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 good 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 volumising mascaras.
At the bottom end of the scale is Primark's Opia Volume Boost Mascara is just £1. It doesn't add volume like it promises but it is good at separating. The mascara doesn't last all ages but it does go on pretty well. The saying goes, 'you get what you pay for' and while this might not be the best mascara going if you need something to tide you over until pay day, it's £1 well spent.
W7 Eye Lights Mascara, £4.99, comes with a mirror on the box and lights up when you open the lid so you can apply your mascara wherever you are. For a product on the cheaper end of the scale it is amazing! It lasts all day and thickens and separates. This is one mascara definitely worth buying.
Prestige Volume Mousse Mascara, £5.99, promises to create breathtaking dramatic volume. You can definitely build up great volume but it does fade after a while so reapplication is necessary.
Loreal Extra Volume With Collagen Mascara, £9.99, contains Hydra-Collagen to create a volume plumping formula which leaves lashes lovely and thick. It takes a few layers to build up but when you get there your lashes are left fantastically thick.
Max Factor's False Lash Effect Mascara, £10.99, has their biggest ever mascara wand which claims to give the effect of false lashes but will it live up to it's promise? Thankfully it did, this mascara is incredible. It leaves lashes super thick thanks to the brilliant fat brush. It also gives the effect of even more lashes.
Clinique Lash Power Mascara, £12.50, is easy to put on and lasts all day, but more importantly how thick did it leave lashes looking? With its very thin applicator, you wouldn't expect much from this mascara but surprisingly it pulled off a double whammy managing to lengthen and thicken lashes.
So top of the price range was Benefit's Bad Gal Lash, £14.50. Just like Clinique this mascara managed to pull off two tricks leaving lashes lovely and thick and lengthening them too. The best without a doubt.
Although the most expensive of these volumising mascaras did prove to be the best the cheaper versions put up some strong competition. Some mascaras are worth splashing out on but you can easily save some pennies and find a cheaper great mascara.
Come back tomorrow to see how liquid eyeliners compared.
Female First - Jessica Watson