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What is one beauty item that you always splurge on?
Elizabeth Janes Nirvana Black Dry Shampoo! There are a ton of things I splurge on but that’s one that I can’t see not buying.
— Christine
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It’s a toss up between bases (primers, foundations) and eye shadow palettes!
I guess it depends on what one thinks is a splurge. On the low end I cannot see myself ever going without buying MAC Fix Plus. I go through it like crazy, love it for many reasons and always keep two bottles ahead. It isn’t that expensive but given how much I use it and how quickly I go through it I must say it is a splurge. On the higher end of what constitutes a splurge for me is Guerlain Meteorites. I use them as a finishing powder every single day to meld my look together. I love the “old lady smell” of violets and the soft focus it gives my older skin. I will always repurchase but must say that I have two different shades and have yet to finish either one although I purchased the shade Claire almost 2 years ago. I still probably have about 6 months in the can but have just repurchased Claire so that I will be set for several more years. I also have one of the limited edition holiday cans which I use as a shimmery blush.
Deborah S. How do you use MAC Fix+? I bought it a while back because so many people were raving about it, but it just doesn’t seem to do anything for me. I’ve tried it on top of finished makeup and it does nothing. I’ve used it with non-matte shadows and it seems like I can get the same effect with setting spray, primer, or even water. What am I missing?
Hello Seraphine,
I use Fix+ several times during my makeup application. Before I prime I spray my face with Fix +. If it is during the summer months I keep it in the fridge and the cool spray seems to not only refresh my skin but seems to nip the sweat and humidity from occurring while I am applying makeup. In the extreme heat and humidity it seems my face starts to sweat almost immediately after I get out of the shower and it makes my foundation and powders cake up. A shot of Fix+ from the fridge stops that while I apply my makeup. I do use Fix+ to foil eye shadows and to keep powdery eye shadows from having fall out. If my foundation is a little too thick I will add a little Fix+ before applying to thin it out a little. I use oils for this sometimes but again, depends on the time of year. I spray my beauty blender with Fix+ and pat over my face after powdering to not just meld the powder and foundation together but also to press any face peach fuzz onto the skin to keep the fuzz from making my face appear furry and my foundation to look smoother. I have recently started shaving my face so this is not as necessary as it once was but I still do this as my face fuzz is growing back in. Finally, yes, I use it as a setting spray and sometimes spray throughout the day. Finally, if they made a perfume this scent I would buy it. I love the scent. There may be many other setting/finishing sprays that do a better job but I am very happy with my Fix+.
Thank you for such a thoughtful and detailed answer! I’m definitely going to try out a few of these ideas, especially spraying it on the beauty blender to help set the powder, as you mentioned. Thanks again, Deborah S.
I also love to use Fix+ between my skin care routine. I spray Fix+ before my serum, and spray again before my facial oil. My facial oil sinks in faster than without Fix+. Also before my finishing moisturizer I always spray it too.
Yes and yes – I keep 2 backups of both to make sure I never run out. I love the scent of fix +, and now that I now how to use it (I use it as a pre-finish or intermittently during applying my face), I have been using it daily. It will take me several years to go through my stash of meteorites back ups, but I love it for the same reasons you do – I love the scent and I love the way it blurs and melds and brings my look together.
Pearl,
Seems we have similar loves!! I always laugh when I read how much people hate the scent of Guerlain Meteorites and they call it an old lady scent. I agree it might smell old “ladyish” but it reminds me of my grandmother and that is a treasured memory. I also think the violet scent is soft and fresh smelling. They way it brings my entire face together at the end is really beautiful.
As for Fix+, I was just telling a different commenter that I would wear it as a perfume if they could make one smell the same!! My daughter says I bathe in the stuff and she uses other setting mists but when we travel together, which is often, she asks to borrow my Fix+. I think she secretly likes it better and doesn’t want to admit it, LOL.
Ha! I would love Fix + as a perfume!
Perfume is my biggest beauty splurge. Le Labo Vanille 44 is expensive but it’s one of my favorite indulgences
Lancome’s Visionnaire serum. My skin loves it and it gives a beautiful, natural glow to the skin that others notice. (I’m often complimented on my skin; Visionnaire’s the secret ingredient.)
Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid Retinol Eye Serum! That stuff is an honest to goodness MIRACLE worker. It does not play games, either. No, it actually delivers. Might take a little time, but one day I looked in the mirror and realized that it took at least a decade off of how my eye area looked.
I’ve been thinking about trying it, after reading this, I’ll probably buy it when I get low on eye serums, lotions and creams.
Do you use anything on top of it, as it says serum, or is it enough to use alone?
