Fight back against over-priced cosmetics! Post your cheap but outstanding discoveries

harryharp

Dustykitten wrote: »

Re Avon I use the skin so soft dry oil as an insect repellant as I get bitten terribly - might be useful for those midges I hear you get in Scotland.

I can second this- it really does work. I use it when going out running by the river and no bitey things come near me at all.

(it's the one in the turquiose bottle btw- and they're bogof at the mo.;) )

SuziQ

I have been using the siana day moisturiser for a week now and it's a good budget buy-though I do prefer Liz Earle. I am surprised the skin man on here doesn't rate her products-their popularity shows they have something going for them! I am almost 50 and am regularly told I look in my thirties. I have been using mostly liz earle for around 5 years now and saw a deffinite improvement from when I started using it. My sister in comparison looks far older than her 53 years although she swears by Nivea! It may be moisturising,but brings me out in spots,I find it very greasy.But then my sister is also a keen runner and I have no idea whether she use sun screen.I think as long as you don't expect miracles from any skin cream just find what suits you and stick to it as they all seem pretty much the same ingredients (although I do like decleor and LE with botanicals in.)

harryharp

Well I finally took the plunge and got some Boots 17 Superwear foundation. You may remember about 10 pages ago it was recommended by Angel81uk the make-up artist, and she said to get 2 shades and mix to the desired colour.

I've always been a bit scared of doing it in the past as I'm pretty useless at this sort of thing, or indeed anything creative with make-up....plus when I've been in Boots before, the No. 17 displays have always been a mess with many of the testers missing. Plus the lighting and mirrrors are so rubbish it's difficult to know if your getting the right thing!

Anyway, I've no idea if I've done it right, but I got Natural and Honey (warm colours), and I think I need mostly Natural with a little bit of Honey. I had my colour analysed a couple of years ago with Colour Me Beautiful as a present, and apparently I suit warm colours, so hopefully I have bought the right thing!

If anyone's interested, they have a free gift at the moment when you spend over £5 on 17 products- a rather nice set of eyeshadow, lipgloss and nail polish in vintage colours from 40 years ago (http://www.boots.com/brandtreatment/flexible_brand_treatment.jsp?classificationid=1037310&wblinktype=C02S2R01B01). The foundations are £5.49, so if you buy 2 you can get 2 free gifts.

Edit: Just to add the foundation is spf15.

Elmostreet

I recommend Avon personal match barely there make-up and the natural collection for blusher- I use pink cloud.:T

Unity

harryharp wrote: »

Well I finally took the plunge and got some Boots 17 Superwear foundation. You may remember about 10 pages ago it was recommended by Angel81uk the make-up artist, and she said to get 2 shades and mix to the desired colour.

I've always been a bit scared of doing it in the past as I'm pretty useless at this sort of thing, or indeed anything creative with make-up....plus when I've been in Boots before, the No. 17 displays have always been a mess with many of the testers missing. Plus the lighting and mirrrors are so rubbish it's difficult to know if your getting the right thing!

Anyway, I've no idea if I've done it right, but I got Natural and Honey (warm colours), and I think I need mostly Natural with a little bit of Honey. I had my colour analysed a couple of years ago with Colour Me Beautiful as a present, and apparently I suit warm colours, so hopefully I have bought the right thing!

If anyone's interested, they have a free gift at the moment when you spend over £5 on 17 products- a rather nice set of eyeshadow, lipgloss and nail polish in vintage colours from 40 years ago (http://www.boots.com/brandtreatment/flexible_brand_treatment.jsp?classificationid=1037310&wblinktype=C02S2R01B01). The foundations are £5.49, so if you buy 2 you can get 2 free gifts.

Edit: Just to add the foundation is spf15.

Thanks for this, I remember Angel81uk's posts very well, full of interesting tips :A. I tried the two foundations Natural and Biscuit, but I find they slide off in hot weather , so I've converted to using Elemental Beauty's Mineral Foundation now and hoping to use up the Boots 17 stuff in the winter. If not I can always recycle it between my two daughters .

harryharp

Unity wrote: »

I've converted to using Elemental Beauty's Mineral Foundation now

Is this expensive, and where do you buy it?:D

Bargain_Rzl

Haven't tried it myself, but http://www.elementalbeauty.co.uk/

Unity

harryharp wrote: »

Is this expensive, and where do you buy it?:D

Hi Harryharp,

I am totally converted to this stuff now http://www.elementalbeauty.co.uk/ it's a mineral make-up and the foundations come in two formulations, 'Soft Focus' and the one I have tried, the 'Healing Foundation' which contains Allantoin to help heal breakouts.

I've got a few health problems which means my immune system is pretty duff and I regularly break out with cranial shingles - causing blisters on my cheeks and chin. When these first come out they are too painful to apply anything other than a large brown paper bag , but once they have burst and are healing I need something to hide them. I've used mineral foundation since i.d. Bare Escentuals came on the scene - but at the time I had to get it from the States and it was quite expensive. Elemental Beauty is £10.99 for a foundation - but it's a large pot and will probably last me around eighteen months to two years! From my experience this is the one mineral foundation that doesn't irritate around the eyes in hot weather and it also has an SPF of 15.

The great thing about EB is Nicola, the lady who advises via e-mail - she's a real gem and when I contacted her to ask about the colours on offer (telling her what I was currently using) she advised on a couple of possibles so I ordered samples at 55p a go. One of them was an identical match so I bought the full size, although I am still using the last of the sample as you get a generous 1-2 gramme in the phial. The concealers are excellent too - I bought 'Biscuit' and it easily conceals the healing blisters.

I've been particularly impressed with the mineral eye shadows too at £4.99, which I think give better coverage than Bare Escentuals - Meteor is a lovely grey with golden sparkles and Earth's Core is a deep shimmering brown - you also get a choice of container depending whether you want one for use at home or to pop in your handbag.

Be warned though - it's an addictive site .

littleredheadedgirl'75

leichner do a good range,most make-up 'stalls' sell it.both the cream & the stick are fab.also l found a pair of very very fine tweezers for all the tiny hairs at a fishing tackle shop for a quid!tried mixing a load of aspirin & vitamin capsules for a face mask today & my skin feels lovely.thanx for the tip.preparation H really tightens up undereyes as does the cheapie from the £1 shop lol.there are discount bodyshop places at some of the retail outlets,york for one;their brazil nut oil is fabulous tho l can't find it anywhere else!ooh & oatmeal/milk/honey and/or pineapple juice in the bath are great too.toothpaste as a 'nailmask' isgreat & l get rid of dead skin on my lips with an electric toothbrush :rotfl:

beautyscientist

littleredheadedgirl'75 wrote: »

preparation H really tightens up undereyes :rotfl:

I really really thought that I had heard it all......

(And I love your signature LOL!)