Top 5: Under £5

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer: £4.19

If there were ever a drugstore product that could compete with the beauty gods of Nars and Bobbi Brown, Collection have hit the ball out of the park with this miracle of a concealer. Known to the masses as every beauty blogger’s holy grail product, this masking masterpiece can hide those tired 9am lecture eyes like no other concealer can. It’ll cover up any and every essay-enduced blemish with ease, and it’ll fit right into your pocket for midday touch-ups. At only £4.19, the Lasting Perfection Concealer is an absolute steal.

Rimmel London Sculpting Palette by Kate: £4.99

Fairly new to the market, Kate Moss’ trio of beauty is now standing loud and proud on the Rimmel London displays in Boots. With countless high-end blushers, bronzers, and highlighters coming in individually at a whopping £20-30+ price point, it’s a sigh of relief to see a 3 in 1 product for a fraction of the price. Much like her fantastic lipstick collection for Rimmel and her inspiring fashion collection for Topshop, good ol’ Kate has outshone herself again. With an almost exact dupe for NARS’ Orgasm Blush, her palettes should be flying off the shelves.

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick: £4.99

Treating yourself to a new lipstick without breaking the bank is becoming increasingly difficult. Having a browse through my own lipstick collection I am definitely no exception to this, with all but one causing over £5 of damage. Funnily enough, however, the £4.99 gem that sits smugly amongst the rest is actually one of my most reached for shades. Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Lipstick in ‘Sugar Plum’ is a beautiful, vibrant pink which remained a firm staple in my make up for the whole of last summer. As the weather is soon to make a turn for the better, I’m sure that it’ll soon be making a much needed reappearance.

Makeup Revolution Iconic Palettes: £4

The Urban Decay Naked palettes are on every beauty lover’s Christmas and birthday wish lists. Infamous for their beautiful array of long lasting, breath-taking eyeshadows, it’s a slap in the face to know that they each leave a £38.50 dent in your bank balance. Dreaming of making the palettes more accessible to students on a budget, many brands have brought out their own replicas. Makeup Revolution’s take is practically an exact dupe of every single colour, with their Iconic 1, 2, and 3, cloning Naked 1, 2, and 3, for a far friendlier price.

Barry M Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paint: £3.99

Barry M are renowned for their inexpensive nail polishes, every single one coming in at under a fiver each. Their Speedy Quick Dry collection, however, is definitely something extra special to be shouted about. With a brush shape not too dissimilar from the nail polish Queen, Essie, and a finish that won’t smudge when you’re in a morning rush, these cheap and cheerful colours are a nail polish lover’s dream. ‘Eat My Dust’ is a charming cornflower blue, ‘Pit Stop’ is a glamorous grey, and ‘Lap of Honour’ is a loving lilac. For £3.99 a bottle, I could quite easily find myself purchasing every single shade…