I’m a huge fan of high-end beauty, but it is often the case that there are alternative, more affordable brands that are just as good quality at a lower price point. I’m always interested in saving a few pounds, so I have rounded up my favourite beauty brands with an affordable price point, sharing the best products from their range.
The Best Affordable Beauty Brands
Colourpop
Colourpop’s slogan is ‘beauty that doesn’t break the bank’, so it’s an obvious feature in this post! Colourpop is one of my all-time favourite brands, especially because products are super affordable, I can really get behind some $6 lipsticks that feel like they cost over double! I love how their products are also so unique, they’re really trying new things such as the supershock shadows, which are incredibly pigmented! The only downside to Colourpop for UK readers like myself is that shipping can be pricey, however if you wait for one of their free, no minimum spend international shipping offers, you couldn’t get any better.
Price Range: $5 – $18
Best Products: Supershock Eye shadows, Supershock Highlighters, Lux Lipsticks
Read More: My Favourite Products From Colourpop
Revolution
The Revolution brand has done exactly that, revolutionised drugstore makeup in the UK and beyond. They don’t even own one brand nowadays but three, the original makeup revolution brand, I heart revolution (mostly dupes), and Revolution Pro, my favourite of the three. The Pro range looks so sleek it could almost be high end, except from the fact its price point is so low. Sure, sometimes the quality isn’t quite the best, but it is worth trying because you could find your new favourite product at a bargain of a price.
Price Range: £1 – £15
Best Products: Concealer, Palettes, Soph Lipsticks
Read More: Revolution First Impressions
Morphe
Morphe was the brand that actually inspired me to write this post, because I am absolutely blown away at the fact Morphe sell 35 pan eyeshadow palettes for only £23, that are not only the cult favourites of beauty bloggers everywhere, but also makeup artists too. These products are seriously professional quality, and yet at a really affordable price point. Now Morphe have begun opening stores across the UK, I would seriously recommend getting yourself to one and treating yourself to their array of products!
Price Range: £4 – £25 (although influencer collabs are much more)
Best Products: Palettes, primers and brushes
Read More: Morphe First Impressions
NYX
The NYX brand exploded about three years ago when their counters started to appear in Boots stores across the country, and there was certainly a reason for it – their products are amazing quality for the price. Nowadays I see their brand practically everywhere I turn on the high street and I feel like the hype has died down, but they definitely can’t be overlooked. Their liquid lipsticks are classic favourites, almost comparable to high end quality.
Price Range: £3.50 – £22
Best Products: Lip Lingeries, Lid Lingeries, Pigments
Read More: The £4 Lipstick that Stole my Heart
But how are they so cheap?
The question many of us ask when we see such affordable makeup is often, but how exactly can it be so cheap, yet apparently the same quality as high-end brands? It seems to make no sense, and be too good to be true. So, I researched all the brands I mentioned to try and find out exactly how they keep the prices so low, but unfortunately there is no hard and fast answer.
Most of the brands have a lack of expensive, flashy advertising. These brands all seemed to appear out of nowhere to the usual consumer, but in fact these brands have been able to flourish by word of mouth online. The online beauty world, such as blogs, YouTube and social media, has promoted these brands because they are great products for a low price, something everyone can’t say no to, which has led these brands to where they are today.
This is evident considering how affordable Morphe is. I couldn’t get my head around how usually their palettes cost from £15-£23, yet their so-called ‘beauty guru’ collaborations are much more expensive. They pay these YouTubers a ton of money for advertising the product, and this drives the price right up, whereas their standard range is really good value for money.
When it comes Colourpop, their products are all designed, manufactured and shipped from their base in Los Angeles, so everything is done under one roof, rather than supplied from elsewhere. Additionally, apart from small Ulta stands in the US, Colourpop’s business is entirely online, so they’re not spending a ton on shelf-space.
For brands sold in Superdrug like Revolution and NYX, it is simply that they produced using cheaper ingredients, much quicker. Revolution always seem to be bringing out new palettes left, right and centre. Whilst they’re not an investment product, they are great for experimenting with bold shades you don’t use often, so don’t want to spend lots of money on.
Affordable beauty brands – the future?
It seems certain that these makeup brands are taking the beauty world by storm and aren’t stopping anytime soon. With professional quality at a small price, these brands are revolutionising the way beauty enthusiasts use makeup; it’s now affordable to have an artist’s style kit. While YouTube and blogs we’re a huge step in making the beauty world more accessible, the average viewer could never afford half the products the YouTubers recommend, but now they can, as the two work side by side to make makeup accessible to all.
EG x
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