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For makeup, where you skimp? Where you splurge?
I don’t think I actually do skimp, ha, ha, based on the volume I buy in. If I take off my blogger hat, then I would say I’d be more likely to skimp on nail lacquer, liquid eyeliner, maybe mascara. I find myself more into buying products that are really good, so if it was cheaper, awesome, but if it was more expensive, I’d likely still buy it over a lesser performing cheaper product.
— Christine
I splurge on everything! I love putting luxe and premium products on my face. ?
Skimp: Skin care – I love a lot of drugstore & Target brand stuff and tend to stick to basics. Mascara – I’m allergic to a lot of them so I go for free samples. Blush – I have a few staples and don’t feel like I need more. Eye liners – used to be one of my fav products but now I don’t buy many. Foundation – I only use Mary Kay CC Cream and generally have just 1 tube at a time
Splurge: Eye shadows, lipsticks, highlighters, face powder.
I will definitely spend more on foundations, since I’ve completely given up on the DS ones. First, the shade range carried in store is usually very limited, and you can’t swatch or test anything, and they don’t give out free samples either. With the ME or HE foundations, I can go to the store to swatch, get color matched, and get generous free samples to try out. Plus the DS foundations have been creeping up in price every year. By the time, I try 3 bottles of DS foundation that were a complete bust, I could’ve bought 1 ME or HE foundation that I like because I was able to test it.
My skimps & saves are generally: mascara, lip and eye liner pencils (HELLO Nyx!), gel eye liners, eyeshadow primer (WnW, still weighing whether it’s still as great as Fergie’s) and of course, nail polish (thank you, Sinful Gel Tech!).
My splurges are usually: Skincare, eyeshadows, MAC MSF powders, foundation, special lipsticks like Guerlain Air Kiss or Nars Apoline (not sure I think of MAC or UD lipsticks as all-out splurges, though, they’re right in the middle.) Oh, and MJ Highliner in Blacquer because that tightline ain’t going’ nowhere with that!
Nancy, what is MJ?
Carol Ann, I’m sorry for the confusion! It stands for Marc Jacobs. His Highliner in Blacquer is my HG (Holy Grail) liner for a waterproof tightline.
Duh! Sorry, if I’d thought about it I would have known that! ?
It’s okay, no problem! With so many things nowadays being spoken of in just initials or abbreviations, there is bound to be some element of confusion. I think it happens to all of us at some point. ?
Marc Jacobs
I skimp on eyebrow pencil, eyeliner and eye primer. I spurge on highlighter, eyeshadow and brushes! And blush too probably…
Generally speaking, I skimp more by buying good quality DS-priced mascara, eyeliner, lipliner, lipstick, lipgloss, setting powder, and nail polish. I usually splurge on: Skincare, foundation, face primers, eye primers, and eyeshadow palettes. So, products revolving around my oily and very fair skin. Both factors make it difficult to find DS products that work for me in those categories. I’m also more likely to splurge on items with unconventional colors or finishes, though many indie companies are very reasonably priced on that front.
Looking at my collection, I mostly have TF and Gurelain’s products ; Dior lip and cheek products and cream eyeshadows, and YSL lipsticks/glosses. Their formulas are really good.
TF for eyes, cheeks, bronzer, lips, face products and brushes are top notch !
Guerlain’s rouge G, bronzers and meteorites are lovely.
YSL’s lip products are great and the tropical fruit sent is the most delicious lip product sent ever !
Dior’s cream shadows and lip products are nice.
MUFE, Mac, and UD have good eyeshadows.
Marc Jacobs liners are great, also UD’s.
La Prairie makes great foundations. Also Kanebo Sensai’s foundation, I feel those could be dupes.
My splurge most of the time depends on the quality of the formula, the texture, the sent, and at last the packaging. I skimp easily on formulas that don’t like : most of Guerlain, Dior and YSL’s eyeshadows are not that great for example.
I still don’t have Chanel’s eye quad. I only have 1 Chanel cream shadow, and some liners. Not impressed and longtime didn’t buy anything cosmetic from Chanel, except their nail polishes.
