Makeup Challenge

I set myself the challenge of creating a makeup look using cheaper makeup brands from the high street. I always use higher end brands to do my looks which I know isn't always affordable for everyone so I wanted to create an entire look using more affordable brands.

I also used makeup brushes that are a lot cheaper then the higher end brands as I know brushes are super expensive and if your not using them everyday, it can seem unjustifiable. Real techniques brushes are an absolute cult amongst makeup artists, the brushes last forever and are so lovely on the skin so I would definitely recommend these brushes as an investment. Crown brushes are amazing, there is a massive range of high quality brushes and the prices are so cheap so if you have acess to online buying, these brushes are a must have.

Products used

Bourjois Heathy Mix Foundation   £10.99

Sleek Contour Kit in Light   £6.49

Collection Illuminating Touch Concealer in Natural   £4.99

Collection Lasting Colour Gel Liner in Brown   £4.99

Collection Fast Stroke Eyeliner in Black   £2.99

Maybelline Falsies Mascara in Black   £7.99

MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Laquer in Funk/Criminal   £3 

Ardell Eyelashes in Demi Wispies   £3

Brushes
Real Techniques Core Collection (4 brushes)   £21
Crown  Pro Blending Crease Brush   £3.99
Crown Oval Fluff Brush   £2.39 
H&M Angled Brush   £1.99 


Heres how I created the look...

Start

 First of all I applied the foundation all over my face and down my neck using the buffing brush to really work the product into my skin. I have very red cheeks and scars from spots so I need a good coverage foundation to hide all my blemishes. This foundation is lovely and dewy, the first layer covered any of my minor blemishes so I had to apply a couple of different layers over my problem areas to get rid of the redness but overall I think it's a brilliant foundation for the price.
 I then applied the concealer under my eyes in a V shape, to give a lovely illuminating glow. I also applied it just under my brow brone, and down the centre of my nose. This is a great tip is you want to slim down your nose without going OTT on the contouring/highting process. 
 For the brows, I used the angled brush with the gel liner to create a more defined look. My eyebrows are quite thin and sparse due to over plucking so I need to fill them in quite a bit. This product is amazing for the brows, it fills them in brilliantly and glides on so well. The colour is quite reddy/brown so I would only suggest using this if you have a red tone in your hair. There are other amazing gel liners you could use instead that have a different tone of brown. There are also brow gels you can get but there are on the pricey side so brown gel liners work perfectly well. To create this look, I start filling in my brows in the middle going outwards then with the little product left on the brush, I lightly filled in the start of the brow. That way, theres no harsh line at the begging of the brows.
 Then using my crown blending brush, I applied the contour colour from the sleek palette into my socket line to make my eyes look slightly bigger and have a defined socket. Using the dome brush from the real techniques collection, I also applied this same powder along my cheekbones and down the sides of my nose to continue trying to make it slimmer (I've got a problem with the size of my nose if you hadn't already noticed).
 Using my flat crown brush, I applied the highlight powder on my eyelid, down the centre of my nose and along the high points on my cheekbones. This makes the skin look dewy and glowing, and I always get compliments if I'm wearing it. I always recommend this sleek contour kit because the shades are brilliant, they have light, medium and dark to suit all skin tones, the price is super affordable and the consistency is so nice.

 To create the flick, I used the fast stroke liner which has a nib to create a nice even line. I used the very tip to start the flick thin and flattened the nib towards the outer corner to create a thicker flick. I also applied the mascara, which is one of my favourites, its really black so if you have fair lashes, this one really packs a punch. One of the best things about it, is that it doesn't print onto your eyelids or leave any darkness under the eyes after you've been wearing it all day.

I cheated a little bit and applied the lashes using my DUO lash glue which you can't get on the high street but there are amazing alternatives you can get, I just didn't have one at the time I was doing this. You can get Duo online at boots.com for only £4.99 which is amazing because it's the best lash glue and a little tube lasts for so long. I have to talk about Ardell lashes which are just so brilliant, they do hundreds of different styles from natural looking to big fluttery ones. The price range depends on the style but these demi wispies are a firm favourite amongst all makeup artists and clients due to there natural fluttery look and they affordable price.

To complete this look, I applied the lip laquer straight from the wand. As my lips are so thin, I had to go way over my lip line to show off the colour and texture of this product. The wand is quite a good shape so I was able to create the neat lines using just that and no other brushes which is massively helpful if your applying on the go. This product has massive staying power, it lasted for a really long time but the texture wasn't really velvety so I wouldn't recommend this for the texture that it advertises but I would definetly recommend it for the longevity. The colour range is so goregous aswell, there are a lot of options to choose from so if you want a matte lip colour with staying power, this is amazing especially for the £3 price tag. One photo shows the look with a flash, the other without it because I wanted to let you see how the products look when taking photos, with the harsh light and in normal light. 

 I hope this tutorial helps you to create a similar look and gives you a bit of a guide when it comes to high street brands. If you have any questions about these products used, please feel free to ask away.