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What type of beauty products do you splurge on?


What type of beauty products do you splurge on? Where do you try to save? Share!

Foundation, lip balm, highlighters, lipsticks!

Thanks to Emi for today’s question! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.

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Soren Avatar

eyeshadows. I have a mix of high and low end eyeshadows and, although I do snicker at the thought of spending $47 on a single eyeshadow, I did have to spend close to $100 to the the Naked2 palette in Australia and I definitely consider that a splurge! I don’t buy super high end eyeshadows like chanel or burberry or anything but MAC is very expensive here so buying a little paintpot eyeshadow every now and then is a very rare treat and something I do like to splurge on.

Kate Avatar

I am sure Australia is wonderful and I have always wanted to visit but the cost of beauty products there is terrible, not to mention ridiculous. I have always wondered why it is so high. I know there is super strict customs laws, which I assume contributes.

Audrey Avatar

-Foundation (I’m really light so it’s hard to find a good match)
-Blush (I almost exclusively have high-end blushes. I love the variety of shades that you can get for more money)
-Lipsticks (I have more from the drugstore but I do love to splurge on them!)
-Brow Powder
-Eyeshadow Primer (Yes the Maybelline color tattoos are great, but I love me my MAC Paint Pots)

John S. Avatar

I tend to spend more on facial skin care, certain body products, and makeup in general. Some of my hair products can also be considered more “middle-tiered.” They’re certainly not from high-end salons, but they’re no Axe either.” But I’m willing to spend a bit more for my American Crew. 🙂

xamyx Avatar

I’m always willing to spend more money on eyeshadow & sculpting products, especially powder products. That’s not to say I don’t do DS products, and there are some I actually like more than HE, but since I choose to stay within a certain budget, I’d rather the bulk be spent on my favorite product types, and those that won’t go bad too quickly.

candleashes Avatar

Pretty much everything. There are some categories I have exclusively high end products though: foundation, concealer, skin care, setting powder, fragrance, lipstick. Pretty much erything else is mixed, as far as makeup is concerned, but mostly high end.

LU Avatar

Foundation, primers, finishing/setting powders, all the staples really. I prefer to splurge once on a great product vs testing cheaper ones that fail.

Emy Avatar

Serum and sunscreen, definitely. Serum because I’d rather spend more money on something that delivers, and sunscreen because it’s the one thing I use everyday, so I want something with high SPF that still looks nice on skin.

I also splurge on foundation if I love the formula and find the perfect shade match.

Ryou Avatar

Lipstick, mostly, followed by other make-up products. If I saw an expensive make-up product I really like then I’d rather just purchase it than hunting for cheaper dupes. However, I’m most definitely not above buying cheaper products if the quality is there, but I’d buy them as products that are unique in their own way rather than to dupe a pricier product.

CeeBee Avatar

Moisturizer and eye cream. The most perfect eyeshadow palette. Lip gloss – especially Chanel Levres Scintillantes, though the new Milani ones are pretty nice too… Perfume. Face masks. Cuticle and nail creams. Concealer. Finishing powder.

That;s not to say expensive is always better. it’s just I’m ready and willing to spend a lot of $ on those things if necessary,. Or I feel like it.
Whichever.

Quinctia Avatar

Eyeshadow palettes~~~ If UD has new colors, I’d like to have them, pretty much. 9/10 days I’m wearing them.

I also splurge on lipsticks, if it’s a color I know I’ll wear all the time. Though it’s hard to know 100% until you’ve bought a color and worn it a few times. I got two Guerlain RAs initially, and the color I was less sure about, Bal de Mai, is pretty much tied for my favorite lipstick shade (with UD’s old formula Midnight Cowboy).

I do try to wait for deals, if I can, even if I splurge. F&F stuff, rewards points–I bought my Guerlain with Amex rewards points, essentially.

Laura_Lou Avatar

Foundation is my biggest expense. I feel uts the most important part of makeup, if your base isn’t right nothing else is gonna be right either. I tend to only buy MAC, Illamasqua or Guerlain lipsticks so I suppose that’s a splurge too.

Shrutilaya Avatar

Face products – foundations, concealers and highlighters/illuminating products. I find it very hard to find colour matches in drugstore brands.
I like to save on things like eyeliners and mascara – especially since the latter has a shelf life of 3 months.

zainab Avatar

If we’re excluding perfumes, eyeshadow palettes and finishing powders are the main one- the most expensive beauty product I’ve ever bought was the Guerlain Meteorites, though Urban Decay Vice 2 was pricier if you include shipping. Foundation is the other thing I spend big on, though lately I’ve tried a few drugstore ones. I never thought it would happen, because I always viewed it as a ‘boring’ product, but I’m really obsessed with trying different foundations now. I think it’s one thing where price wouldn’t bother me if I could get something absolutely perfect.

Mariella Avatar

In addition to skin care products and facial sunscreen, it would be eye shadow, foundation, primer, lipstick, some highlighters and, when it comes right down to it, anything that really catches my eye as being too beautiful or unique to resist.

Wwendalynne Avatar

Biggest splurges: base layers – foundations, setting powders, highlighting, contouring/bronzing, concealers

Eeep, blushes and lipsticks too

I think I view my whole makeup collection/obsession thing as a splurge really, but I absolutely do not feel guilty or bad about it. 🙂

helen Avatar

All the foundations for the canvas (the face). Moisturizer, eye cream, sunscreen(!!), primer (Hourglass), foundation (Guerlain/GA), concealer (Cle de Peau) and finishing powder (Guerlain Meteorites).
The rest of the products can fluctuate in price. Although, my favourite blush and lip products are from Burberry, Chanel and Guerlain because of their excellent performance.

