The Galleria

Makeup Gallery Cosmetics

It was actually my nan that kept telling me to try makeup from Poundland. All her makeup is from there (and Maxfactor, in case you’re interested in her beauty secrets). I don’t have a Poundland near me so I had to wait until the next time I popped into town. They had quite a nice display, and I chose a small selection of products. I didn’t try any of the eye makeup, as I suffer from dry eye and am allergic to a lot of eye products.

The first thing I tried was the pressed powder. I already use quite a cheap powder, it’s from Collection and it’s £1.99, but hey if I can save a pound, right? Unfortunately, the powder is the dud of this review. Although I picked the shade 'translucent' the powder was far, far too yellow and made me look like Marge Simpson.

The next product I tried was Makeup Galleries matte lip colour (see above). The lipsticks come in small solid-coloured containers that look almost exactly like Nyx soft matte lip creams. I’m a big fan of the SMLCs, in the past I’ve owned almost every colour, so I was intrigued to see how Poundland’s version would measure up. And the verdict? Well, not bad, not bad at all. Listen, this isn’t one of those long-lasting, stay on through the apocalypse type of liquid lipsticks. But it will stay where you put it on your lips, and not bleed or feather. It has a mousse-like formula that takes a while to dry down, about ten minutes, but once it’s there it’s set. It doesn’t appear to fade throughout the day, but will wear away with eating. It have a light vanilla scent too, almost exactly like the SMLCs. The shade I chose, ‘Plum Crush’ is a very flattering mid-toned berry, and would suit anyone. At only a pound, I will probably pick up another shade or two.

Pictured: Blush Rose pared with a Lavender shade (from Avon).

I was most impressed with the nail varnish. Makeup galleries nail polish claims to be long-lasting and quick-drying, and it’s completely true. I love fast drying nail varnish, and this dries in ten seconds flat. It’s amazing. The shade selection is nice too, there’s some shimmers and glitters as well as a nice variety of colours. The formula is neither watery or gloopy. The shades I choose were ‘Latte’, a light, mushroom-y brown, and ‘Blush Rose’, a dusky pink. Latte is very wearable, and very work friendly. It’s a great ‘nude’ nail shade. Both shades lasting 4-5 days before they started chipping, and even than the chipping was minor. I will absolutely be buying some more shades, and I hope Makeup Gallery expand the shade range further. Below is Latte on the nails.

I quite enjoyed my experience with makeup from Poundland. I will most likely return, as I would like to try their highlighters and blushers, so watch this space for another review.