‘The best thing is to look natural, but it takes makeup to look natural’ – Calvin Klein

I’ve always been jealous of girls who are class at putting make up on, I have two friends; Helena and Janine who are particularly brilliant and I often call on them to make me look half decent for a wedding or night out. As such, my inability to perfect the coveted smokey eye means that I’m a bit of a dunce when it comes to buying my make up.

I approach make up pretty much like most other things in my life; quantity over quality. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Rimmel, Seventeen and Collection, simply because they’re cheap and have always argued that you don’t need to spend a fortune on decent make up. Or do you?

I was invited to a beauty event at Lancome in Newcastle earlier on this year and in my gift bag was a sample of their Photogenic Lumessence liquid foundation. This little beige pot of gold has turn everything I know about make up on it’s head and made me question my whole make up belief system.

Ok, that sounds dramatic but it really is very good, and on the few occasions I’ve worn it, people have commented on how good my skin looks. So (in my best Carrie Bradshaw voice) It got me to thinking, when it comes to makeup, do you really get what you pay for?

This is a cross section of my current, staple, everyday make up:

As you can see it’s not all the super low end of the market, however the most expensive thing there is my No7 powder foundation (£14.50 – put I had one of those oh so handy No7 £5 off vouchers). The liquid foundation I’ve been using for a few years on and off for a few years now as I was assured it would help with my acne. I’ll be honest I’m not entirely sure it does however it’s only £6.99, a little bit goes a long way. It seems to ‘do the job’ as an every day foundation. That’s where I’m a little conflicted, I’m almost in my mid thirties, am developing a few more extra ‘laughter lines’. I’ll admit that Seventeen foundation is pretty much all but melted off by the end of a working day. I’m not sure I should be buying stuff that simply ‘does the job’ anymore. On the flip side, I’m not sure I want to be spending £30 on foundation either. *bashes head against the wall*

So I thought I’d ask some of my blogging friends who buy more expensive makeup with more regularity to me to see what they thought, after all, they can’t have been using MAC and Lancome all their lives and must have at some point made the transition into makeup womanhood that I’m currently considering..

I believe that buying high end means that you have to buy less. Invest in one of everything that you truly like and you won’t have to spend money constantly trying to find the ‘perfect’ product. The Chanel bronzer I use has lasted me for a very, very long time and it works better than any other I’ve tried, for example. – Katie Meehan

Because although I buy cheap, I have wasted a lot of money throwing out stuff (particularly mascaras) that I’ve bought but are rubbish, poor quality where I could have gotten one good mascara from somewhere like Benefit for less than multiple letdowns.

I think it depends on the product – lipstick – not sure it’s worth paying £25+ when Maybeline/Rimmel etc work just as well (and you easily lose lipsticks). Foundation however – worth the investment – Samantha Rickelton

I think the more expensive stuff does last longer (I have a Mac eye shadow that’s a years old and nowhere near running out!) but high street brands are catching up on quality. I always use Rimmel Night and Day mascara and am yet to find a high-end rival to beat it. Definitely mix and match brands but probably opt for more expensive core products (foundation, concealer) as I get older. – Dawn Tindle

I also agree on the lipstick front as every handbag I own seems to harbour it’s own little collection of lipstcks of yore and I don’t wear bright lipsticks often enough to be happy paying over about £6 for one. I also agree that the small amount of Lancome foundation I got, although I only use it when I go out, seems to be a magic bottomless little pot – it’s lasted yonkers!

On the rare occasion  I do wear red lippy, I undoubtedly end up in Zapatistas…

For me, buying high end often means I’m more likely to enjoy the product. Whether that comes from the placebo/halo effect, I don’t know, but I know if I buy high end I feel more likely to get on with a product. Base products, brands are more likely to dish out samples to make sure you like it. Plus the ingredients list is often a little nicer. I buy less because they last longer too, but it’s a complicated relationship. There are some true drugstore gems out there, but often you have to fish through the crap to find them – Chloe Witty

This isn’t something I’d considered before but Chloe makes a really interesting point. When I wear my tiny little bit of Lancome poshness or some They’re Real mascara (which I got as a present for Christmas) I do feel better, I feel more confident and (don’t hate me feminists) I feel prettier, so that’s got to be worth  a few quid right? Also when I do have my make up done properly, it looks waaaay better..

A rare day off work at the races – glammed up courtesy of the No7 counter in Boots

 I’ve used a lot of different make up brands over the years and work as a model too so have had various different MUA’s make me up too and have asked their advice as I’ve built up my collection.  One thing I’ve found is that while I occasionally buy cheaper brands if I’m trying out a “fashion” look, they have so much less pigment and staying power than a bigger, more luxury brand. Kiko i’ve found to be quite poor – I know they’re a Bloggers favourite but the staying power is terrible and you have to cover yourself in product to achieve any depth of colour.  One of the high street brands I do believe meets in the middle in terms of quality vs value for money is Topshop – their makeup range is on point!  great fashion colours balanced with everyday essentials. – Pixie Tenenbaum