Makeup can be expensive, which is why I’m always looking for high quality cheaper alternatives that won’t break the bank.
A trip to Home Bargains for me usually involves a range of different random cleaning products and plenty of snacks, but recently, I was intrigued by their makeup section. The Olivia Hale makeup collection has been given five stars by shoppers raving about the budget brand, so I had to try it out.
I’ve used makeup products from Poundland before, and was incredibly impressed with the quality and price, so I was intrigued to see how good Home Bargains makeup would be. I spent £12.92 in total for six products, which is less than I’d usually spend one one product (thanks to the insane Charlotte Tilbury prices!)
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In terms of aesthetics, the first thing I noticed was the packaging, particularly for the eyeshadow palette. The palette resembled Morphe in design and had similar shades, but would it be similar in quality? Here's how the experience went:
Olivia Hale BB Cream
I had high hopes for this BB cream but I was extremely disappointed. The shade was completely wrong for my face, and I ended up looking ridiculous.
I chose a medium, this was partly because there wasn’t a light available at my local store, and I had a bit of fake tan on my face from a few days ago. Let’s just say I made a huge mistake choosing a medium, I ended up looking like an Oompa Loompa.
The BB cream was far too dark for my face, and almost had an orange tinge to it. It was so thick, which I actually didn’t mind, but for those who want a lighter coverage this BB cream feels more like a foundation on the face.
I ended up rubbing it all off (after some vigorous scrubbing) and continuing the makeup look with my own trusty L’Oreal True Match foundation. Such a shame.
Rating: 1/5
Price: £1.49
Olivia Hale Eyeshadow palette
For £1.49, this eyeshadow was incredibly pigmented and it’s safe to say I was impressed. I really liked the range of colours and it blended really well.
Aesthetically it looked really similar to Morphe in design and I really liked the warm shade range. My only criticism would be, prepare for fall out, as I applied it onto my eyelid a lot of it did fall onto my face.
Rating: 4/5
Price: £1.49
Olivia Hale Eyeliner
This was by far my favourite product out of them all! I absolutely loved the shape of the pen and the fact it was sturdy to help make my eyeliner extra steady.
The shade was a nice strong black and it was really quite bold once applied to the lid. The best part? It didn’t smudge at all, and actually ended up lasting for hours.
Considering I pay £6 for my usual Maybelline Master Ink eyeliner , I’m definitely going to be swapping to this one to save myself some cash. The fact this product was 99p absolutely blew my mind.
Rating: 5/5
Price: 99p
Olivia Hale Highlighter
It’s been a while since I’ve worn highlighter, but this Home Bargains Olivia Hale highlighter made me realise how much I’ve missed it. The highlighter stick comes with two ends, one with the highlighter itself, the other with a small sponge to blend.
It left a really nice subtle glimmer on my cheek and didn’t leave a stripe like some highlighters do, it blended beautifully. For 99p, I was really impressed with the pigment of the product.
Olivia Hale Mascara
I can be very picky with mascara, so I was unsure whether this one would make the cut. I was a little confused with the packaging as the mascara wand came separately, but I didn’t let that change my opinion.
The mascara itself was okay at best, it did add volume to my lashes but it didn’t give me the thick voluminous lashes I like. It seemed quite weak, but it definitely wasn’t the worst mascara I’ve ever used.
Rating: 3/5
Price: £1.49
Olivia Hale Translucent Powder
I love using translucent powder, I never usually splash out with a powder because I feel like they all kind of do the same job. I used the Olivia Hale powder under my eyes and all over my face to set my foundation and it worked a treat.
It really smoothed out my face and gave me a beautiful matte look and it definitely brightened up my under-eye area with very minimal effort. I was very impressed.
Rating: 5/5
Price: £1.49
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