I test beauty products for a living and these are my favourite makeup buys under £10

These are the bargain buys we swear by. (Picture: Metro/Getty) Metro journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn more As a beauty journalist, I’ve spent years testing products across all price points, from £300 serums to £3 lip liners, and I firmly believe you don’t need to max out your credit card to find good-quality, long-wearing, easy-to-apply makeup. In the UK, we’re lucky to have so many brilliant, reasonably priced beauty brands, whether you’re pinching the pennies or simply don’t want to spend more than a tenner. While I have foundations that make my skin look flawless and luxurious lipstick tubes I consider prized possessions, it’s often not realistic to spend £30, £40, or even £50 on products you’ll use every day. That’s why I’ve compiled nearly a decade of beauty knowledge into a list of the best budget makeup products worth a spot in your routine, with all under a tenner. Just because they’re cheap doesn’t mean you’re scrimping on performance either. These formulas are as good as, if not better than, their premium counterparts. From concealers to eyebrow gel, lip gloss to brushes, it’s pretty much a complete kit to take you from your everyday to special occasions when you want to look your best and your carefully applied products to last. The best makeup products under £10 essence Brow Lifting Gel Set If a laminated brow is your go-to look, this gel sets and holds hair like nothing else. It comes with an angled spoolie brush so you can coat every hair into a neat, clean finish, and it lasts all day without any white residue. Buy Now for £3.79 Collection Lip Liner I love a lip liner, but I’m so unwilling to spend more than a fiver given they’re so small. Collection’s range is great for a multitude of shades – my favourite is cappuccino, a classic brown; however, it’s always out of stock – but you can also find nudes, browns, pinks and reds, with change from a £5 note. It’s the perfect balance of creamy enough that you can wipe it off and start over if you make a mistake, and waxy enough to keep it in place all day. Buy Now for £2.99 e.l.f. Soft Glam Medium Coverage Concealer You can spend a fortune on concealer, but you really don’t need to with e.l.f.’s version. It has a tiny doe-foot applicator so you can dot as much or as little as you need, and the medium-coverage finish is long-wearing, not cakey and can be used for my blemish cover-ups and dark circles. I only wish it was bigger. Buy Now for £5 Maybelline Express Brow Ultra Slim Defining Eyebrow Pencil For a long time, I used a brow pencil that set me back £25 every time I ran out, and eventually I couldn’t justify it, so I trawled the makeup aisle at Boots and landed on this. I’ve never looked back. One pencil lasts me four months, and the pinpoint pencil gives me enough precision to fill in my sparse brows without looking painted on. Add a brow gel, and you’re good to go. Buy Now for £9.99 Catrice Magic Shine Eraser Gel To Powder If like me, your T-zone starts shining before you've even made it to your desk, this little pot deserves a place in your handbag for touch-ups. It may look like a clear jelly, but it’s a genius balm that melts into a powder when it touches your skin, which mattifies shiny areas. Unlike a traditional powder, it doesn’t add more coverage, which can lead to cakiness, especially around areas like my nose and chin. You’ll never find me without it. Buy Now for £5.29 L'Oreal Paris Infallible 3-Second Setting Spray A bridal makeup artist recommended this and swears by it. While it does have a subtle hairspray smell, it locks in makeup better than any other setting spray I’ve tried and doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky. It’s my go-to for weddings, Christmas parties, birthday dinners, you name it. Buy Now for £9.99 NYX Cosmetics Pro Fix Stick Colour Correcting Concealer If you struggle with redness-prone, pale skin like me, this colour corrector is the best helping hand you can buy to even out your skin tone. It’s a creamy, blendable formula that comes in green, pink, and yellow, but the pink is the one that's lived in my makeup bag for nearly two years. It has medium coverage for my very pale skin, which is prone to discolouration, pigmentation, and dark circles, without leaving me looking orange. It also has a subtle brightening finish and doesn’t budge under my foundation. Buy Now for £7.99 Maybelline Lifter Gloss Hydrating Lip Gloss This is the lip gloss for anyone who hates lip gloss. It’s high-shine without the stickiness, with a texture that feels like a lip oil. It comes in loads of shades, plus clear, and rivals pricier glosses from luxury brands. I love the chunky doe-foot applicator, which is wide enough to distribute coverage properly, and my favourite shade of the eight is Stone, a peachy taupe that would flatter everyone. Buy Now for £8.99 Real Techniques Expert Concealer Brush This is a densely packed brush that’s super versatile. I use it to blend my concealer, cream eyeshadows, liquid highlighter, and clean up areas under my eyes where I may have smudged my mascara. It washes well without shedding and works just as well as luxury brushes that cost three times as much. Buy Now for £8 17 Tinted Lip Butter If you’ve had your eye on Clinique’s Pink Honey, try this instead. It’s a flattering pink-toned nude shade you can apply without a mirror, with a smooth, balmy texture, but at a bargain price. I love the lightweight texture that needs only one swipe for full lip coverage, that never feels sticky or cloying. 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