Budget vs High End - Who's The Winner?

As students we are always looking to swap expensive goods for cheaper versions that are just as good, if not better. Often we find winners, and end up saving some pennies (yay for one less thing to moan about), but other times we find ourselves feeling it necessary to splash an extra bit of cash.

We've rounded up some products to compare, to find out where budget buys are best, and when a bit of money is needed.

First up...

Johnson's Baby Shampoo (£3) Vs Wilko's Own Baby Shampoo (£1)

Using baby shampoo in itself is the cheaper option when cleaning Make Up brushes, but it can be made as cheap as £1. There is absolutely no difference between these products, but if you pay the brand you pay triple the price! 

Winner - Budget

Sleek Brow Kit (£8.50) Vs Benefit Brow Zings (£24.50)

Ok ok we know what the caption says, Benefit wins 'best selling' but is it really the best? Maybe if you have the money to spare but when you are watching the pennies it's not necessary. The Sleek kit comes with the same tools, and does exactly the same job for way under half the price!

Winner - Budget

Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Cream (£5) Vs Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (£20) 

Now this one depends on how much your skin relies on being moisturised, but as much as we want to tell you to put your purse away Liz Earle really doesn't compare. If you've read our blog post () you'll know how much we adore this product, and through being users of both these products, while the budget will do, it doesn't live up to the big bucks. 

Winner - High End

Talcum Powder (99p) Vs Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99)

Talcum powder has been used as a cheaper alternative to greasy hair for years, to the point where many other brands (such as Lush) have offered dry shampoos based on the same texture. It works for getting rid of grease, but you really do have to be careful with going out looking like a witch with white hair. If like many of us the problem with not washing your hair is not just grease, but also flat, limp hair that won't be styled you might need something more. Yes it's triple the price, but Batiste works at eliminating grease, and giving your hair some extra oomph that usually only comes from a good wash. 

Winner - High End

Rimmel London Kate Lipstick (£5.99) Vs Mac Lipstick (£15.50) 

Mac lipsticks are the absolute in-trend in the beauty world, and have been for quite some time. Our problem? We are in-decisive and can't commit to spending £15 on a lipstick that we will probably change our mind on after a few uses. The Kate Moss collection eliminates this problem, and allows us to buy three shades for the price of one Mac colour. In terms of the lipstick themselves the quality of Mac's do not justify the price, so you really don't need to pay for the brand. A girl can never have too many lipsticks, so buy Rimmel and have more for less. 

Winner - Budget

Primark Heeled Chelsea Boot (£15) Vs River Island Heeled Chelsea Boot (£50) 

One thing to bare in mind when budget shopping is not which is nicer. Obviously if you gave us a choice we would pick the River Island boots, but a) are they worth the price? b) will the Primark ones do? And the answers are a) no b) yes. There's the assumption with Primark that the quality is not as good, but this is not true at all. We both have Primark boots that have lasted far longer than our pricier alternatives, and even if they don't last for £15 you cannot really complain. Price doesn't always equate to quality, and so often we forget this when we are shopping. 

Winner - Budget 

We wish we could tell you that budget products are always best, but then what would we have to moan about? It's a case of picking and choosing when products are worth the spend, and swallowing your pride when they are not. 

Pampering On A Budget

There is nothing worse when money is tight and all you want is a nice pamper. We've all heard that when you look good, you feel good and being on a budget shouldn't get in the way of this! 

As we've shown in our blog post Best Budget Buys  (http://morethanamoan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/best-budget-buys.html), you do not always have to spend a fortune to look good, or to do things that you enjoy. 

You can have yourself a lovely pamper evening with just a few products, and without breaking the bank. 

One of the best parts about being pampered at a spa is the atmosphere. It just feels clean, and calm making you instantly feel relaxed. To re-create this atmosphere at home (or at least try) candles are an essential tool. These are just £1 from Primark, and come in all different scents. They burn for up to 30 hours, create a flowery smell and provide the perfect calm setting. 

Pampering always involves getting your nails done. There is nothing better than freshly polished nails, and there's no need to get them done professionally for them to look good. These are a few of our best budget polishes, all under £5 each, and fitting all different occasions. The Sinful Colors polishes are brighter, and more daring in colour, where as the Rimmel 60 Seconds still stand out but have a much duller tone. The Barry M Gelly is then the perfect nude, and gives the nail a clean finish, without attracting much attention. 

A face mask is a pamper evening must! At just £1 per mask these Pro Formula Purifying Thermal Face Masks (from Tesco's own range) are the perfect way to feel pampered whilst saving money. They work best for combination/oily skin and are just the right weight for a nice refreshing lift. Put them on after your usual cleansing routine for 5 minutes, and your skin will feel like new. 

