The PM's Guide to Bargain Makeup-ing: Multi-Use Products

Let's face it (pardon the pun) - makeup can be expensive. Yes, there are a few gems that come with a reasonable price point, but as a general rule you get what you pay for. Therefore, it's always good to stretch your dollar further! You can do this by a) hunting down a bargain (which I'll touch on eventually as I'm an avid bargain hunter!) or b) buying products that have more than one use - which is what today's post will be on!

Now, the products I'll be talking about are from my own collection - therefore if you have something similar, by all means use that! (unless you want to try something new of course!). These are things that work for me and I find good to multi-use, but they may not work for you! (and that's ok too!)

So here are some products (in no particular order) that I use for a variety of things. Keep these in mind next time you are perusing the beauty aisles or packing for a holiday!

NAPOLEON PERDIS BRONZE PATROL
Main Use: Bronzer
Multi-use: Eye Shadow
The NP 'Patrol's' (Bronze and Blush) are great as they are a marble of colour and you can have lighter or darker depending on where you pick from in the pan! (If you get one that is good enough you will even have larger colour blocks to pick from). Usually, I am not the biggest bronzer fan and mine rarely get used (mostly due to the fact I am only a few shades off ghost white!). However, I love using Bronze Patrol in the crease of the eye as a nice soft brown - it makes a great everyday colour!

Bronze Patrol

ILLAMASQUA BRONZING DUO'S (as seen in Easter Feaster!)
Main Use: Bronzer
Multi-use: Eye Shadow and Highlighter
These are similar deal to the NP Bronze Patrol. However, this product comes in two silky-soft colour pans - one lighter and one darker! I used the paler-side (Glint) for my Easter Monday FOTD and was pleasantly suprised. I also used the darker colour as a subtle contour under my blush. They would also make great eye shadows and brow bone highlighters depending on your skin tone!

NAPOLEON PERDIS COLOUR DISC IN FLAMINGO ROAD
Main Use: Eye Shadow
Multi-use: Blush
Personally, I tend to avoid red/coral/pinky coloured eyeshadows becuase I feel that if it's not done right, your eyes just look sore. Therefore, I usually avoid it unless I'm specifically in the mood. While this would be good for crease-blending, it's not something I am keen to reach for on a regular basis. Until the day I had a champion brain wave... BLUSH! TOTAL WIN. Now I get more use out of those Coral/Red/Pink eyeshadows I just HAD to have... (It's a slightly more expensive way to do it, but if you use it up it's value for money!)

Flamingo Road

KRYOLAN TV PAINT STICK
Main Use: Foundation
Multi-Use: Concealer
I bought my first TV Paint Stick for use at my deb in 2004 (yes, I did my own makeup!) and I've loved it ever since. While I don't wear it as a full face foundation these days, it's the best concealer i've ever found! It's thicker than any other concealer I've ever come across. Why? Well, I have very dark circles under my eyes (something I am not the biggest fan of) and this is the only thing that does a good job of covering them up! When I have my makeup professionally done, they do put concealer under my eyes but I'm always asking for more makeup because these circles stand out like a sore thumb. I've also taken to using it under my cheeks, with good results! When my face gets all hot I get all red under my cheeks, if I don't cover it up it pokes through and makes it look like I have no idea what I'm doing with blush! (not cool!)

My Red Cheek (I rest my case...)

ILLAMASQUA MEDIUM PENCILS
Multi-use: Eyes and Lips
The beauty of Illamasqua is they appeal to all those left field makeup lovers! They have awesome products that come in a variety of colours to suit your every wish or whim! Illamasqua Medium Pencils come in just about every colour under the sun (pink, blue, red, yellow you name it!) and can be used on either the eyes or the lips! So with some crafty buying you can have your bright eye liner and wear it on your lips too!

SMITH'S ROSEBUD SALVE
Multi-use: Everywhere!
Being that this blog is supposed to be on nails too (oops!), I thought I best include a nail-friendly product. This stuff smells great and can be used just about everywhere. I know of some Nail Polish Bloggers that use it on their cuticles (and I don't blame them!). I haven't used mine very much but it's very highly spoken of in the beauty world. Rosebud Salve can be used on chapped lips and skin, blemishes and soft hands. If you have heard of/have used Elizabeth Arden's 8-Hour Cream, that will probably do the same thing (just not smell like roses). I use 8-Hour Cream on my nose when I have a cold and it's all chapped from blowing my nose! lol

Rosebud Salve

Anyway, I think that is a good start to the "PM's Guide to Bargain Makeup-ing"!
I will likely do another multi-use post when I find some more products and I will definitely do some more instalments for bargain makeup!

Are there any products you use for a variety of different things?

Love,
Your PM x