Credit Crunch Chic.

that’s the strapline for FrontCover cosmetics.  Their range does epitomise that.  With prices ranging from £10 for 3 lipglosses and 3 lipstains, plus a lip pencil, up to£35 for their EyeSpy collection, made cult famous last year, but revamped for 2009.

I’ve been testing the £25 ‘Before the Party‘ collection, with 2 shimmery eyeshadow powders, 2 glitter eyegels, 2 shimmering lipglosses, 2 fat metallic eye pencils, a pair of false eyelashes and the very funky sequinned makeup cases.

At first glance, the lipglosses and glitter gels are small.  They’re the size of a sample lipgloss, but that’s not a bad thing.  You won’t have an excess left over after the season, when the softer colours and looks come in for SS10, but then who wants loads of leftover stuff anyway?  waste of money!

the packaging is rather basic, a little ‘plasticky’ but again, why pay for packaging, surely it’s all about the contents isn’t it?

They’re fun, funky and functional.  You won’t get 16 hours of life out of these, they really aren’t for an all day wear, but then, I’m not sure how many women like to be glittery and shimmery at 9am at their desk, so they do serve their purpose.  The colours are strong and true, and the glitter gel is very buildable.

In fact, Frontcover kits all ‘include makeup artist’!  Well, obviously not really, but they do include tips from Leanne Shaw, who suggests that you slowly build up the glitter in this particular kit, and keep the glitter soft in the socket line and heavinger on the lid.

They are easy to use, the range of products (8 in total) will suit all budgets.  I can see these appealing very much to the gift market for Christmas, and they are ideally placed in Boots larger stores, and Boots online.

I quite fancy a try of the Inky Eyes collection, with smokey shades and mascara, but then the Eye Spy calls to the inner magpie in me, with 15 rainbow shades, 5 further suede colours, glitters, shadowliners etc etc…