To prepare for a pamper evening a nice bath will help you feel clean and relaxed. This is then the perfect time to pay attention to your hair and nourish it with a mask. Hair masks can be pretty pricey but this one comes in at £4.99 (in Superdrug), and that's for 500ml so it will last a lifetime! The mask helps to repair any damage to hair, and is the perfect consistency to create a smooth texture. Leave in whilst in the bath, or wrap your hair in a towel with it on while you pamper the rest of you, and then rinse off. 

When we feel particularly moany a pamper evening is the perfect way to help keep us quiet! You don't have to spend a lot to feel nice, so treat yourself. 

We're always looking for new ways to pamper ourselves, what are you favourite pamper products to use on a budget? 

Best Budget Buys

Is it just us or do all bloggers seem to be rich? Don't get us wrong we are guilty of splashing out, but is it always necessary? As much as we would love to, we can't always afford to buy the best of everything, and actually don't believe that you always have to spend a fortune to get a good quality product.

To make your living on a budget easy, we've got our favourite budget buys that will make it feel like you haven't had to make a compromise.

Obviously everyone has a different interpretation of 'budget', so there's a mixture of cheap, a bit of a treat and products that only really seem good value when you compare them to their up market versions. 

First up is the Pro Formula make up Wipes from Tesco (£2). We have no idea why make up wipes are so expensive but most are on average around £3, ouch! These wipes are cleansing wipes with Green Tea and Vitamin E and are one of the only range of wipes that actually leave our skin feeling clean. They have a fresh smell, not fragranced like most, and are perfect for sensitive skin and removing impurities. 

                   

Contouring has gone absolutely crazy in the Blogger world, and so many paint it to be a pretty pricey task. This kit by Sleek comes in at £6.50, which is relatively cheap in comparison to so many on the market. The shadow side is a perfect matte, and can be built up to achieve the level of darkness that you desire. The highlight then has the perfect shimmer, and again starts relatively light, allowing you to create the right build up for the look you want to achieve. 

Some of the face masks currently popular are extortionate. £45 for a tiny bottle!? Even if it's a miracle worker not many of us can justify spending that much on a mask, so here's an alternative. The Mudd range are such trusty products, and buying the masks in bulk is much cheaper than buying the individual packets. While this one does not appear to be on the market currently, the same product is available in different packaging. You can get 10 masks for £3.99 at Fragrance Direct http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/mudd/mudd-original-mask-100ml/invt/0043442. 

The product is heavy, and thick leaving your skin completely revitalised and cleansed after just 10-15 minutes. Perfect little weekly pick-me-up for you skin. 

It's such a common perception that the most expensive perfume is best. We have a large proportion of the Marc Jacobs range (and don't get us wrong, we love it), but it does feel pretty pricey to be wearing everyday. We like to have a less expensive perfume for everyday wear, and the Zara range is absolutely perfect. Starting at £9.99 the price allows for a quality product that lasts, and smells absolutely amazing. 

With Benefits release of a new mascara, the hype around expensive mascara is pretty high. We absolutely love Benefit mascara, but like to have cheaper alternatives that we can combine. Here are two options depending on how much you need to budget. 

On the left is Bourjois Paris Volume Glam Ultra Curl mascara. At £7.99 (in Boots) its not too cheap, but in comparison to the Benefit ones it really is a budget one! It really work and elongates eyelashes, the brush is not too bold and stumpy and allows for build-up with each stroke. Great for everyday make-up or to use on top of others. 

On the right is Collection 2000 Volumising mascara, and at just £3.99 (currently on offer, £2.99 at Boots). This mascara perfectly separates lashes and really does create good volume. This is an absolute essential if you're on a budget. 

Above are Boots Botanics Day and Night Creams. The Botanics selection comes in six different ranges, all designed for different skin types and vary in price. Kirsti is currently using the Radiant Youth range, which is typically for women looking to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Recently, her skin became stressed and appeared run-down so she tried this range and it has really improved the quality of her skin. Previously, she's used the Organic range which is best for all skin types, so if you aren't specific or suffering from anything it's a good place to start!

Boots Botanics are a great range to use and their products can be used by all different skin types. The Day and Night creams vary in price depending on the range you buy, The Radiant Youth ones come in at £7.99 each, the other ranges are from £4.99-£7.99 - a bargain compared to some of the larger brands! A real good quality product, too. 

And off the subject of beauty, this is an absolute Gem. The new Cristalinas range is available at Asda, and this diffuser comes in at £4. Since having our own house we are constantly looking at ways to make a lovely home, whilst sticking to our budget. Who knew how expensive diffusers are!? Well this one isn't in compassion to most, and honestly works so much better. This particular fragrance is Cherry Blossom and it honestly smells good enough to eat (please don't eat it though). It's the first thing you smell when you enter the room, and it really does last. Probably the best £4 we've spent on our home (well technically the best £12 as we've brought three!). 

So there you have it, living on a budget doesn't have to be so bad after all! Do you use any products that are a bargain? We'd love to know! Hopefully these products will give you a few less things to moan about.