It’s no secret that makeup can cost a small fortune. With foundation being, well, the foundation of any look, it’s often the product we feel most justified splurging on. There are certainly many excellent premium bases to blur lines, cover pigmentation marks and give a fresh-faced glow, but as A-list makeup artist Val Garland reveals, some budget options can more than hold their own.
In a recent video shared on Instagram, Val headed to Primark, Zara and H&M to explore their makeup aisles in search of a budget-friendly foundation. While these high-street giants are best known for affordable fashion, they’ve also all ventured into beauty, and are becoming an insider secret for surprisingly excellent cosmetics.
With her career spanning more than 30 years, and clients including Kate Moss and Helen Mirren, Val has more than enough expertise to put products through their paces. She’s certainly no stranger to the most luxurious formulas on the market, which makes it all the more impressive that Primark’s £7 PS Pro Illuminating Foundation scored so highly in her books.
Primark PS... Pro Illuminating Foundation
Immediately she was impressed by Primark’s packaging, noting, ‘This is really weighty. It feels like a premium product and it looks like a premium product.’
Thankfully, the £7 foundation offers more than just good looks. ‘When you read the ingredients, we’ve got glycerin, squalene, and hyaluronic acid in there,’ Val says. In case you need a quick beauty cheat sheet, all three ingredients are particularly kind to mature skin.
As Dr Anjali Mahto explains to GH, ‘squalane is an oil that mimics your natural sebum to smooth rough texture and bring back a healthy, light-reflective glow’. She also notes that glycerin and hyaluronic acid are excellent for plumping fine lines and restoring bounce.
Putting the budget foundation to the test on her own mature skin, Val notes, ‘It feels very thin and you could build the layers with it. It’s not thick at all. I’m impressed.’
As she demonstrates how easily the foundation melts into the skin, she adds, ‘It does what it says on the tin. It’s illuminating, it sits really well on my skin and it has great skincare ingredients.’
She even goes as far as to say, ‘Definitely go out and buy this foundation’ — and if it’s good enough for Val, it’s more than good enough for us.
While Primark may have been the standout, both H&M and Zara’s own-brand foundations also held their own. Val was once again impressed by the packaging of H&M’s £12.99 Prowear Flawless Foundation, which passed her initial test for shelf appeal. ‘It feels quite creamy,’ she says. ‘It doesn’t feel thick, but has a lot more coverage. It dries down matte which is great if you don’t want shine.’
Zara’s £15.99 Tinted Moisturiser, meanwhile, is a strong option for those who prefer a lighter base. ‘It’s very thin, which I love and actually sits nicely on the skin. There’s a lot of shine, so if you like that really dewy complexion, this is the one for you.’ While it may not offer the same skincare benefits as Primark’s formula, it does come with the added advantage of SPF50.
To put it in Val’s own words: ‘Well done Primark.’