I skimp on brands that never impressed me and/or was deceiving (Clinique, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, etc.) I always find better products in term of quality, texture, and sent in the brands that I prefer.
So I definitely prefer to buy 1 TF or 1 Guerlain or 1 YSL or 1 Dior, rather than 2-3 Estée Lauder, or Lancôme, or Clinique.
Your make up kit sounds about identical to mine. It’s a complete waste of money for me to try other lesser brands since I’m usually, if not always disappointed, so I don’t bother anymore. I have problematic eyes and skin, and my go to brands work for me, so the last thing I want to do as well is to risk a large break out or eye problems as well. I’d rather have a couple of beautiful products per season than a whole bag, it’s just the way I shop for most things really.
Shana, LaMaitresse,
I feel 100% the same way you both girls do. I don’t skimp on ANYTHING!!!!! I found out after buying all the inexpensive brand, that I was wasting so much money on stuff I would throw out, because it didn’t live up to my expectations. Love all the brands you both mentioned and more.
Lol, your skimp brands are my splurge brands!
The products that I generally refuse to splurge on are mascara, any kind of eyeliner, lip liner and brow gel. I find little difference between the cheaper and expensive versions of these. There’s not enough of a difference for me to justify buying the expensive ones. There are other items but those are the main ones that I will never spend a lot of money on.
I skimp on foundation, powder, brushes, and mascara. I really like a couple drugstore foundations and only keep two higher end foundations on hand: Clinique Beyond Perfecting for days I want a lot of coverage and It Cosmetics CC cream for days I need more SPF. Same with powders; I have a couple high end but mostly use drugstore on a day to day basis.
Most of my brushes are Real Techniques. I find they do a good job and meet all of my needs.
I haven’t actually bought a mascara I maybe two years, I always select mascara samples and so I just consistently use those. When I do buy mascara, I think the drugstore has really good options.
I splurge on other items because I get sucked in by packaging or good reviews here. Maybe subconsciously I assume that a more expensive product is better. I know there are plenty of drugstore shadows that are great but I always reach for higher end palettes because I figure I paid big bucks for them, why not use them? Same with lipsticks, blushes, and bronzers, though I want to try and swap out some of my existing bronzers for drugstore once I finish them. I feel like there are way may drugstore bronzer options now than there were even a year ago.
Totally with you, nail polish, eye liner, mascara. Also cream products, because I know they will dry out eventually. Brushes, too (tho I don’t really consider that skimping per se, my brushes are great, just affordable).
Splurge: skin care, base products, mascara
Skimp: lipgloss ( I don’t wear it much)
Good question.
Skimp:
Sometimes it becomes an expensive proposition to find what works best for you. I really hate “buying twice” to settle on what I like the best. Happens all the time I can skimp on liquid liner for sure, but that was after a number of KVD tattoo liner (which is great, but can be replicated for half the cost).
It’s also gone the other way around — I convince myself the drugstore foundation will work just as well, and then it sits there unused after a few weeks. Does Armani or Becca work better? For me it sure does.
Splurge:
Not sure this is a splurge, but where I have wasted the most money, and bought twice, if not three times, is with brushes. I think Morphe and Crown are terrible and to not hold up over time, and I have a load of them. Not too impressed with Sigma either, although they’re a bit better, and I have a bunch of their products too. Why? All because I was trying to save $ not buying MAC.
In the end, for me, MAC brushes have yet to fail me. I am super happy with every MAC brush I own for application and longevity. If I just would have taken my time and built that collection slowly (which is what I’m doing now by replacing the main brushes I use), I would have saved a lot of money in the end, although the outlay upfront would have been bigger.
Linda, I would love to know your dupe for the Tatoo Liner. Thanks in advance
Try Physician’s Formula Eye Booster liquid eyeliner. It’s also a brush tip.
Hi Kat!
I’ve been using L’Oreal The Infallible Super Slim. I do A/B tests and have my husband weigh in on whether one side looks better than another, and if he can tell a difference. He LOVES doing that, as you can imagine. 🙂
We both could not tell the difference in color or application look. I will admit that I do like the Tattoo liner applicator better, but not enough to make up the difference.
