Under £2 Haul & Mini Review

Y'know when you get that urge to buy something? ANYTHING?

The cravings seem even stronger when you're unemployed/have no money/on a spending ban. All of which have been my life for the last few months. Which is beaut.

Honestly.

But I needed something to fill the hole in my life. I needed a few new little bits and bobs to play with so I thought I'd pick up some mega budget make up from around the high street. You'd be surprised at how much you can find for a quid or two.

So that's what I decided to do. I tried to pick some things that would see me into the transitional period that is our beloved autumn, while not breaking the bank. Under £2 was the rule and I wanted relatively decent quality and ideally stuff I actually needed. It may only be £2 but it's still going to be wasted if its something I don't actually want/need AND it turns out crap.

MUA Blusher // £1
Holy shit. These are the most pigmented blushers I have ever, ever, ever used. It's important to tap off aaaall the excess for a minimum of 6 days and give the brush a little swirl on the back of your hand first, then you can apply a nice amount to your cheeks. The longevity is okay and I didn't notice it faded particularly patchy which is really great for a quid. I bought Bon Bon (a peachy nude, and my favourite) and Candyfloss (a pale but vibrant pink) which I hoped would be similar to my favoured Hervana blusher that I neeeed to find a cruelty free replacement of.

MUA Nail Polish // 50p
I'm a bit of a nail varnish snob so didn't expect much from this. I don't have any navy/dark blue nail varnishes in my vast collection so thought it was worth picking up. I can spare 50p, yaknow? I've got to give it props - on my left hand, even after 3/4 days there are VERY minimal chips. I would go as far as to say it looks nearly enough perfect. However my index and little finger are pretty chipped on my right hand and were after around 24 hours. The rest of my fingers still look great though, and I think a topcoat would make the world of difference. The colour (Ocean Blue) is stunning, too.

Kiko Campus Idol Urban Sheen Lipgloss // £1.90 
(Now £1.40 online, BTW) I love red lipstick so much. I have a stupid amount - stupid being the appropriate word because I hardly ever even wear red lipstick. This colour was too pretty to pass up though. It's a pretty small pencil and the finish is MUCH more opaque than your standard gloss, I would say it's more a really high shine lipstick without the staying power. It lasts a few hours on your lips but fades quite evenly and is so easy to touch up I don't even mind. I bought Fiery Poppy and there are quite a few other colours but of course I can't speak for the finish of those.

Make Up Revolution Amazing Lipstick // £1
I actually own quite a few of these lipsticks in all sorts of shades and for a pound they are really not bad at all. Of course they're not going to last you the whole night or through an eating sesh but I think that's okay. Especially if you're just looking to try a new colour and don't want to splash out on a fancier brand before knowing if the type of shade suits you. I bought Dazzle which is a deepish, vivid pink (not so much an autumn shade, woops) and I think it's so pretty. I applied three layers and blotted heavily on a tissue in between and the finish was SO much nicer and it lasted a surprisingly long time on my lips.

H&M Face Mask // £1.99
I really like these. I've used the Teatree one in the past so thought I'd pick up another one for blemishy skin because god knows I need it right now (WHERE HAVE THESE GODDAMN SPOTS COME FROM?). I haven't tried this particular type but they have soooo many different ones they are absolutely worth the two quid for a nice little pamper evening to make yourself feel better about being so poor... (accompanying bath, candles and alcohol recommended).

Essence Long Lasting Eye Liner // £1.50
This is the shining star of the whole little haul. It is awesome. Probably the best eye liner pencil I've ever used. Got to give it a A+ for being retractable 'cause fuck sharpening pencils amiright? It's mega black and lasts a billion years in my upper waterline and doesn't bleed in my watery lil' eyes. Absolutely recommend, and Essence just impresses me more and more and more.

Essence Long Lasting Lip Pencil // £1.50
I love this colour - it's absolutely lush. I picked up Lovely Frappuccino which is a darker nude than any I currently own and it's one of my favourite formulas of lip liner. It's more waxy than my Kiko Smart Liners so are much longer wearing. I'm definitely going to pick up a red to encourage me to get more wear out of my red lipsticks!

Essence Long Lasting Eyeshadow // £1
Small confession - I picked up the wrong shade entirely. I was swatching one in the shop that felt so creamy and lovely and thought it would make a gorgeous highlighter. It was only when I got home... Ripped the packaging off eagerly.... Went crazy applying it to my cheekbones etc like a mad men.... Did I realise. I realised I picked up a fucking shimmery grey/taupe. LOL MY BAD. However, the colour is actually not like any I own and I quite like the formula. Not as pigmented as it seems in a swatch but also no fallout and does blend nicely. I'm going to check out their matte shades next!

(L-R) MUR Dazzle, Kiko Fiery Poppy, Essence Lovely Frappuccino, Essence Black Fever, Essence Eye Shadow, MUA Candyfloss, MUA Bon Bon)