I love my makeup, and just like you, I’m picky about the products that I apply to my skin. However, I’m also a college student who unfortunately hasn’t magically discovered her tie to unlimited funds just yet. Makeup products are just. too. pricey. I mean, an eyeshadow palette that costs more than my electric bill doesn’t always seem like a justifiable purchase. But let’s face it, sometimes the cheaper brands just don’t give you everything you want.
Recently, I discovered the genius Primark chain, which originated in the UK and by the grace of whatever God is out there, made it’s way America, thus making its way to me – praise be! Primark is known for their crazy affordable prices and deals that sometimes just seem too good to be true. But every time I enter that oasis, I’m just blown away by the fact that I ever shopped anywhere else. On top of it all, they have their own line of makeup products. Inexpensive makeup that claims to have the quality of our favorite brands. I’m one of those “believe it when I see it” kinda people, so I had to go try it out for myself.
I replaced all my makeup with Primark’s store brand cosmetics for 1 week.
That’s right, a whole week. Now I’m not a professional, I’m not a makeup guru, but I’m a normal girl who likes to look good from time to time. I depend on my quality, reliable products. In total, I spent about $35-40 on the makeup products I bought.
1.Mascara (not pictured), eyeliner and an eyebrow pencil.
2. Foundation, concealer, and press powder.
3. Contour & Sculpt kit.
4. Nude and Orbit eyeshadow palettes.
5. Lipstick and blush.
I went about my week putting my makeup on as I would all of my normal products. My everyday makeup routine is usually concealer for my problem areas and a thin layer of foundation, followed by a translucent setting powder. I then clean up my brows a bit with a medium-dark brown pencil and shadow my eyes with a small combination of natural tones/colors. I like an easy thin line of eyeliner with a minimal wing and a layer of mascara. For the purpose of this experiment, I incorporated a basic contour and a neutral shade of lipstick and blush to my routine.
But Halloween weekend was upon us so I thought, why not make it a Primark Halloween, too?
After a week of nothing but Primark products, I have a few thoughts:
The pigmentation of the eyeshadow was surprisingly rich.
I was a little worried that a palette that only cost me $7 wasn’t going to give me the desired effects I was going for. I am happy to report that I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrancy of some of the shades and their ability to blend together so easily. I’ve purchased quite a few palettes from drug stores over the years, and nothing has quite compared to this one. The durability is something to be noted as well. I mean, it survived a sweaty night out at a bar for Halloween, and still looked #flawless.
The eyeliner left a little to be desired
I purchased a cream eyeliner with an application brush. It seemed easy enough at first, but the lines weren’t very definitive and it wasn’t as sharp or dark as I was hoping it would be. I took a bit of touching up after the first try, but I managed to make it work. I’d give this product about a 3/5.
The foundation, concealer, and powder were the most amazing combination.
I was in awe of the concealer and foundation’s coverage and ability to still feel so light on my skin. Not once did I feel overpowered by the foundation, the setting powder made everything feel perfect and in place, and the contour kit offers the perfect pigmentation to easily blend into the overall look. Love love love.
The lipstick was relatively long lasting.
I managed to go all day without rubbing it all off, and most importantly it didn’t have that cakey effect that some lipsticks tend to have after a little while of application. I even had my boyfriend give it the kiss test after allowing it some time to dry (and I added a tiiiiiny bit of setting powder over it). This is a 4/5 lipstick.
Eyebrow pencil was exactly what you’d expect.
I purchased this pencil for about $1.50, so I can’t really complain. It does what it’s supposed to do, but comes off a bit strong and rubs off easier than I would have liked. However, it did the job and I can’t say I wouldn’t repurchase!
The mascara was a bit disappointing.
I have heard positive reviews about Primark’s mascara in the past, so this may have just been a fluke that I came across during this visit, but I can’t say I’m very impressed. It’s not as rich and full as I was hoping for such a voluminous illusion it offers, but a few coats of it was sufficient. I’d say I’d try again, but I would need some different results.
My overall opinion? Most of Primark’s makeup is very much worth it. I saved a ton of money and I feel like I didn’t sacrifice very much of the quality. A few of the products were lacking some of the lusters I was hoping for, but for a woman on a budget who also has high needs, I was not at all disappointed. It just goes to show you that you don’t always need to splurge on expensive makeup to get your desired look.