Skimp: mascara, powder, brushes
Splurge: eyeshadow, highlighters, cream products
50/50 split: lip products, blush/bronzer, hair products, foundation
I’ll skimp on loose powder. I’ve always used Coty Airspun….costs around $6 and it lasts forever lol. I’ve been pretty loyal to Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara but right now I’m using Guerlain, which is fabulous but if I had to, I wouldn’t have any problem with going back to Loreal. I also use the Wal-Mart version of Neutrogena Oil-Free makeup remover. It works just as well. Lancôme Bi Facil is awesome but I can’t justify spending almost $30 for it when a $4 remover works just as well. I won’t skimp on skincare or foundation though. I like the good stuff. 🙂 I use Lancôme Genefique serum, and Renergie moisturizer and foundation. Love.
Skimp: Mascara
Splurge: Foundation
With increasing availability of good quality less cost items, ‘skimp’ means to me poorer quality as well as price. I’d get by on poorer quality & less expensive eyeshadow, eyeliner, eyebrow pencil, blush, nail polish, lipgloss,, maybe lipstick — stuff I can touch up easily enough. I have to have best quality no matter the price in foundation and skin products, and mascara because of contacts.
Oh, and lip balm: Splurge!
I skimp on mascara!! Mascaras are extremely pricey here. Prices at Sephora start at $30 so usually I’d just stick to drugstore mascaras! 🙂
I tend to spend on eyeshadow (eyeliner a little bit) and cheek products. I feel like the texture and color selection just can’t be matched by d/s most of the time (of course there are exceptions). I skimp on base because I feel like if I can find a decent color match in a cheaper product, that’s the main goal and d/s products perform for me almost the same as HE. I also skimp on lipgloss, even though I love them, because the color selection is huge in both high end and drugstore, and the wear time is going to be pretty short either way, just by nature of the product.
Skimp: mascara and concealer (I just use drugstore products)
Splurge: I splurge a lot on lipsticks and highlighters. I have a ton and I just keep buying more!
Skimp on mascara and concealer – I really adore the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind in the brightening shade and am always disappointed with the look of other concealers on me after using that for a long time.
Splurge on foundation and bronzer/blush – both for reasons of pigmentation and wearing well on oily skin..
I was about to say I splurge on eyeshadow, but then I remembered Colourpop – hmmm.
Splurge: skin care, foundation, blush (only because I really love the Clinique cheek pops and can’t do without now), lipstick.
Skimp: mascara (100 point minis from Sephora are fine)
Eyeshadow is the one makeup thing I find most exciting and I have a pretty wide variety of it. I guess you could say I do splurge on it because I DO but sometimes I talk myself into buying dupes of my expensive things at MUG or whatnot.
I don’t use perfume or nail polish so I really skimp there!
Definitely nail polish. I have 100-something polishes and none of them are high end at all. They’re mostly all China Glaze, OPI, Essie, Zoya, Orly, Sally Hansen, and a few indies. I think the priciest polishes I have are Formula X.
Forgot to mention the splurges! The only things I currently splurge on are eyeshadow primer (NARS Smudge-proof) and liquid liner (KVD Tattoo liner) because a lot of affordable liquid liners I’ve tried don’t hold up on my oily, hooded lids. Most other products, like lipsticks, foundations/powders, blushes, and eyeshadows I have both high end and affordable products.
The only place I can think of where there is a definite splurge/scrimp ethic at work is when it comes to my sunscreen. I splurge on a top quality one for my face (TIZO2) because it has to be cosmetically elegant and play nice with my other skincare and makeup. I scrimp on my sunscreen for my body (Waterbabies) where I don’t have to worry about product interaction.
Skimp : mascara, though sometimes I will still splurge every once in a while
False eyelashes, don’t use them very often
Loose powder, I like RCMA, great stuff, so affordable
Nail polishes, OPI and Essie
Splurge : everything else, I enjoy their beautiful packagings as well?.. Face and eye primers, foundation, concealer, eye shadow, brow products, blushes, lipsticks
tools.. brushes and beautyblender, I used to skimp on tools but realized the good ones make all the difference and they last a really long time.
