Beauty products can often get rather pricey, especially when you do most of your shopping at the department store. People, myself included, often wonder if it is absolutely necessary that you get the best of the best (and the priciest) products out there. Or can you get an equally great product at the drugstore for a fraction of the price? I have done some serious beauty research on this topic and have found the products you should splurge on, and the ones you can save on—without sacrificing quality!
- To Splurge:
- + Foundation. Spending a few extra bucks for foundation is worth it for a couple reasons. Good foundation lasts longer (a little goes a long way), the color will match your skin flawlessly, and it won’t clog your pores or irritate your skin. For a quality foundation try Chanel’s Mat Lumiere, the matte finish lasts forever and looks amazing!
- + Night cream. Night creams can get extremely pricey, but there is good reason for that. Doctors are involved in the creation, research, and development of many night creams. As we all know, research costs money… which is why you should feel okay about splurging on something like Murad’s perfecting night cream.
- + Blush. I have spent a lot of time trying to find a budget-friendly blush that looks good on, and have had no luck. If Blush is going to be a product you want to splurge on. The pricier powders usually have finer pigments and are and the powder is very fine, which makes it go on smoother and last longer (something you won’t find in cheap blushes). My go-to blush is Laura Mercier’s Second Skin cheek color.
- + Makeup brushes. You get what you pay for here. If you splurge on your brushes, they will most likely last you forever—which will end up saving you money in the long run, and they won’t shed (ew), or irritate your skin. I got my first set of MAC brushes when I started using makeup, and I still use them to this day.
- + Conditioner. Remember what I said about the research and development that goes into night creams? Well, the same concept applies to your conditioner. Pricier conditioners don’t contain the nasty waxes and oils that the cheap ones do. Kerastase Nutritive Lait Vital conditioner is the absolute best and leaves behind no icky residue,
- + Mascara. Lots of people love to skimp on their mascara, but I am not one of those people. Expensive mascaras seem to have a longer shelf life, plus they always seem to look SO much better (in my opinion at least). My favorite mascara, Diorshow, makes my lashes look long, luxurious, and clump-free.
- + Sunscreen. This product is one I am extremely serious about. Please, please, please spend extra money on your sunscreen! You only have one set of skin, so treat it right. Sun damage is the number one way to speed up to the aging process, so it’s necessary to protect your skin from the sun at all costs. Pricier sunscreens, such as this one by Shiseido, contains the right amount of ingredients to block both UVA and UVB rays without clogging your pores.
- To Save:
- + Eyelash Curler. I always thought that the eyelash curler by She Uemura was the absolute best, until I came across make-up artists secret weapon: the Revlon extra curl eyelash curler. Save your cash here, because the drugstore ones work just as great, if not better.
- + Moisturizer. Day cream is meant to protect your skin from the sun with it’s SPF and keep your skin moisturized, it’s job is much less crucial than night cream, which is why I think you should save on it. Cetaphil makes a fabulous moisturizing cream that wont leave you with that greasy feeling or clog your pores.
- + Makeup remover. No need to spend the high dollars here—they all do the same thing. Say Yes to Cucumbers facial towelettes remove makeup easily without leaving any oily residue behind. Not to mention the added aloe vera and green tea will leave your skin looking and feeling fabulous!
- + Lipstick. For some reason, people strongly believe that department store lipsticks are creamier, thicker and stay on longer. Guess what? Drugstore brand lipsticks are extremely capable to do the exact same thing—at half the price. Trust me, I have tried many lipsticks in my day, but my absolute favorite is Maybelline New York Color Sensational lip color.
- + Shampoo. If you want to spend a fortune on shampoo, you might as well wash your money down the drain with the suds. Shampoo is shampoo and it’s there to simply cleanse your hair. Save your money here, and put the extra towards your conditioner. Dove Advanced Color Therapy shampoo is the best, especially if you have color-treated hair.
- + Cleanser. Much like your shampoo, you don’t need to spend a fortune on this stuff. Tons of dermatologists actually recommend a variety of drugstore cleansers for your skin. Mine always told me to use Cetaphil Daily Face Cleanser to wash my face and my skin rarely ever has breakouts. Make sure to get a cleanser for your skin type (oily/dry/normal).
- + Lip balm. This is one essential I always have on hand because dry and chapped lips are not a pretty picture for anyone. EOS makes the best organic lip balm. It comes in loads of delicious flavors (honeydew is my favorite), it makes my lips look great, and the cylinder shape makes it so easy to apply!