Sasha Avatar

Foundation, eyeshadow, mascara, and lipstick.

I don’t purchase drugstore foundation because I don’t like not being able to try the shade and most of them tend to oxidize on oily skin. I’m picky about eyeshadow texture (<3 my burberry) though I do think I need to go back and fill out a mac palette. My lashes are long but my hair is thin and many will make them droop and I'm okay with splurging a bit to highlight one of my favorite features. I have fairly sensitive, dry lips and I've been splurging a lot more once I discovered lip products that allowed me to eat and drink and not have to reapply constantly.

Karen Avatar

I also have the same lip situation, what are some of the long wearing lip products that work best for you? I would love suggestions! Thanks!

Amanda Avatar

Definitely foundation and powders, I think the most important thing regarding makeup is making sure you have a good base, I’m always looking for better, more natural looking products. I want my skin to look perfect and I’m willing to splurge if the product delivers!

keG Avatar

I try to splurge for quality items-when the company runs a deal. I wouldn’t normally splurge on blush-but if Giorgio Armani is running their 20% off-I will get it. I don’t mind spending a little extra for lip products.

Daniel Avatar

Skincare, primer, foundation, all of them because my skin is both sensitive and acne-prone.

I also love MAC, UD and Inglot eyeshadows, so I spend quite a lot on that too.

Meghan Avatar

Foundation for sure! I would consider most of the makeup I buy more on the high-end side & don’t have that much drugstore makeup. So generally, I splurge… I have nothing against drugstore makeup and would like more, it’s just that I live in a smaller town & the “Wal”-store runs out of drugstore makeup so quickly & doesn’t seem to restock often, and I’ve boycotted the local Shoppers Drug Mart in town for terrible customer service! It’s also easier ordering high-end stuff online so that’s what I tend to stick to.

xamyx Avatar

If I wasn’t a mom, and didn’t find myself in a drugstore of some type at *least* once a week, I’d probably have a lot less DS stuff, as well! It’s just that every time I step into one, I migrate to the cosmetic section, and well…

Nikki Avatar

I’m a total sucker for high end foundation and concealer. My skin is pale and sensitive, so it’s difficult to find something that works for it – from the drugstore or high end, honestly. Finishing powders are another splurge for me, just because I have come to love the blurred effect I can get from powders like NARS light reflecting powder. A couple months ago I would have said setting spray, but I purchased the NYX matte one and I love the way it melds my makeup into my skin.

Tori Avatar

Definitely face makeup, like foundation/concealer/powder. I’m not a big eye makeup person (usually just eyeliner on the top lashline and mascara), so I’ll use anything that’ll get the job done. I LOVE my lip products, so I’ll always be willing to splurge on those, even though you can easily find a good quality drugstore dupe.

Ivanna Avatar

Only setting powder (hourglass) and setting spray (UD), and only until I find a drugstore equivalent. Everything else is no less amazing at the drugstore than high end if you buy the right stuff.

Anyone want to recommend me some drugstore highlighting setting powder or setting spray to try? 😉

Katrina Avatar

I use LaMer skin care products; yes they are expensive, but I constantly receive compliments on how beautiful my skin is. The investment is worth it, to me! I also use NARS tinted moisturizer in the shade CUBA, which I really love. Currently I wear two shades of Tom Ford lipsticks – Rouge Fatal and Vampire Kiss. And they are indeed long lasting!

DonnaJ Avatar

YAY! I was worried I was the only one who didn’t really splurge! lol I think of makeup as my hobby not a life or death thing, like food, shelter, etc. So I can’t see paying extremely high prices for my hobby when I have bills out the wazoo for everything else. This doesn’t mean I have no high end makeup, but I definitely wait for sales/clearance and other bargains. And I have no problem using drugstore products, and just check the blogs that mostly do drugstore/budget reviews to be sure I’m not throwing away money. There are nice products to be had at the drugstore!

Lisa Avatar

Two years ago I would’ve said foundations and skincare but I’ve been buying all kinds of foundations from drugstores and on various websites. And I discovered that Boot’s No 7 has some great skincare products. So my makeup drawers look like a mish mosh of products from high, mid and drugstore.

Denise Avatar

Eep! This question has made me take a long hard look at myself and I’ve come to the frightening realisation that I’ve turned into a complete makeup snob, so really this question for me should be “what type of beauty products don’t I splurge on?”!

Er….Lip balm? Weird eh?

Diana Ferrell Avatar

I spurge on serums, peels, and skin care from Makeupartistchoice.com. Wonderful site if you’ve never checked it out. Been a customer for 12+ years and my 60 yr old skin is luminous. My foundation splurge is YSL Touché Éclat In B20. It is amazing.

Kate Avatar

Foundation + powder and lip balms always. Other stuff I experiment with drug store brands, though I rarely find something I love. My lips are suuuuuuper dry and the only balm that works is Jack Black. They aren’t super pricey but I constantly lose them. My skin is super sensitive and I am allergic to just about everything (though I don’t know what), including many forms of sunscreen, and expensive brands are the only ones that work.

Genevieve Avatar

I splurge on eye shadow palettes, particularly Dior, Lancome and Estee Lauder. Some of the eye shadow palettes that are incredibly cheap in the US (by Australian standards) are really expensive here (double the price).
I save on cleansers and moisturisers.

Ella Avatar

I tend to spend more money on skincare and base products like foundation and concealer. But that’s not to say, I won’t buy drugstore. I just am willing to spend extra money on those other items.

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