I know this challenge was really popular about a decade ago now. And it was hard then; recently I found myself wondering if the £20 Makeup Challenge was even still possible in 2022. So, here’s my best shot.
Before I get started, I know that it will be physically possible, there are more budget friendly makeup brands now than ever before. The question is more ‘can it be done well?’. So, I’m not going about this challenge making it as cheap as possible, I’m trying to make this as affordable as I can with products I know perform well. Hopefully, I can keep it under/ very close to £20, but we’ll see.
I know when these videos were circulating back in the day, you’d see as many people rushing straight to the Natural Collection stand and grabbing all that they could for £2. We’re not doing that today. I won’t be using anything exclusively for the price tag. They’re all good products, and some may end up being doubled up, but only in a way that you might double up anyway if you’re trying to use minimal products – think bronzer as eyeshadow, not let’s make one product do five things.
£20 Makeup Challenge
Base
I was going to test the following:
17 Enhancing Foundation £5, 17 Second Skin Enhancing Concealer £2
However, my skin was slightly irritated by both of them, so it’s back to the drawing board in terms of affordable base options. Right now, the most affordable option I have that actually works with my sensitive skin is:
Revolution Pro Foundation Drops – £3.50
Officially, this product is £7, but it’s been £3.50 on the Revolution website for literally years now, so it’s £3.50. I was hoping to find something else, because the shade range for this one is limited compared to the majority of the other Revolution foundations, and technically, this is more than £3.50 for me because I mix mine with the lightening drops from the same range. But pale girl problems are not an everyone issue and I’m sure most people will find a shade that works for them.
And the cheapest concealer I own is the Catrice True Skin High Coverage Concealer, which is £3.95. Thankfully, that’s a little lighter than the foundation too so it helps to blend it in a bit.
Suggested Post: Revolution Pro Foundation Drops Review
Natural Collection blushes are fantastic, and only £2, but this one comes with a highlighter, and the powders may come in useful for the eyes later. I have these in a few shades, and although I mainly use cream blush these days, I still use these ones a lot when I do use powders, so there are no sacrifices being made here.
Elf Cream Bronzer – Tan Lines Feeling Shady – £6
£6 for one item feels like a bit of a splurge here, but a cream bronzer is also an easy eyeshadow base.
I accidentally picked up this product in the contour shade I own rather than the bronzer shade, which meant that blending it with the peachy powder blush to make an eye look was now going to be challenging, but I made it work by mixing in the brow powder instead.
Eyes
Essence All Eyes On Me Multi-Effect Mascara – £1.99
This item was picked purely for the price. Mascara preferences vary so much from person to person, that there’s no way to categorically call one good or bad, so I went for the cheapest option.
Plan: I’m going to double up my cheek products as eye products to save some cash, so I’m using the cream bronzer as a base and topping it with the blush duo and maybe using a brow shade as a liner.
I typically use a brow pencil rather than powders (elf also have a £3 pencil) so I went quite light here and only filled in the gaps rather than doing anything to the shape. If I hadn’t needed to use the brow powders as shadows, I may have ended up opting for the pencil instead, but £3 for two powders and two wax shades is incredible value.
Reality: Well, as I used the wrong base as my eyeshadow, I ended up dipping into my brow shades as eyeshadow as well as liner. Not ideal, obviously brow powders aren’t as soft as shadow/ blush so it isn’t as easy to blend, but it does work in a pinch.
Lips
Nothing much to say about a lip liner. Sometimes I do use a liner and a balm as lipstick if it’s closer to the shade I want, and liners typically last longer. I prefer matte lips so the fact it’s a pencil isn’t an issue for me, but I know that this might not be ideal for everyone.
The overall look is minimal, but it works as a fresh everyday makeup and comes in at a total cost of £22.44, which isn’t bad for a full face.
Are you surprised at the total, and have you tried any of these products?
Until next time,
Sophie
All prices correct as of July 2022.
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