High End to High Street – Bridget Foster Investigates
The Guide Magazine’s Beauty Consultant, Bridget Foster has been on the hunt for the best high street brands; she has made herself the test subject and has reported back.
I’ve been back in Carlisle for five years now and time has flown by. I had the privilege of using premium brands whilst in London and although they are brilliant, they aren’t always affordable. Since writing for the Guide Magazine’s I have found that clients in Cumbria want to use quality products that are also good value.
For this edition I have stepped out of my comfort zone and tried and tested some high street brands. I decided to have a trial week and for seven days I wore a face of only high street brands.
My high street face consisted of:
Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation £9.99
Personally, I only really wear a foundation when I go out so wearing this during the day felt different. However, I am very impressed with Bourjois as a whole range. Great coverage and hydrating on the skin and a perfect hue that wasn’t too matt or too shiny. It lasted all though my gym sessions and still my skin had a great even finish. A highly recommended foundation. Apply with a brush or sponge.
Boujois Powder Java Rice Powder £9.99
Launched to celebrate Bourjois 150th birthday. Super fine translucent powder that smooths and disappears on the skin as it sets make up and radiates a subtle glow. Absolutely stunning and smells ridiculously expensive.
Revlon Concealer £6.99
A nice light weight concealer, best for a normal to oily skin as I think it would flake on a drier skin. Not too heavy but just enough coverage to even and lift skin tone. I personally prefer a thicker concealer as its purpose is to cover.
Revlon Lip Liner blush £6.29
I bought this lip liner about six months ago and it’s still going strong. No need to sharpen, it lasts and holds onto the lip. Finding a good lip liner is key to keeping your make-up on trend at the minute. With the increase of lip enhancements and perfect pouts on our social media, perfecting a clean pout is essential.
Revlon Ultra HD Matt lipstick £6.99
This lipstick is great. It has a liquid texture that dries matte on the lips with a beautiful vivid colour and gorgeous smell. I choose a coral shade out of the range ‘Devotion’. It lasted a while and certainly stained my lips. Great as a base with a gloss on top.
Topshop bronzer in Mohawk lighter/ Saulte Darker £9.00
These warm matte bronzers have little coverage and buildable shades. I thought these were great for contouring and sculpting as well as warming the skin. The Saulte was good for contouring and Mohawk is more for warming the skin.
Topshop Blusher in Dream Phone £7.00
I have used Topshop blushers previously and they have lasted just as long as my premium brands. Pigmentation is beautiful and brings just enough colour into the skin.
Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Mascara £8.99
I have used this mascara on and off for more than 10 years. It’s still my favourite.
Maybeline Painting liner £7.99
I have these in all shades. I would say the black could be blacker, and this is a struggle with most black liners but for the price its great and it really lasts.
MUA Brow palette £3.50
I normally use the blonde pencil to shape and sharpen the brow. However, I tried the palette which was great as it had a mirror, applicator and a waxy product to pull hairs into place and set. Great for travelling.
To summarise, high-street make up can certainly match our premium brands. I think the foundation really impressed me. I will always use more premium eyeshadows as the colours are so much stronger and last a lot longer on the eye.
I have a wide range of premium foundations within my kit that I like to mix and match, but for personal use I will definitely look at Boujois again.
For fashion shoots, I have bought Barry M and high street. During a photo shoot I am on hand to touch up as and when it is needed. The purpose is to create a look and a style. The make-up needs to be able to withstand the shoot but its adaptable and removable. So I keep my premium make up mainly for clients and play with my high-street colours for fashion shoots.
On my most creative shoots I used my premium white foundation and paints but the main feature of the eyebrows were done with a Barry M colour pencil.
So there you have it. Never be embarrassed by what make-up you buy, you’re being clever and sensible and hopefully a bit more creative.
Have a look at my high-street make up look on Facebook.
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