MyLondon Reviews Writer Tilly put Poundland's makeup selection to the test - and the majority delivered on quality as well as being reasonable prices

Poundland is known for offering reasonable prices on a wide variety of goods, from food to toiletries or other homeware items. But one thing I wouldn’t immediately think to find in the beloved bargain retailer is cosmetics.

Yet, trawling its aisles recently, I happened upon just that: shelves of makeup. My beauty product-obsessed heart sang when I realised that, while Poundland by no means adheres to its name’s promise to provide only £1 goods anymore (to be fair, inflation), much of these bits were only a quid.

From liquid foundation to mascara and brow gel, I surveyed the line-up of miniature tubes, jars and pots first, before flicking to the neighbouring rows of brushes, sponges and other tools. I thought with glee: ‘There’s enough to do a full face here!’ And it would undoubtedly be one of the most economical full faces I’d ever created. But how good would it look? I was about to find out.

READ MORE: ‘I tried the £1 Primark brushes that are dupes for Real Techniques’ best-selling ones and I’m shocked how good they are’

I began loading my basket with items that replicated what is currently in my makeup bag. £1 mascara, tick. £1 brunette eyebrow gel, tick. £1 setting powder, tick. Things got a little trickier as I crouched beside the Make Up Gallery X Poundland row labelled ‘Long lasting foundation with UVA/UVB filters’ (£1).

There were 10 shades in total, with the majority covering the light to medium spectrum. This meant going for the lightest option offered and hoping for the best. The Multi Use Concealer, also £1 and in a squeezy black tube, was a similar story. However, hidden away lower down was a stick version with the palest shade in stock (‘Ivory’, £1). And what were these? Colour correctors?

I picked up the two tubes - one sage green, one nectarine - with curiosity. This quickly grew to excitement as I recalled why I recognised them. They’ve been hailed as similar to luxury makeup brand Chanel’s Le Correcteur de Chanel in Apricot and Vert, only they’re £1 instead of £30 - or 97 per cent cheaper. In the basket.

Decisions over lipstick, blush and eyeshadow were made for me. The display of shadows contained one lone quad (Rose Gold, £1, promptly acquired) while the plastic lip products rack resembled an empty plant tray, and that for blushes contained the stick concealers picked up already. My eyes darted around the wider makeup region desperately: I needed colour on my face.

Gratefully, one plastic-encased liquid lipstick remained on the neighbouring metal racks. Not ideal for various reasons - £3 and a scarily deep reddish shade - but at least it could (probably?) double as a lippie and cream blusher. And, hey, it was actually L’Oreal so it was a good deal if nothing else.

This item collected alongside some necessary face tools - MUG beauty sponge and eye brush for £1, eyelash curler for £2, powder brush for £2.50 - I took my haul to the till, paid my £17 and headed home..

First up was the foundation, which did not set an optimistic tone for the 'full face' portion of the experiment. Though it dispensed as a creamy dollop, the texture was noticeably more thin and watery as I blended it out. It disappeared into my skin, leaving a gently orangey-beige residue and not much coverage to speak of - though it did even out my complexion a little. I dabbed on a second layer with the sponge, dismayed to find my skin looking increasingly off-colour from afar and (akin to a real orange) increasingly textured up close.

But I had still the colour correctors and concealer in my arsenal, which only now was I realising perhaps should have come first. Oops. I examined the backs of my new Chanel dupes from Poundland.

Both requested I apply them to my dark circles, but according to Dr Google, peach is better for under-eyes and green for cancelling out redness. I swiped the tangerine shade beneath one eye and something magical happened: the bag was receding?

All this time I’d assumed other people got more sleep, or were less prone to dark circles; but maybe they just used colour correctors. After letting out a final 'Whaaaaat’ to the mirror, I tried the green on the other eye. Not so effective. But it did address my red nose (hayfever season), cheeks (summer) and chin (no explanation). I laughed realising I looked like a patchy Impressionist painting and reached for the £1 concealer stick to cover it up.

I immediately liked the lipstick-style shape, crayon-like firmness and full coverage, brightening formula. Then came the powder (too powdery, not mattifying or blurring enough) and accompanying brush (fluffy and smooth but nothing on Primark 's), liquid lipstick and brows. The latter duo I'd been concerned about but had no business being.

The brow gel's small, conical brush was easy to manoeuvre to catch pale hairs and render them a flattering brunette; the lipstick boasted a gooey formula that transformed from blood red to startlingly magenta on lips and cheeks when tabbed tentatively.

However, the eyes was where MUG X Poundland truly excelled. The eyelash curler, cushioned and a little too tight to attend to my furthest lashes, did a decent job - but you know that audio of Lady Gaga saying 'Talented, brilliant, incredible...'? That applies to the eyeshadow and mascara. The former: creamy, pigmented and blendable and with impressive staying power, it was miles ahead of both this pricier Revolution palette and the majority of eyeshadows I've tried.

The latter: elongating, volumising and a dream to use. It separated my lashes into spiky, clump-less tendrils that reminded me of Benefit's They're Real! (£24.50), but better because you didn't have to grapple with an overly wet formula or product-heavy brush.

Most of us know an expensive price tag or name brand doesn't always equal better. From Primark's own-brand PS... line to the budget-friendly brands at Boots and Superdrug , there's great makeup to be found at cheaper prices everywhere. But nowhere has this been proven more than at Poundland.

Not only did I get 13 items for a total of £17, but only three were above £1. Better yet, there were only one I was 'meh' about (setting powder) and one I actively disliked (foundation). The rest delivered on their job descriptions, with several seriously impressing me. And then there were those that blew me away with their quality (lipstick, eyeshadow quad, mascara) and on which all I have to say is: race you to Poundland, because I am stocking up.

Items purchased: MUG Volume Ultra Black Mascara (£1), MUG H&C, MUG Matte Foundation Rose Beige (£1), MUG H&C Colour Corrector Green (£1), MUG H&G Colour Corrector Peach (£1), MUG H&C Concealer Ivory (£1), MUG Pressed Powder Natural Beige (£1), MUG Eyeshadow Rose Gold (£1), MUG Slay the Brow Brunette (£1), L'Oreal Liquid Lipstick (£1), MUG Foundation Sponge Egg (£1), Glitter Cosmetic Eyeshadow Brush (£1), Core Powder Brush (£2.50), Eyelash Curler Rose Gold (£2).

Is there a story you think we should be covering? If so, please email whatson@mylondon.news or at tilly.alexander@reachplc.com

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