I tend to skimp on makeup in general, except for a few high end products that I wanted really bad. I spend a lot more money on skincare products, they’re usually more expensive and I also repurchase them more often than makeup.
I don’t know that I “skimp” on much. I’m happy to buy from budget brands if there’s a good quality product or dupe, but there aren’t any specific products I only buy from the budget end. I’d say something like fake lashes (because I’ve only ever used them five times, max) or tools like lash curlers and tweezers are the only things I don’t bother purchasing above mid-range.
As for splurging, though, I’m definitely most likely to do so for skincare and foundation because I struggle so hard to find products that work for me at any price.
Can’t honestly say that I skimp or splurge on any particular type of product. My eyeshadows tend to be less expensive, but only because I mostly buy from indies (for the unique colors and formulas, not because I want them to be cheaper). Some of my lip products are more expensive, but only because I can try out mid-range brands at Sephora and Ulta. I’ve never purchased a lipstick that most people would consider truly high-end (the most expensive lipsticks I’ve purchased are from Lipstick Queen, and they’re not the $40 Bete Noire ones).
I don’t pick my cosmetics based on price, but I do shy away from the very high-priced ones (if that makes any sense). It’s not like I think eyes are worth splurging on and cheeks aren’t, or some such thing. The question didn’t ask about this, but the one category in which I do consciously and deliberately splurge is skincare.
SKIMP: Lip Liners & Primers
SPLURGE: Foundations, Highlighters, Bronzers & Lipsticks.
Splurge: Foundation – I’m very fair and can’t find a match in the drug store. Lipstick, blush, powder, mascara, eye shadow.
Skimp: Skin care – I use Paula’s choice which is top quality at a great price point. Eye pencils – so many great cheap ones around.
Skimp: Mascara (because it has to be replaced so often and drugstore is just as good) & lip liner.
Splurge: Foundation, eyeshadow palettes & face primer (been using HG Veil Mineral Primer for years and I will never give it up!)
Everything else is a little from column A, a little from column B ?
Foundation – Splurge. I have a hard enough time finding a good formula and shade in the good stuff. Also, most of the DS brands with good reviews aren’t cruelty free, which is a deal breaker for me. This goes for BB/CC creams as well.
Concealer – Splurge. I have so much trouble with concealer regardless of price point that I don’t even try to fool with DS brands anymore.
Blush – Splurge. I like my blush to stay on for a reasonable amount of time and I have zero patience for patchiness and inability to blend.
Bronzer – all my bronzers are in palettes, and the only budget-brand bronzers I have are the one in that Ulta palette that was FWP for a while, and some in the NYX powder contouring palette. In the unlikely event that I ever need more bronzer before the zombie apocalypse, I’d have to reevaluate.
Highlighter – I could go either way.
Eyeliner – Some of both. I love KVD Tattoo Liner and it lasts a good while. If I need an interesting shade, UD is my go-to since their pencils have good pigmentation and go on smoothly (I haven’t tried Razor Sharp yet). But I love the WnW black cream liner and NYX has decent black liquid liner, so those are also on regular rotation.
Mascara – I’d say I budget, but I don’t skimp. I typically refuse to pay over $12 for mascara. That’s the price of a travel size UD Perversion, which is my HG. The travel size is all I need before it expires and I have to buy a new one anyway, so I’m not paying for product I can’t use.
Eyeshadow – Splurge. One look at my palette collection will answer that question.
Lip liner – Skimp, all the way. As long as NYX keeps making good lip liner, I’m ok.
Lipstick – Some of both. I have an absurd number of lipsticks, and they’re all over the map when it comes to price. I will splurge on unique shades and perfect-for-me shades, or a really great formula, but I have a ton of NYX and Ulta lip products as well.
Lip gloss – Skimp nearly all the time. However, I will make an exception if UD adds Sesso to their permanent range. I’m almost out of the one from Naked on the Run and will be sad to have to settle for Beso as a replacement.
I still use Great Lash Mascara….just like high school
I usually skimp on mascara, blush, eyeshadows, nail color.
