Can YOU tell which make-up look was £27 from Primark? We pit the budget line against £300 premium slap to see which looks best
We find out if it's always worth splashing the cash on designer make-up or if budget beauty can match it
PRIMARK has their own beauty range boasting dozens of different products – from mascara to tinted moisturiser.
Each of the items come at a bargain price, allowing makeup lovers to experiment with different looks without breaking the bank… so do they actually work?
Fabulous Online has tested some of Primark’s most-loved beauty products.
We pitted them against some luxury brands to see how they really stood up against scrutiny.
With the help of makeup artist Olivia Todd and model Juliana, we put together a glowy going out look.
But can YOU tell the difference between a £27 face and a £302 face?
Base:
When it came to our base, we opted for medium coverage products.
Primark’s My Perfect Colour tinted moisturiser retails for £2.50 and we paired this with a £2 liquid concealer.
But how will it stand up against Bobbi Brown’s £29.50 foundation and Amazing Cosmetics’ concealer?
The high-street base products are pictured on the left, whereas the £55.49 option is on the right.
The Primark base has a more natural coverage, allowing model Juliana’s freckles to peek through.
Bobbi Brown’s moisturising beauty item seems to give off more of a glow.
But for a staggering £50 more money, there really isn’t a vast difference between the products.
Powders:
To set the foundation in place and add some dimension to Juliana’s face, powder products were next on the agenda.
We opted for a rosy shade of blush for both of the products, before setting everything in place.
The main difference in the images is that Primark’s powder products are matte, compared to the designer brands’ dewy finish.
So can you tell which is which?
On the left is Primark’s Pro Longwear Mattifying Press Powder, My Perfect Colour mineral powder and the Cotton Candy Eyes, Lips and Face collection.
These three products cost just £12.
On the right, makeup artist Olivia applied Tom Ford’s Cheeky Shadow, MAC’s Prep + Prime and Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder, totalling £100.50.
Eyes and lip gloss:
We amped up the look by applying lashings of mascara.
Dusting some dusty pink shadows onto the lid and highlighter onto the cheekbones also worked to open up the eye.
So have a guess which look is the Primark one…
If you said the left, you’d be correct.
The Primark mascara did prove more difficult to work with, as it clumped the lashes together.
Despite this, makeup artist Olivia was impressed with how much the beauty product opened up the eye and provided length to the hairs.
And for just £3, it’s a total bargain.
On the luxury look, we opted for Lola’s mascara for £11.50.
After coating the lashes with it, Daniel Sandler’s Radiant Glow was applied on the high points of Juliana’s face.
Lipstick:
Finally, it was time to go full on glam with a touch of brown eyeshadow and a deep red lippie.
To get Juliana looking like she was about to hit the town, we blended some cool tones into the crease of her eye.
And to finish it all off, an oxblood colour product was applied on the lips.
PRIMANIA Primark-loving blogger gives her top tips for bagging the budget shop’s must-have items
So which make-up would you prefer to wear for a night out?
You may be surprised to know that the picture on the right is the Primark look.
Primark’s matte lipstick was one of the clear winners of the day.
Makeup artist Olivia and our model Juliana both admitted that they would choose it over a high-end alternative.
As well as this, the brown eyeshadows appear almost identical when comparing the two faces of make-up.
Primark make-up
- My Perfect Colour in Nude Beige, tinted moisturiser, £2.50
- My Perfect Colour in Nude Beige, liquid concealer, £2
- PS Pro Longwear Mattifying Pressed Powder, £5
- My Perfect Colour in Cool Sand, mineral powder, £2
- PS Cotton Candy, Eyes, Lips & Face Collection, £5
- PS Pure Glow Highlighter, £2.50
- High Impact Mascara Ultra Volume & Lift, £3
- PS XXL Lip Plump in Whatever, £2.50
- Matte Lipstick in Post This, £2.50
TOTAL: £27
In total, the budget look will set you back £27.
In comparison, the luxury goodies cost an eye-watering £302.38.
When comparing the two sets of products, there really isn’t much in it.
So Primark make-up is a definite thumbs up from us!
High-end makeup
- Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturiser in Light-Medium, £29.50
- Amazing Cosmetics Illuminate concealer in Medium-Beige, available at M&S, £25.99
- Tom Ford Plum Ombre Eye & Cheeky Shadow, £50
- , £11.99
- MAC Prep + Prime, £21.50
- Laura Mercier Transluscent Loose Setting Powder, £29
- Lola Shimmer Powder, £16.90
- Daniel Sandler Radiant Glow, £29.50
- Huda Beauty Textured Shadows Palette Rose Gold Edition, £56
- Buxom Full On Lip Polish in Kanani, £15
- Ciate Liquid Velvet Lipstick in Voodoo, available at ciatelondon.com, £17
TOTAL: £302.38
Want to find out more about the Primark beauty line?
We recently revealed that the high-street store’s £1.50 make-up range is a dead ringer for MAC.
And shoppers have been going mad for these mermaid face brushes, which cost just £10 for a set.
