Making up on a budget: How much is your face worth?

Hello everyone :)

In my last How much is your face worth? post I calculated that my average workday makeup was worth a total of $340AUD!  That jolted me into trying to replicate that look on a more limited budget.  After researching other beauty blogs, magazines, and trawling through discount beauty stores I've managed to bring the total down to less than $100AUD (none of these purchases were made online).

Face:

• NYX The Twin Cake Powder (CP10 Sand Beige) - $22AUD
• Revlon Spa Age Defying concealer (001) - $26.95AUD
• BYS Blusher (#4 Candyfloss) - $4AUD
• Subtotal:  $52.95AUD  (Original subtotal:  $140AUD)
• Saving:  $87.05AUD

Overall I was very satisfied with the face products.  The NYX powder was a shade darker than my usual MAC NC20 (I do switch to NC25 in summer) but it blended beautifully to give a gorgeous light coverage, was not powdery at all and my skin actually had a glow to it - love it! I'll have to go back to Groove store and pick up the lighter shade for winter.  The Revlon concealer has a slightly heavier coverage than YSL's Touche Eclat and is more obviously a concealer than a concealer/highlighter hybrid, but still a good substitute.  The BYS blusher was gorgeous and gave me a lovely soft natural colour on my cheeks.  A fantastic bargain at only $4 - love this too!

Eyes:

• Maybelline Eyestudio (Bronze Blowout) - $13.95AUD
• Face of Australia eye definer pencil (Brown) - $7.95AUD
• Rimmel Volume Flash x 10 Mascara (Black) - $15.50AUD
• Subtotal:  $37.40 (Original subtotal:  $150AUD)
• Saving: $112.60AUD

 My eye makeup lasted all day without fading, creasing or flaking.  The Maybelline eyeshadow was well pigmented but was noticeably more difficult to blend than my MAC shadows.  However the end result was quite wearable.  The FOA eyeliner was smooth in applying, blended well and did not run.  The star product for me was the Rimmel mascara.  This mascara has a velvety feel to it, didn't clump on application, thickened my lashes nicely and didn't flake or run.  I'd actually go so far as to say I personally prefer this to my Lancome mascara so I'll definitely repurchase!

 Lips:

•  BYS Longwear Lipstick (Rebellious) - $4AUD
• Essence lipliner pencil (01 Soft Rose) - $2.95AUD
• Subtotal:  $6.95AUD (Original subtotal - $40AUD)
• Saving:  $33.05AUD

I actually wanted to try out the $3 BYS lippies but the colour selection was cleared out at my local Reject Shop! Oh well, for an extra dollar I found a suitable brownish-rose shade in their Longwear line.  The colour was a great work-appropriate shade and this lipstick lived up to its name not bleeding or coming off on my coffee cup.  My one criticism of this is it felt a bit drying on my lips.  Finally the Essence lipliner was the perfect nude lip shade for outlining my lips and it glided on as smoothly as butter - another winner from Essence.


My total expenditure for this post came in at $97.30AUD which is a total saving of $242.70!  I can say I didn't make any major sacrifice in quality and I've become acquainted with some new beauty favourites.  I've also got to say this exercise was lots of fun and would recommended everyone have a go at doing this.

Until my next post.

Vita :)