Budget Beauty Heroes for Autumn

If there was one thing I learned whilst on maternity leave- other than how to survive on zero sleep- it was how to budget. I mean, when you're getting £110 a week, it's not really an option to spend all of that on face cream. I banned myself for Selfridges for everything but foundation, and began to experiment with more affordable products. What I discovered was that many less expensive options are just as good, or even superior, to the high-end products.... And since then I've stuck with many of them and saved myself a fortune.

I was really unsure whether to publish this post; I thought perhaps I had better leave this sort of thing to the beauty bloggers. Then I decided that maybe, after all, it's a positive point that I am not a make-up artist, a beauty "expert" or a sponsored beauty blogger. I'm just an ordinary thirty-something mother trying to look half decent without spending a king's ransom. I might not be able to explain the science of peptides or AHA's, but I know the products that work. I know which foundation melts off my face by the end of the day and which doesn't. I know that the No.7 under-eye brightening concealer is just as effective as that famous gold one (you can thanks me later for that one).

So without further ado, here are my budget beauty heroes for Autumn 2016. All under £20 and all available from your local Boots. Advantage cards at the ready!

Turning on the radiators, not to mention the car heaters, always dries my skin out. No.7 Beautiful Skin Melting Gel Cleanser feels soothing and comforting on the skin and removes make-up without stripping your natural oils. Try massaging it into your face before you get in the shower.

To moisturise and repair my weather-ravaged hair, I'll be alternating between John Frieda Sheer Blonde Moisturising Conditioner and Full Repair Strengthening Conditioner.

My mum told me I'd grow out of getting zits by the time I was 21. That never happened. No. 7 Rapid Blemish Rescue zaps them fast (and it's clear, so you can sneak it on under make-up).

I actually use this all year round. Soap and Glory Glow All Out has just enough shimmer to give a flattering glow, and it's not too strongly pigmented, so perfect for a heavy-handed clutz like me. I now prefer this to my abandoned Dior blush.

For a quick DIY blow dry, John Frieda Frizz Ease Heat Defeat Spray has everything you need; heat protection and a super-smoothing formula. It's water based, not oil based, so it won't make your hair look greasy.

I bought this Eau Avene Thermale Hydrance Hydrating Serum as an alternative to my usual Clarins hydrating serum (you know, the blue one). While I can't say that it is just as good, at less than half the price, it comes a close second. It feels cool and refreshing, sinks in quickly, moisturises without any greasiness and gets rid of those pesky fine lines that are caused by dehydration. My skin didn't feel as hydrated as it does with the Clarins one, so I used more moisturiser. Swings and roundabouts.

This is amazing. I first got Soap and Glory Arch de Triumph as a present and since then I've bought it continually. One end is a brow definer and the other is a brightening eyeliner which you can also use to define under the brow. Try it inside the waterline to make you look wide awake at 7am on a Monday morning (yes, really).

For coverage and glow-factor, Soap and Glory Trick or Treatment Under Eye Concealer does not, alas, come close to YSL Touche Eclat (or even the very decent No.7 version). However, because it's so quick and easy to blend, and because it contains peptides to actually tackle the causes of dark circles (allegedly), I use it as a cheap and cheerful everyday option.

Garnier Ultimate Regenerating Body Oil apparently contains a cocktail of precious natural oils to firm and nourish the skin. All I know is that it smells and feels amazing, and unlike lotions, it doesn't make you feel cold on a grim November morning.

A combination of harsh weather outside and central heating inside can make my skin dry, sore and red. Eau Avene Thermale Antirougers Emulsion is perfect for calming it right down. It contains SPF to protect skin on sunnier autumn days, too.

Even more important than coffee in the morning is my No.7 Beautiful Skin Dark Circle Corrector. Little roller balls dispense just the right amount of cooling cream which you can then tap in with your finger. I couldn't live without it.

Sleek Make-Up's I-Divine palette is the most gorgeous gift for yourself, and at under £20, it's guilt-free. There are enough matte, silk and shimmer colours to see you right through autumn and beyond. Best of all, they're specially chosen to complement each other, making your night-out smoky eye a doddle. If you get to go on a night out, that is.

#lemonpiemummy