Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

I like to think that I am not a beauty snob, I will try most brands and yet I have purposely avoided Poundland's beauty venture - Make Up Gallery. Why? Well at £1 an item let's just say that my expectations were far from high, which is ridiculous as budget brands such as MUA and Make Up Revolution offer high quality products for a similar price point. I guess the Poundshop is not the most glamorous of locations and sometimes part of the fun of purchasing make up, is the shopping experience. To cut a long story short, I purchased a few key items from Make Up Gallery to see how it faired, unexpectedly it is a mixed bag of a results...

Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

The Packaging
Okay, okay it is plastic and may feel a little cheap but ascetically it ain't half bad, in fact I would say it is prettier than other rival budget brands. I rather like the sleek, monochrome colour scheme and chic square pans that the majority of the items come presented within.

Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

The Hits
The powder products within the Make Up Gallery are as good as MUA and other discount brands, if not better. All three powder based products are finely milled, pigmented (where necessary) and generally a joy to wear and apply. For instance the Make Up Gallery Eyeshadow in Bronze 7, is very similar in both texture and finish to Bobbi Brown Sparkle Eyeshadows. Yes it is a metallic shade but it is not overly shimmery, sheer nor soft in texture. It really is a steal for £1. The Pressed Powder although a little high in fragrance, is beautifully soft - it feels silken on the skin and does a great job of controlling excess oil as well as setting make up, all with a satin finish and medium coverage. The blush (I have the shade Coral Rose 4) is very similar in texture to the aforementioned Pressed Powder, the main difference is that the pigment is more intense and it is a little more prone to product fall out.

Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

The Middle Ground Product
I neither love nor loathe the Make Up Gallery lipsticks, the truth is they are nothing special. Make Up Gallery Lipstick in Outrageously Orange is a beautiful shade, packs a punch in terms of colour pay off but the texture is a little drying. The other problem is that due to the lack of moisture the lipstick tugs and pulls a little on the lips, however it is long wearing and not the worst £1 I have spent in my time.

Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

The Misses
At all costs I would recommend you avoid any of the pencil liners within the Make Up Gallery collection, they are beyond firm and dry - rendering them all but useless. I have not used either the brow nor the lip pencil on my face as it was painful to apply to my arm, let alone more delicate areas such as the eye. It really is unfortunate as both shades are something I could get on board with - the eyebrow especially, do you know how tricky it is to find a mid toned, cool toned blonde brow pencil? If the brand improve one area it really needs to be the pencil formulation, a softer, glide on texture would be greatly appreciated.

Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery
Poundland Make Up Make Up Gallery

The Swatches
Left to right in the collective swatches are:
- Make Up Gallery Eyeshadow in Bronze 7
- Make Up Gallery Pressed Powder in Sand 4
- Make Up Gallery Blusher in Coral Rose 4
- Make Up Gallery Lipstick in Outrageously Orange 15
- Make Up Gallery Lip Liner in Nude 1
- Make Up Gallery Eyebrow Pencil in Blonde 3

Yes the products vary vastly in quality but I don't find that to be too unusual for the majority of high street brands. If you are tempted by Make Up Gallery skip the pencils, only purchase a lipstick if it is a shade you don't already have something similar to and stock up on the powder based products.

What are your thoughts on brands like Make Up Gallery?