Cheap Makeup in Malta: Nail Polish

Today I'm going to talk to you about buying cheap makeup in Malta- something that is much harder than I expected! Brands that are relatively purse friendly in the UK are much more expensive here, new releases are months behind and the stands are updated so rarely that they're mostly disgusting and the products are covered in dust.This is where Essence and Catrice come in! A makeup brand that is cheap in price but not in quality. In fact it's produced by the same people as a number of more expensive brands, however they manage to keep the prices low as they do not advertise and the quality is just as good, if not better.Essence is more fun and colourful aimed at a younger audience (I'm 25 and love it though!) and Catrice is slightly sleeker and more sophisticated.You can check them out  here on Facebook- they're very interactive and it's a great place to find out which pharmacies on the island stock Essence and Catrice and keep up to date with new collections and what products others have tried and loved.One of my favourite items from both brands is nail polish. The new Essence polishes especially, they come in 44 new fun colours, the bottles are super cute, the polish is fast drying and glossy AND they're only €1.70!This is PART of my Essence and Catrice polish collection. Since these photos I have bought about... 8 more! Below are some of my favourites closer up so you can see the true colour and quality of these polishes. The Catrice colours tend to be more subtle and grown up, in sleek circular packaging. I found that the brighter Catrice colours do stain the nails yellow, even with a base coat which can be annoying if you like to have bare nails inbetween colours. Personally for me my nails are always polished so it doesn't make much difference!Essence has much brighter 'younger' colours like hot pinks, blues, purples, yellows and greens, but they do also have some beautiful nudes- some with hints of sparkle, or a duo chrome finish. The new formula has a 'gel finish' which means it's much glossier and smooth. The drying time is just incredible, you can paint on two coats and be good to go about your business in just a few minutes. The Catrice packaging certainly looks amazing and classy sitting next to each other on my vanity unit but I do love the fun colours and shapes of the Essence bottles too!I hope this has been helpful to anyone as obsessed with makeup and nail polish as I am! I'll do more posts too including some more of their makeup items- their primers and mascaras are also firm favourites of mine!

Have you seen/tried any Essence & Catrice makeup?

Disclaimer: I was gifted a number of items at a recent blogger event held by PharmaMT (the sole distributer of the brands on the island) however I had bought a number of products before that and since. I will continue to pay money for their products as I genuinely love them. I am under no obligation to mention the brands, nor their products and all opinions are my own and honest as usual!