Beauty doesn't have to cost a lot of money

Being a full time student at the moment, and will continue to be until at least May 2014, I have learnt to be very resourceful when purchasing makeup, skincare products and brushes on a very tight budget.  Surprisingly though,  I have also discovered that you don't have to have high end products to take good care of your skin, nor do you have to purchase the most expensive make up to look lovely.

Obviously there are a few things you need to look out for when shopping for make up, and brushes.  Some of the less well known brands that are becoming more readily available in supermarkets such as Woolworths, and department stores such as Target, Big W and K Mart are well worth looking at.  If they have testers available, make sure you do swatches of everything you are interested in, and if you have your phone handy, take a few photos as reminders of what you liked and pricing etc.  Eyeshadows can be tricky.  Some of the less expensive brand eyeshadows I now own are lovely and soft and silky, they blend easily, but do have more fallout than the more expensive brands.  Fallout is something I am happy to put up with.  Colour pay off can be achieved with less expensive eyeshadow by using good eyeshadow primers and playing around with using the eyeshadows both wet and dry.  Another option for a good eye primer is a creamy eyeshadow as your base.

Of all the makeup brushes I own, the only more expensive brush in my collection at the moment is a Real Techniques brush.  I have to say I do love it and hope to get more from that range in the future.  I also own brushes from various different companies including brands from Priceline such as Essence and a fairly extensive collection from an Australian company called OmShe.  They are all synthetic brushes, and if looked after properly, washed carefully and stored properly, can last you quite a long time.  Shop around and you will be surprised.  Some chemists even offer brush sets as a gift with purchase.  Build up your collection based on what you can afford for the time being, then as your income situation changes, purchase what you want.  Either way, a brush is a brush!  As long as the eye brushes are nice and soft, and don't feel as if they are scratching when you use them to apply your eyeshadow and to blend, then it is suitable.  Blush and powder brushes should also be soft, and preferably fairly densely packed.  Check your brushes for good quality in relation to the handle being attached properly, that the brush tip is nice and even, with no ragged edges and that the ferrule (the metal part) supports the brush head securely.

Go shopping with the confidence that if you look around, there are plenty of options out there for us gals on a limited budget!