should I say on the glow haha. Buy this, use it everywhere and love it! Thank me later!!
• Revolution Highlight Reloaded ($9) – Didn’t think this would be that great when it came out, but it proved me wrong! Buttery, good shine and great price for a great size. This is a bit bulky for my liking, but for the amount of product I get vs. price, I am not really complaining haha. Available in 6 shades!
• Rimmel Insta Strobing ($14.95) – Available in a pink base, gold base and a bronze base. This isn’t too bad for the price, there is one highend liquid highlighter that I love (Kevyn Aucoin btw), but this is all about makeup on a budget! I think this is actually pretty decent, I like the gold based one as it suits my skin tone the best. Great for that subtle glow, even greater for no makeup days where you want to put in little effort but still want to look like you put in some effort haha.

Eyeliner:

Pencils, liquid, pens, pots, stamps, gel – the list goes on. Eyeliner is also a favourite of mine ever since I learnt how to properly do a wing lol. Eyeliner is the kind of product where you could use it a tiny bit – like have it smudged on your lash lines, or you can go all out with a full on wing. I love my wings, I find it really complements my eye shape. So many different colours out there too, though black and brown remain the most popular colours. Neon/bright colours are great for festivals or special occasions, well bright colours could be used for everyday as well, though I don’t think I can pull it off haha. I am a bit biased, after all these years of trying different eyeliners, I have to say liquid pen will forever be my favourite.

• Maybelline Hypersharp ($17.95) – I have previously tried this and it was also suggested by the lovely Stella of @ohmy_stellar! It has a thin tip which can change thickness depending on which side you use the eyeliner/how you turn it. Pretty decent eyeliner for beginners, and super easy to use!
• Thin Lizzy Perfect Wing Eyeliner ($19.99) – Great for beginners who want to experiment with wings because it comes with a stamp on one side and the eyeliner pen on the other side. It’s a more affordable alternative to the Quick Flick.
• Mecca Max Wink Ink Super Liquid Liner – ($17) – I have tried the old formula where it was double-sided, but they have since changed it to a single tip. I’m just going to base my opinions off the original, because I really found it worked well. It was the right size so I could get a precise wing and it didn’t bleed or anything throughout the day, nor did it smudge/transfer. Pretty afforable considering that it’s from the Mecca Max line.

Eyeshadow:

I wasn’t going to include this initially, but I might as well! There are so many different kinds of eyeshadows available on the market as well – eyeshadow powder/palette, liquid eyeshadow, stick eyeshadow, powdered eyeshadow, honestly the list goes on! I want to recommend some of my favourite and affordable options:

• Revlon Colorstay Look Book Palette ($19.95) – I own Maverick and Enigma, and at first I didn’t think I’d like them because of their small pans but the pigment is really good and perfect for on the go/travelling. I really like the purples in Engima, but I also like the deeper tones in Maverick. I’ve worn both to work before and they last well for long hours!
• Revolution Reloaded Palettes ($8) – These palettes are really affordable and come with large pans compared to most other eyeshadows. My favourite palette is Velvet Rose and Affection. They are not the greatest pigments, but for the price they make a great gift for beginners because they have a variety of palettes with a variety of colours. I find that the shimmers are more pigmented than the matte shades, so the mattes may require a little more blending out. But for $8 can’t really complain!
• Australis Neutralize Palette ($18) – I loveeee this palette, I bought another Australis palette in place of this but man I wish I got this one instead. I love the shades because they’re perfect for everyday, but they can also be used for like more glam/going out looks! Very pigmented, especially the shimmers. Really good beginner palette as well I reckon because you get 20 shades so the possibilities are pretty endless!

Mascara:

Forgot to add this one in, hence why it’s last haha. When it comes to mascaras, there are different formulas, wands, purposes, colours, etc. I just love a basic mascara, I don’t focus too much on whether it’s lengthening, voluminising etc. I’m a simple girl.

• Maybelline Lash Sensational ($20) – One of my favourites! It smells like chocolate haha and the brush has two sides to it. One side to lengthen and the other to separate the lashes. Love this on my bottom lashes because it really helps to lengthen it, without clumping – actually looks really natural!
• Essence Volume Stylist Lash Extension Mascara ($6) – Recommended by @sensitiveskingal! I have always heard good things about the Essence mascaras, I tried one years ago, but I don’t remember which one it was. They are such affordable mascaras, I mean, $6 is such a steal! She loves this mascara because of the brush shape and the in-built fibres which help to boost the lashes, making them look long and voluminous, but without looking over the top. She swears by Essence mascaras and has never had a bad experience with them either!
• Maybelline Volume Express Colossal Big Shot Masacara ($19.95) – Recommended by Hiuy of @beautybyhiuy, she has flat Asian lashes and loves this because it’s great for length and volume! It does not smudge and isn’t waterproof either.

That’s the end of this little series, I hope you enjoyed exploring more affordable options with me! Let me know if you have any blog post requests as well! New blog post out next week as usual 🙂

With love,