So which twin’s make-up cost £400 and which was £10 from Poundland?
Just two months after the launch of its new £1 make-up range, Poundland has had to fly in extra stock to keep up with the phenomenal demand.
It’s had great reviews from shoppers, but I find budget ranges sometimes don’t work well for mature skins, failing to cover up signs of ageing.
so identical twins Linda Hall and Pauline Day, 64, volunteered to try the Poundland products to see if they could tackle baggy eyes, thin eyebrows and freckles.
Celebrity make-up artist Lina Cameron applied the same look to both women. she used Poundland makeup worth £10 on Pauline, and designer brands worth a staggering £400.50 on Linda.
Can you tell the difference?
FOUNDATION
BOTH sisters were concerned that their skin had pigmentation patches, as well as freckles, so a good base was essential.
Lina first used a premium primer, Bobbi Brown tinted Moisturising Balm, £36, ( bobbibrown.co.uk) on Linda before using a foundation, Elizabeth Arden Flawless Finish Perfectly Nude Make-up, (£28, Boots), which went on easily, giving Linda’s skin an even tone.
she also used three types of illuminating and highlighting powder: to reflect light, give staying power and make the skin matte.
these were Burberry Gold Glow Fragranced Luminising Powder, £ 45 johnlewis. com), By terry touche Veloutee Highlighter, £35, and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, £56 (both space NK)
Could the Poundland’s Gorgeously Flawless Foundation with vitamin E, UVA and UVB filters in Beige 4 compete?
Lina said: ‘this is a brilliant foundation. the colour is very natural and texture not too greasy or dry.
‘once the Poundland product was well blended, you couldn’t tell the difference between the two foundations.’
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP?
Natural and effective. 9/10
BRONZER
VITAL for older women, bronzer gives a touch of colour to the skin, which can get paler as we age. Brush lightly in the hollow under cheeks to give definition.
Lina used NARs Bronzing Powder in Laguna, £27 ( narscosmet
ics.co.uk) for the premium brand. she also used a small eyeshadow brush to trace a soft line of bronzer under the lower lashes to give the eyes definition) and swept a little on the jawline with a bigger brush to reduce the look of a double chin.
Lina says: ‘ the Good to Glow Poundland Bronzer was so good I would be happy to have it in my own make-up bag.’
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP?
sits well on skin. 10/10
BLUSHER
A HINT of blusher on cheeks gives a rosy glow to older complexions.
‘ Poundland’s Feeling Blush blusher was dry, cakey and contained lumps of glitter so I knew it would be ageing,’ says Lina.
‘Instead, I used a slick of Poundland’s All About the Pout Lipstick in Purple Pop on Pauline’s face and blended well, then I dusted the blusher on top to make it stay and to give a matte finish.’
the premium make-up, Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Blush in 500, £35 ( debenhams.com) went on like a dream: proof a pricier cream blusher is well worth it.
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP?
Ageing and cakey. 3/10
LIPSTICK AND GLOSS
LINA used identical bright pink lipsticks on the lips of both twins. First, she outlined their lips using a lip brush, then filled them in and added a touch of gloss.
she says: ‘the colours of the premium brand, (Bobbi Brown High shimmer Lip Glass in Bellini 14, £18.50, bobbibrown.co.uk) and the Poundland version (All About the Pout Lipstick in Purple Pop) were the same. But there was a real difference when it came to texture. Poundland’s was oily meaning it would come off the second you went near a glass of wine, and it sank into lip lines.
‘However the gloss (Dare to Bare sheer Lip Gloss) was a winner: lovely packaging and good value for £1.
‘It gave the same effect as more expensive products (MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Full speed Ahead, £17.50, maccosmetics.co.
uk) there really is no point in paying more for a gloss.’
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP?
only the gloss shone. 8/10 & 2/10
EYELINER
BOTH twins have prominent eyes, but eyeliner pencil dotted in between upper lashes makes them look fuller.
‘I didn’t love the Poundland take A Brow Eyeliner Pencil in Brown,’ says Lina. ‘the colour was weak so it took me three times as long to get the same effect as with the premium brand.’
she then used liquid eyeliner, Poundland’s Chic Flick Intense Colour and Chantecaille 24 Hour Waterproof Eye Liner, £22 (space NK) to draw a little flick at the side of each eye to give a lift.
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP? Liquid eyeliner was better than kohl pencil. 5/10 & 2/10
MASCARA
LINA curled the twins’ lashes first to give a lovely open- eyed look before applying mascara.
‘Burberry Beauty Effortless Mascara in Midnight Black 01, £22,
johnlewis.com) has an angled brush so you can get right to the roots of the lashes,’ she says.
‘this was easily replicated on the Poundland Never Ending story Mascara, by bending the brush at right angles. But nothing could disguise that it just didn’t have the thickening, lengthening look the premium brand has.’
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP? No
luscious lashes here. 4/10
EYESHADOW
‘UNFORTUNATELY, Poundland’s eyeshadow (Colour story Eye shadow in Dusky Rose 5), was underpowered; unlike the Givenchy ombre Couture in 13 Noir sequin, £18, ( debenhams.
com) it had no staying power so I popped a slick of the Poundland blusher over the top.’
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP?
Not a great eyeshadow. 4/10
EYEBROWS
THE twins hate their barely-there eyebrows so Lina filled them in with eyebrow pencils.
‘the Poundland version (take A Brow Eyebrow Pencil in Brown) was pretty impressive,’ she says. ‘It only fell down because the colour wasn’t quite as intense.’
Lina used Make up HD Brows Illuminator, 001 Champagne, £23.50 ( beautybay.com) on Linda.
DOES POUNDLAND MATCH UP:
Not enough pigment. 7/10
THE TWINS’ VERDICT
LINDA: ‘After eating a meal I had to top up the lipstick. Apart from that, my make-up made my skin look younger and stayed that way until 10.30pm.’ PAULINE: ‘I’m really pleased with the Poundland make-up. I thought I looked great, and its staying power is also good.’