Helene, yes, I definitely do! I smooth some of my Hada Labo Plumping Gel Moisturizer up over my eye area as my last step in my routine. So far, I’m loving the results!
Staring to save up to get Dr Dennis for my eyes! 🙂
I splurge on lots of things as a category–serums, setting powder, shampoo/conditioner–but the one specific item I always keep in stock is Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra Long Wear Foundation in 140N. Even though I experiment with other foundations, I feel like this is a perfect color match for my fair/light neutral but slightly warm skin tone, and it is long-lasting and has good coverage. It’s the one foundation I can always rely on to do the job. On days when my skin is dry, mixing in a drop of oil works perfectly. On long days when it’s hot outside and my skin isn’t dry, using it as is with a good setting powder keeps it looking great all day.
That Lancome foundation has been my long-time HG, too. I also like that it’s not yellow-based.
Anything skincare related, I guess.
I feel like I can’t live without my Clinique All About Eyes Rich eye cream. It is super rich & moisturizing…just feels amazing around my eyes! And since I can get breakouts of psoriasis around my eyes, I just feel like I need to keep that area super hydrated to help avoid the breakouts.
Not yet, but I’m going to…Creed Himalaya. Don’t go for many UHE products, mostly because of reactive ingredients. Side eyeing you, by Terry. Temptalia usually has a dupe that is at least as good. Many standard HE, like CT, are not widely available, and would prefer not to order blind
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. It’s hard to find the right combo of color match + long wear for me, and NARS is it. I’m a lifer. Not happy the price is creeping up though!
Christine, what do you love about Nirvana Black Dry Shampoo – scent, performance, other?
I always splurge on Latisse (prescription eyelash growth serum) – it works! I’ve been using it off and on for about 5 years. And this is cheating because you asked for ONE item but I have to mention NARS Audacious lipstick too. Over $30 is a splurge for a lipstick but man, that formula…❤️❤️❤️
It works really well, and I love the scent — but it’s the scent that keeps me buying it (there are other dry shampoos that are excellent).
I’ve wanted to try Latisse, but the warnings about how it may change eye color put me off.
I haven’t had eye color changes, luckily! When I first started using it, I had mild darkening of my eyelids (which are kinda purple already), but that has gone away.
I guess I feel like I splurge on mascara. Not that I am buying some of the crazier ones. But I feel like there are great cheaper options that I miss out on due to trying to be cruelty free. On top of that I feel like I have never found a- mascara I have absolutely loved and consistently loved. Sooo… if anyone has suggestions… xD
Hi Joan! I also recently went cruelty free and I know what you mean about it being hard to find a mascara that you love. Have you tried Essence’s Lash Princess (the false Lash effect in the black & green tube)? That is the best cruelty free one I’ve found at the drugstore–it’s only $4.99 and it’s amazing! If you’re looking for a more higher end one, IT Cosmetic’s Superhero mascara is fantastic as well. I also like Mad Lash from theBalm. Hope that helps your quest for cruelty free mascara!
I bought the lash princess, but ended on using it on a friend and then passed it on to her. I tried the Superhero and had a kind of meh experience. But I do like Mad Lash, I actually am currently using it. I just fear buying a 2nd one and then having it betray me. But I definitely will buy another lash princess, thank you!
I continue to buy the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer. Nothing makes my foundation look as good or last as long! I’ve tried the NYX Angel Veil which is supposed to be a dupe, and it’s okay, but not quite the same.
Dianne, I did the same as you. After my HG Veil Primer ran out, I bought Nyx Angel Veil because of hearing how it was a perfect, and much less expensive dupe for the HG one. It’s not, though. Not a *bad* primer, but definitely not of the same caliber of quality, though.
Veil Mineral Primer is my splurge, too. I almost never wear foundation — once a year, maybe — but I’m addicted to the primer. It makes my skin look better, keeps oil under control, and helps my makeup go on more smoothly and last longer. Love it!
Even though I don’t give a rats ass about my hair in terms of doing it, I get Cristophe Robin’s Prickly Pear Mask which is like $75! I’m not sure I can live without it!
Foundation. I have a couple of drugstore brands that I bought to test out, but I only use them if I’m just running an errand for an hour or two. For everything else I only use high end. My favorite is Estée Lauder Double Wear, though I have a couple others I use, too. There’s just no comparison in quality between drugstore and high end foundations, in my opinion.
Unfortunately I think I splurge on everything!
Anna, you just brought a smile to my face!
I thought really hard for this one, and I’m going to say sunscreen!
