LAST YEAR, EVERYONE’S favourite bargain merchants Dealz branched into the beauty world with the super cheap Makeup Gallery range, with every single product going for a mere €1.50.
I’m a makeup fiend who has tried every product under the sun – from Mac to Penneys – and I wanted to know if I could find a true makeup bargain for spare change.
With that in mind, I chose nine products from the Makeup Gallery stand to try out, and here’s what I found.
1. Never Ending Story Lengthening Mascara in Carbon Black
This was the first product I tried and it didn’t set the bar very high. The dry-ass formula neither lengthened my eyelashes nor made them Carbon Black – in fact, it did nothing at all. Do not bother. 0/10
2. Colour Story Eyeshadow in Fern Green
This is a lovely forest green shade, with a hint of gold shimmer. It took a few goes to build it up to optimum opacity but when it got there, it was very pretty indeed.
If you have oily eyelids, you’ll definitely need a primer to stop the dreaded crease – but otherwise, this is great for the price. 8/10
3. Pro Liquid Eyeliner in Black
Can I gush about this liquid liner for a second? First of all, the brush is tiny, and perfect for creating a flick. Secondly, it goes on a solid black, which most eyeliners do not.
And thirdly, it didn’t transfer on to my upper eyelids at all, even though the eyeshadow succumbed to the oil – possibly the first liquid eyeliner I’ve ever tried that has not done this. If you have to pick just one thing from the range, get this. 10/10
4. Pout It Out Liner in Rose
The colour is nice, but applying it was painful. Like, actually painful. The pencil is so hard that it hurt my face, despite my attempts to warm it up on my hand. Don’t do it to yourself. 2/10
5. Pout It Out Lipstick in Crazy Coral
Crazy Coral, a loud-looking red in the tube, turned out to be the most disappointing product of the whole bunch.
It applied extremely sheer and smelled plasticky which, paired with the rickety packaging, called to mind a child’s play lipstick. It also completely melted when I accidentally left it on a windowsill, which explains the messy tube (this is entirely my fault, and not Dealz’). 0/10
6. Shine On Lip Gloss in Cherry Pop
These coloured glosses promise ‘intense colour and shine’ and while this looks extremely red in the tube, it sheers out completely on the lips.
It’s also so thick that it’s a bit of a chore to apply, and I could feel every hair on my head readying itself to get stuck in it. If you like lip gloss, go ahead, but it won’t convert you otherwise. 4/10
7. Hide & Chic Concealer
This comes in three shades that I could spot – Ivory, Sand, and Honey Beige – and Ivory should satisfy those with paler-than-pale Irish skin.
Coverage-wise it does the job, but as with most stick concealers, can look cakey on dry skin. 6/10
8. Feeling Blush in Candyfloss
Beware: This is very powdery. Just touching it with your brush causes pink dust to fly everywhere (as you can see in the photo above). Saying that, the colour is very nice and buildable, and it stayed on all day long. 8/10
9. Time To Shine Nail Polish in Lavender Cream
Dealz really pulled it out of the bag with the shade range, which goes from pastels to glitters to brights. The brush is just the right size, and this particular lavender shade was opaque with two coats.
However, it isn’t as ‘quick dry’ as the bottle claims it is, so be careful about smudges. 8/10
VERDICT
Dealz’ Makeup Gallery range is a mixed bag with quite a few duds – but the liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow, and nail polishes are well worth your euros. Go forth and shop.
