Budget beauty buys for busy mums

The stretchmark cream

Mama Naked Serenity Stretch Mark Cream, £3.99, nakedbodycare.co.uk

Made of 97% natural ingredients to help increase skin's elasticity, it's also paraben-free.

Tester talk: 'I loved the smell! It left my skin soft, not greasy, and stopped my bump itching.'

The hand cream

Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture Radiance Hand Cream, £1.99, Boots

Enriched with shea and cocoa butter, this will banish signs of dull-looking skin.

Tester talk: 'Absorbed quickly and left my hands feeling lovely and soft.'

The concealer

Collection 2000 Illuminating Touch, £4.99, Boots

This is the perfect quick fix at a great price. Easy to apply using the twisting pen brush and blend with fingers. It conceals dark circles and illuminates skin.

Tester talk: 'I actually looked like I'd had eight hours' sleep - I was impressed!'

The night cream

Weleda Wild Rose Smoothing Night Cream, £13.50, weleda.co.uk

This cream helps the regeneration phase overnight and leaves your skin feeling super soft and young-looking come the morning.

Tester talk: 'Rich without feeling greasy, this is more expensive than my usual cream, but a little goes a long way. After a week's use, I looked much more "rested".'

The serum

Lacura Multi-Intensive Serum, £3.49, aldi.co.uk

This light cream-gel helps improve the skin's elasticity for a smoother look.

Tester talk: 'I couldn't believe the price of this! My skin definitely felt smoother after a couple of weeks.'

The eye cream

Lacura Caffeine Eye Roll-On, £3.49, aldi.co.uk

This caffeine-enriched eye gel is great for refreshing tired eyes.

Tester talk: 'Feels lovely and cool and noticeably reduces dark circles.'

The blusher

Blush Me! Blush Box in Coral, £8.50, Superdrug

Vintage-style packaging that looks classy but without the price tag - this blush will perk up a wan expression in no time.

Tester talk: 'This blusher gave me a great glow. I was even told I looked "fresh-faced". Definitely a must-have.'

The day cream

Optimum Super Antioxidant Grape Day Cream, £12.99, Superdrug

This day cream includes grape extract which helps strengthen the skin's cells.

Tester talk: 'This had a lovely smell and was very light and non-greasy, so easily absorbed, with the bonus of SPF15 included. A great day cream for busy mums.'

The mascara

Barbara Daly Lash Boost Mascara, £4.99, Tesco

Maximise those lashes with a sweep of this fab lash-building mascara.

Tester talk: 'I thought this was really good - I definitely think it made my lashes feel thicker and longer. I was quite impressed.'

The eye shadow

Barbara Daly Eyeshadow Bon Bons, £6.75, Tesco

This shimmery neutral palette of four complementary shades is perfect for mums who want to pretty up their eyes at top speed.

Tester talk: 'Nice subtle colours that blended easily - love it!'

The wipes

Faith in Nature 3-in-1 Facial Wipes, £3.10, faithinnature.co.uk

Convenient for removing make-up and grime, these wipes are also ph-balanced, so are kind to skin.

Tester talk: 'My skin felt really clean and fresh after using these.'

The cleanser

Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser, £5.99, Superdrug

This nourishing cleanser is rich in vitamin E and comes with a muslin cloth to use with it.

Tester talk: 'A much cheaper version of the iconic Eve Lom cleanser. It has a rich, creamy texture that massages easily into skin, and the textured muslin exfoliates your skin well as you wipe it off. My skin felt wonderfully cleansed and hydrated afterwards.'

The cover-up

Max Factor Ageless Elixir 2 In 1 Foundation + Serum SPF15, £12.99, Boots

Gives a flawless finish and protects against signs of ageing.

Tester talk: 'Feels light to apply, blurred my fine lines and lasted all day. Didn't dry out my skin at all.'