4 Lesser-Known Beauty Brands Worth Buying
So we’ve all heard wonders about the likes of MAC, Bobbi Brown and NARS, but does a good beauty product always have to be a premium brand and cost you a premium price?
Today I’m going to talk about a few lesser-known (and often cheaper!) beauty brands which I have personally tried & tested. These 4 beauty and skincare brands live up to the bar set by premium, high-end brands and are definitely worth a look at!
By Zoe Dubs, FaceValueBeautyBlog.co.uk
With the boom in online shopping over the last decade, it was no surprise that the makeup industry followed the fashion retailers and got their digital onnnn.
Elf Cosmetics is an online-only brand which does a great line in sleek looking palettes and products - most of which cost under £5. Why pay more?
At first I was dubious about buying makeup online and I didn’t feel like I could trust the quality and ingredients in the products - particularly lip and mouth products.
However, as I expanded my ELF experience, I came to realise that the quality equalled some of my most trusted high-end brands and I’ve been consistently impressed with everything I’ve bought!
Forget about finding the perfect concealer shade, only for you to need a different colour a week later. This complete coverage concealer palette provides the perfect match for your skin all year round.
ELF brushes are also very well priced, from £1.95! I find that I use their Studio brushes more than my MAC brushes! I also LOVE this Blush Palette which holds the essential mix of colours - and less than 8 quid!
I also have to give a little shout out to the ELF Moisturising Lipstick (£3.95) - super wearable and smooth, Coral Cutie and Pink Minx are perfect shades for Kylie Jenner-esque lips!
Next up is BeeGood – the UK’s answer to Burt’s Bees! This all natural, all organic skincare brand has recently been taken on by Waitrose and boy-oh-boy, is it nice!
Created by beekeeper Simon and his wife Caroline, it is the only British brand to exclusively use British beeswax and British honey in its products.
I’m a big fan of the Honey & Propolis Cream Cleanser, very similar to the legendary Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish but with a different scent.
BeeGood do a duo pack of the cleanser for £19.50 (including cloths) vs the standard price for Liz Earle at £15. Bargain.
Oriflame is the Swedish answer to Avon and originally started off with catalogues, it’s now available internationally and online.
Again, I’ve never had much faith in online or catalogue makeup but I’ve been pleasantly surprised and consistently impressed with the quality of the makeup and skincare I’ve tried.
The Beauty Terracotta Bronzer and Giordani Pearls are fabulous alternatives for the Guerlain version and about a quarter of the price!
The Eyebrow Kit (£8) boasts two eyebrow shadows, an eyebrow setting wax and two brushes - very similar to Benefit Browzings! (see my blog for an in-depth review and how-to use)
I also love the Triple Core 3D Lipstick which highlights and sculpts lips with one swipe, making them look bigger and fuller in seconds. Result!
The last brand is KIKO Cosmetics. They have beautiful stores across the UK which are stuffed to the hilt with makeup - a beauty junkie’s dream.
I confess, it took me a good year before I actually went in store. I was never really interested in unknown brands but I’m SO glad I gave KIKO Cosmetics a chance.
One of their flagship products is the KIKO Smart Lipstick, only £3.90 and in SO many colours. At that price, you’ll be tempted to collect them all!
The KIKO Soft Light Powder is a lovely demi-matte powder which looks natural, whilst controlling oil and shine. A good alternative for Chanel Les Beiges and MAC Mineralize Skinfinish if you ask me!
KIKO also release limited edition collections which are all themed and all look too good to use! For example, this Rio-themed Sun Lovers Blush, a multicolour blush with an adaptable finish. It is absolutely stunning and currently only a fiver, down from £14!
So there you go - 4 lesser-known beauty and skincare brands for you to try in 2015. Maybe they’ll replace your trusted premium brands and save you some pounds in the process. Worth a shot right?