I use a $25 sunblock daily. But it’s 110ml. So it lasts me a good 2/3 months of daily use. It’s a mineral protection, which I prefer. AND it doesn’t bother my sensitive acne prone skin!!
Definitely it’s fragrance. I never forget to browse the fragrance isle whenever I’m in a store, and I test spray a least one, but often two fragrances, one on each wrist. I’ve loved fragrance since I was a little girl. I usually gift myself a set during the holidays, whether it’s an old or new favorite. I’m currently thinking it will be Chanel No. 5 this year, a fragrance I haven’t had in several years, but one I’ve loved all my life. We shall see.
I’m a fragrance girl too Anne and have been all my life. I don’t go for the cheap celebrity scents, but more the classic ones. Chanel No. 5 is such a beautiful perfume.
I also love Chanel No. 5. It’s a classic that’s been around for so long and it still feels modern to me.
Concealer, foundation and powder
My Chanel foundation and mascara. And don’t laugh-Supersmile toothpaste & Supersmile whitening accelerator, which I have been using for many, many years.
Skincare and fragrance.
Makeup-wise: Foundation
I have found you can go very cheap on lip products and not notice as many differences as you would with something you wear on your skin.
Definitely eye shadow palettes and perfumes.
I splurge on my nails. I have silk wraps and a lady comes to my house every other week to do them.
Ugh. I splurge on way too many things, but I think I can narrow it down at least a handful. For makeup I splurge on Lancome Teint Idole Foundation (perfect shade, perfect coverage and I always go back to this one) and Guerlain Meteorites (love these magical spheres.)
For hair it’s the Miriam Quevedo Extreme Caviar Intensive Anti-Aging Luxe Masque, which does wonders for dry, color-treated and damaged hair.
My current fav skincare splurge is probably Kat Burki’s Dual Acid Peel. It’s expensive, but the jar goes a long way and it’s gentle and effective. My final splurge is on fragrance, namely Jo Malone’s Basil and Neroli Cologne. Just such a lovely scent I had to own the biggest size even though I rotate among lots of scents and it will probably take me 10 years to finish the botle.
Hmmm….I was going to say fragrance but I have some cheapie fragrances I regularly buy and enjoy too (Sonia Kashuk Pink Innocencia, Tea Rose, Kim Kardashian in the purple bottle, Eau de Gaga, etc.)
Concealer- especially for undereyes. CdP’s stick concealer used to be my HG. Unfortunately my fine lines have been multiplying so I’ve switched to It’s Bye Bye concealer which conceals, corrects, and spackles over those !@#$%%^&&! lines! I’ve yet to find a budget concealer that works for my undereye area.
As someone else said “everything”, lol.
I think that if I could not use an Hourglass Ambient powder (I have and use them in different shades for different purposes & different seasons) I would not use anything, especially nothing drugstore. While the Guerlain Meteorites are nice and I do substitute them occasionally there is nothing else that is inexpensive that I have found that makes my complexion as nice. Luckily they last for quite a while so it isn’t as if I have to repurchase often, but they are worth the splurge!
Tinted moisturiser; I find the dearer brands offer more in terms of colours and textures, so I don’t mind spending extra to get the product that best suits my needs.
My Murad Essential-C Cleanser. I’ve been using it every morning for years. My skin loves it! I’ve tried other cleansers but none really energizes my skin like Murad so I’m okay spending a little extra for it
Josie Maran Argan Afinity Oil. Never thought I’d be spending $28 bucks on cream but it’s my face crack. Also Smashbox lipstick in Cognac! I will cry real actual tears if they got rid of that color!!
Lipstick! I am a lipstick junkie and am happy to drop a bunch of money on the “perfect” one. When it comes to lipstick dupes, 9 times out of 10, I prefer the more expensive one. Just my luck! But at least now, thanks in part to this site, I research a bunch before I make a purchase because less really is more.
Foundation. It’s so hard to find a match for my skintone, undertone, and not have it oxidize. I’m willing to pay for high end to get something that works well. It’s completely worth it.
I seem to be with the majority here – I splurge on skincare and base products, and do so gladly. I cannot ever skimp on BHA because good ones in the European market are so few and far between, and Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Lotion over her Skin-Balancing toner has been the bedrock of my skincare regimen for years now. I also love Hourglass’s Veil Mineral Primer because it just works like nothing else on my large-pored oily skin. Foundation is something I simply cannot find cheap – I use Urban Decay’s Naked Skin liquid foundation now, but I would love to switch because I try not purchase anything more from L’Oréal or Lauder. My next one is going to be Dior or NARS I think and I’m happy to pay more! I love Dior’s Star line ⭐️