Let’s face it. Make-up can be pretty expensive. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not all about Chanel and Nars (even though those two brands make great products). Here are some affordable make-up brands that do not skimp on quality:
NYX Cosmetics
If you’re an avid YouTube tutorial watcher, you’ll notice a lot of vloggers using NYX products. That’s because they are pretty darn good. The range and quality of products is bested only by the super cheap prices. Now with the Dubai Shopping Festival on, the prices have gone even lower. Think liquid lipsticks for just Dh35. Unheard of! Available at Lifestyle.
Products to look out for: Jumbo Eye Pencil, Butter Gloss, Soft Matte Lip Cream.
ColourPop Cosmetics
I. Love. This. Brand. They make some of the cheapest and most widely used matte liquid lips around. The brand also makes lip glosses, eyeshadows and gel eyeliners, among other things. A number of UAE online stores stock ColourPop for almost four times their original prices, so I find it better to buy from their original web store. Prices start from $5 (Dh18) and shipping to the UAE is thankfully not outrageous. Available on colourpop.com
Products to look out for: Matte liquid lipsticks, value sets of eyeshadows and lipsticks.
Wet n Wild Beauty
My obsession with the YouTube beauty world is again evident by my interest in this make-up brand. A couple of years ago, Wet n Wild’s Color Icon Eyeshadow Collection, a mini palette of eight eyeshadows, was a much-raved about product among bloggers. I never was able to get my hands on it as a teenager, but I recently rediscovered the brand. It’s cheap as chips (prices start from Dh19) and still of good quality. Available at Virgin Megastores.
Products to look out for: Lipsticks, highlighters and bronzers, eyeshadow palettes.
Bourjois
This French brand is more pricey than the above, but they make some lovely items that are worth the extra dirhams. They make one of my favourite liquid lipsticks — the Rouge Edition Velvet Matte Liquid Lipstick in Ole Flamingo (Dh79). They also make blushes and eyeshadows in the prettiest packaging, and some lush mascaras.
Products to look out for: Foundations and concealers, blushes.