I skinp on mascara and splurge on palettes
I think I splurge on all makeup it would be foundation but there are so many you just don’t know which ones will work until you try them first. I splurge on lipsticks, eye shadow, blush & my favorite eye pencils which are: Three Flash Performance eye pencils which I own in all shades which is a big splurge. Also, makeup brushes I just added the Suqqu Face brush to my collection.
Skimp: eye shadow, blush, lipstick. Milani and NYX offer great colors, just as long lasting.
Splurge: foundation, concealer. My skin is very hard to match.
50-50: skin care. Currently using lots of Ahava skin care – great stuff, reasonable prices, cruelty free, not excluded from Ulta discounts!
Hi Temptalia,
If I do splurge on make-up, I absolutely will.. without a shadow of doubt, splurge on a mascara. IF I am all set with mascara, I then start to splurge on a colored lipgloss or a lipstick. Only one and yes it is either in the pink family or a pinkish nude color lipstick. I RATHER really just splurge on my expense skincare products that I have been using forever and a day! Like maybe an extra hydrating moisturizer in the Fall or Winter, or a great exfoliating mask in the Summer, in the Spring an added eye cream. I definitely am not spoiled.. I should say that I DON’T spoil myself, or perhaps even pamper myself. I can buy a dupe of the expensive make-up and I am very perfectly happy with whatever I do get or even receive as gifts! IF I Don’t Need anything however, I will not just go out and impulse buy, just for the sake of it. I absolutely RATHER take that cash and go out to a romantic dinner or do something with my husband, maybe even surprise Him for once! Spoil Him for once! Quality time together -To Me- IS more nobler, and more fun, and more important, than say another make-up item that I really don’t need, and maybe only use twice or three times before I get bored with it! ?
I always skimp on mascara – Usually some kind of Maybelline mascara.
I really don’t skimp on much. If I can’t test it on my hand ie. DS, I won’t buy it. I’ve tried Colour Pop products and have been disappointed with the quality. So, because I want to be able to return items without hassle, I typically purchase from Sephora and sometimes Ulta. My most important splurges are skincare, fragrance, and lip products(balm, lipstick, and gloss) because I wear those every day.
I don’t skimp or save per se. I do, however, shop almost exclusively when there are discounts or GWPs or bonus points events in store or online. I don’t NEED any more makeup so this is a little game I play with my conscience. Justification, justification.
I’d have to say the categories I tend to skimp on most often are mascara and probably tools. I will on occasion buy a more expensive mascara but in general I find that I can find a great mascara at Target that works just as well as one from Sephora. Also I think the brushes I use are great for me but don’t cost a huge amount.
I probably splurge on pretty much everything else I use lol. Most of my products are from either MAC or Urban Decay and I feel like their price point isn’t really all that high in comparison to some other brands. Both brands have products that I use all the time so I never feel like I’m just wasting money by purchasing them. And as much as I want to sometimes I rarely ever buy anything that is truly HE.
After doing a purge earlier this year I realized I was not using a lot of what I had and wasting a lot of money for years looking for too many bargains that didn’t work out so I’m doing more sampling and purchasing of products that cost a little more but perform better. I save money on mascara(L’oreal Voluminous most days although I love UD Subversion/Perversion combo the most but don’t like an extra step when rushing), concealer, face powder, nail polish, body moisturizer, lipliner and some lipsticks and glosses. I’m spending a little more for some facial skin care items, ES, foundation, extra concealer for days needed, some lipsticks and glosses. I also upgraded most of my brushes. Not super expensive HE but some UD and RT and a cute special edition Sephora one, not more than $32 ea. Still like many ELF brushes for shadow so that’s a good skimp.
I splurge on eye shadow palettes simply because the DS brands we have here in Aus are not good at all. There is nothing like the feeling of a well made, highly pigmented palette, quad or quint.
Blushes: I think you need to splurge on those too. Quite often the DS varieties (apart from Milani’s) are just not as good, with a more limited variety of shades.
