Worth the Splurge?

I've been through a lot of beauty products. Some of them are worth spending a little bit of money, and others are not. Here are some things that I think are worth the splurge, and others worth saving the money on.

Splurge

Foundation

Nothing beats a perfectly matched foundation. I wrote earlier this week about finding the wonder that is Wet n Wild Photofocus, so it might seem like I love drugstore foundation. It’s not that I don’t, but I have spent tons of money trying to find drugstore foundations that work for me. Drugstore foundation is also getting up in price, so take that money and put it towards one really nice foundation that matches your skintone. High end places will often give you samples to try, and many have flexible return policies, so it’s a better choice to buy a nice foundation that you’ll really love.

Concealer

This is right up there with foundation. The number of concealers that I have bought from the drugstore could buy several high-end concealers. I find that a lot of drugstore foundations pull really orange, and come in a limited shade range. Stop by a beauty counter and test out a few, and remember those great return policies.

Hair Styling Tools

I’ve got big hair. It’s not a secret. To tame the lion, I use a wide array of styling tools. I had used so many low-budget Conair hair tools, and they were good, but they usually didn’t last very long. I upgraded to a CHI straightener and a higher-price tag hairdryer, and they’re still going strong three years in.

False Eyelashes

This one is a little bit trickier. I really love my Ardell Demi Whispies. I love them so much that I can’t really articulate it. However. I can’t’ reuse them nearly as much as I would like to. The Sephora brand false eyelashes are amazing. You can reuse them many times, and the band is super flexible and easy to put on. I think that if you’re going to start wearing false lashes, start cheap. Practice with the cheap ones. But when you’ve gotten it down, go a step up in price. It’s like night and day. I don’t’ believe in buying the super luxury lashes that are $30+, but the middle-price ones are wonderful. The ones I like the best are between $10 and $17.

Eyeshadow

Obviously, there are some outliers on either end, but nothing beats high end eyeshadows for me. They blend better, you usually get more pigmentation payoff. It’s nice to know that you don’t have to fight with your eyeshadows to make them look nice.

Save

Lipsticks

I am a forgetful person. I lose lipsticks a lot, so that’s not a wonderful thing when you’re planning on spending good money on lipsticks. I also haven’t found a lipstick that can’t be duped at a lower price point. Some of my favorites are the Milani ones, and some from Revlon. Worth saving the pennies.

Mascara

I think we’ve all heard that we shouldn’t be keeping our mascaras around for longer than three months. As a result, I don’t buy expensive mascaras. There are lots of low-cost options out there that are amazing, or you (like me) get in the habit of having a million travel-sized baby mascaras, and you never end up really seeking out new ones. Either way, save the money.

Brushes

Between EcoTools, Real Techniques, and Wet n Wild, there are a lot of good brush offerings at the store. Good enough that I’m having trouble justifying $$$ brushes from high end brands.

Shampoo and Conditioner

I am a big believer in saving your pennies on shampoo. We are a Tresemme family, and probably always will be. There are also some good options for pretty much any of your hair needs…we currently use a silicone-free kind, but there’s lines for curls, color protection…pretty much anything.

Eyeliner

Don’t get me wrong, I love my Kat Von D Liquid Eyeliner. I do. But I also feel like I’ve had some good luck with low-cost and drugstore finds, especially from L’Oréal and Rimmel. I also love the gel liner in the pot from ELF. All good choices.

The Jury’s Out

Skincare

This one is tough. I really love high end skincare, especially from Drunk Elephant, but I also really love a lot of the skincare available at the drugstore, including Simple and Garnier. There are also a few good offerings from ELF right now. So, search for the gems.

What are your worth the splurge beauty things?