Skimp: mascara, lipsticks (since my favourite brand is Milani and in the past Maybelline) and skincare. All the skincare that works for me can be purchased at budget beauty shops like Priceline and Chemist Warehouse. I use the Australian owned QV line for cleansers and daily moisturisers; Physicians Formula Argon Oil and Neutragena’s Intensive Serum and Anti Aging night moisturisers and I have been happy with these products. If I wasn’t I would splurge.
Foundations, and I have tried many HE ones and they are all too yellow for me. I have found the Rimmel Match Perfection Range and the Covergirl Range in Outlast Foundation to be the best because they have pink undertones. Even the new Tarte Rainforest of the Sea range does not really cater for pink undertones at all.
However, with the HE foundations you do get samples to test them – which is a big plus.
My splurges are Bobbi Brown’s BB Cream (love the SPF 35 and coverage) and Bronze Shimmerbrick. Both cost over $45 each.
Many of my lipsticks are sample ones from Lauder GWPs (I like Advanced Night Repair Serum). Mascara is drugstore, L’Oreal’s Voluminous with the curved brush. Eyeshadows are mostly Mary Kay because I like customizing my own palettes with the pop in eye colors. Eye color primer is Urban Decay.
Nail products and I’ve just tried popcolour metallic lip colors. That’s the first makeup skimping I’ve done in years. I like popcolour alright but still wear a high end primer and color under it and gloss over it. I stopped skimping on makeup about 8 years ago and haven’t looked back. I feel much better and have so many more compliments on my makeup the way things are now. #lovemylook
Splurge on liquids: foundation, concealer, perfume, liquid liner
Skimp on powders: blush, eyeshadow, pencil eyeliners
Either/Both: lipstick
My splurges are mainly skin care and foundation, but also eyeliner and mascara. I only use tubing mascara and would love to find one at the drugstore but haven’t. I save on blush, eyeshadow, lipstick and nail polish. I’ve had good luck with brands like Makeup Revolution, Milani, and Wet n Wild. Also Revlon and Maybelline for lipstick.
I really like to try it all…ds, me, and he. If I find something awesome, I will keep buying it, no matter the range. I love Cargo’s reverse lipliner, so that’s all I use now. I’m pretty stuck on NYX’s slide-on eyeliner in all the shades, although I’ve been trying UD lately and Ulta’s house brand. I like better nail polishes, but I have the range, from wet n wild up thru Nars and Chanel, and everything in between. Lipstick and eyeshadow are the same.Armani is my favorite foundation by a mile, but since I go thru that pretty quick, sometimes I have to sub in a Maybelline. Nars Orgasm blush was my go-to, until LipMonthly sent me SoSusan jello shot lip and cheek gel (hate it on lips, love it on cheeks). And I almost never buy mascara, unless I have reason to believe it’s new and different, because like everyone else I get tons of samples in beauty boxes. I don’t try to skimp or to splurge, I just like what I like.
I almost always skimp on eye and lip liners, although I do have a Marc Jacobs highliner in black, a Sisley in Brown and a few Charlotte Tilbury lip liners. Usually I am completely satisfied with NYX, Pixi and even Avon has some eyeliners that do a wonderful job.
Nail polish is another skimp. Although I do have some Illamasqua, Nars and MAC, my favorite formula is the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel. I recently got a Tom Ford that lasted two and a half days before looking chipped and shabby, the Sally Hansen lasts over seven days easily. If SH would venture out to more unique shades I would probably never buy another brand of nail polish.
Everything else in my makeup and skincare collection that I use regularly is mid (MAC, Clinique etc.) to high end. I have never found a drugstore foundation or primer that satisfied me and, to be honest, I am a sucker for luxurious packaging.
I love buying eyeshadows, blushes and lipsticks. Splurge on the first product that touches my skin foundations, spf, moisturizers. Skim on lipgloss don’t like them much have a few in different colors found in clearance, eyeliners which I do own a few in traditional black and browns as well as fun aqua blues, greens, purples, gold, rose. I find foundation is most important then I can blend eyeshadows, blush and lipsticks to my own taste. I’m pale so it’s all blended and soft except for some fun colors on my hazel eyes.
Skimp: Mostly eye makeup remover. I make my own. Mascara: Loreal voluminous.
Splurge: Mac cosmetic brushes; foundation. I try to buy foundation when there’s a foundation event going on. If there’s a mascara mania event going on I’ll buy Clinique high impact extreme volume. Love, love, love!!
Sometimes I skimp mascara, eye shadow or crazy lipsticks.
Splurge: eyeshadows, blush and brushes.
Skimp: just about everything else. I’ve tried high and low and the drugstore are as good or even better. I’ve been loving Korean skincare lately.
I splurge on foundation, skimp on lip pencils 🙂
I like what works. There are two DS foundations that work for me but I have It CC Cream such I like better. I tried RCMA powder don’t need more. I also have one from It Cosmetics. I like high end shadows but I have mid and low priced ones. Love Makeup Geek and Colourpop products. Lots of lipstick options in the drug store but oddly I prefer higher end glosses. My favorite pencil came in a Glossybox I hope it lasts. When I replace it if I have to pay for for something that works for me I’d rather have one good one than a bunch that smear, smudge, flake or melt off.
II use high end Foundation, never found a drugstore one that matched. Maybelline eyebrow pencil works fine and I use to wear their gel waterproof eyeliner which was really good but Im trying to switch to natural eyeliner. For eyeshadow, I try them all and usually end up with mid priced ones like Mac, I tried Chanel and was not impressed, tried Charlotte Tilbury and was not impressed with their eyeliners. So I have bought really expensive and not been impressed and drugstore and not been impressed. Love Loreal and Maybelline mascara. Still looking for my HG lipliner. Everyone seems to turn orange on me.
I want to preface my comment by saying that during times of lesser employment, I saved on everything and I was ok. I have even resorted to dish liquid as shampoo in my life.
That said, recent promotions and solvency have me in a place where I have decided I am DONE wasting money. 3 $8 mascara in the trash to avoid spending $24 is ludicrous! Buying in bulk from ABC for items I use sparingly leaves me using potentially stale items. I just upped my skincare game but It and Clinique are still pretty thrifty compared to some.
I would have said nail polish but just factored in the value of my time and realized a gel manicure every other week is really a value. I downloaded downloaded the Mercado app since you can buy and sell used cosmetics. I have no less than 30 $10 and up polishes that have been used once or twice.
As I have long dark lashes, I can skimp and sometimes prefer cheaper formulas. But at 52, i splurge on primers and foundations (Georgio Armani). I do wear cheaper bb creams to work and on casual days.
Skimp is Mascara.. For something I ALWAYS pitch after 2-3 months, it makes no sense to
pay tons of money on!
Splurge? everything else!
I love spending on EVERYTHING MAKEUP, but if you didn’t want to or couldn’t spend money on makeup, I think people should only spend more on base products like foundation, concealer, and powder. Just because of ingredients and making sure that your base stays on the longest. There is AMAZING blush, bronzer, highlight, shadow, liner, pencils, mascaras, and lip products that rival high end products! Maybelline creamy mattes legitimately beat out my charlotte tilbury, too faced, mac, and ysl lipsticks most days.
I tend to splurge on most of my beauty products, but I will buy DS nail polish (Sally Hansen) and mascara (Essence) from time to time.
everything is a little of both for me!! I can’t think of a single catagorey that isn’t a mix of both! I focus on good quality products in colors I like and I think I’ll use, price is most of the time irrelevant. I will say though that my collection is probably 2/3 drugstore/cheaper indie brands and 1/3 high end (I consider urban decay, it cosmetics, too faced, etc high end)
I would say I don’t really skimp either (oops), I just try to buy fewer items (emphasis on try…). I don’t really spend any money on mascara as I get so many samples with purchases and I’m not overly picky about it, and I prefer the sample size as then I don’t have a half-full dried out tube. I tend to go across the range when it comes to nail polish, from Essie to Butter London to Deborah Lippman, but I couldn’t see myself buying, say, a Chanel one, even if it is gorgeous. Most products are at the level of Sephora-type places or sometimes higher, I’d say, but nothing overly extravagant like Tom Ford, and I tend to try to shop sales or find promo codes and such.