Are there any types of beauty products you refuse to skimp on?
I don’t think skincare HAS to be expensive, but if there is a product that really, really works well for me, then I’ll continue to repurchase it even if it’s expensive. I have to be in the right mindset to experiment when it comes to certain parts of my skincare routine, LOL! My current go-to lip balm is pricey (for a lip balm), but I’ll keep repurchasing that one, too. I won’t skimp on something that works really for me, even if it is expensive and there could be cheaper alternatives, but I wouldn’t flat-out refuse any type of category!
— Christine
i have high end and drugstore products across almost every category, but the one item that i prefer high-end of is lipstick. the drugstore ones tend to have a chemical-ish smell and taste and the case tends to be loose and not so pleasurable to use.
same thoughts as you on skincare – i dont like to experiment and risk unnecessarily.
If times are really hard, I would skimp on anything, especially with the stock I already have?. That said, normally I don’t have any “holy grail” products. I’m using more and more natural alternatives for things. However, when I find a product that works very well, like a deodorant, that is different. I wouldn’t skimp! Ha!
My deodorant is working for me and it was so hard to find, I am totally refusing to even try to find a replacement. ? I had too many past disappointments, and it’s not like deodorant is something I can pass on or use for other purposes if it doesn’t work for me.
Although in an ideal world I would purchase a plastic free one.
Ana Marie, what brand is the deodorant, if you don’t mind my asking?
Schmidt’s, just the fragrance free one, the regular, not the sensitive version. Always purchased from Sprouts, I got a dud from an Amazon order.
Ana Maria, I love Schmidt’s too but recently tried Native as they DO offer a plastic free version! I ordered from their website.
The plastic free version comes only in scented versions as I last checked, when they will have fragrance free I’ll surely want to try. In the meantime I clean the Schmidt’s component very well and recycle it.
What lipbalm is that? Sara Happ ?
Yes! I use both the Lip Slip and Dream Slip. I find the latter is a little more intensive!
Agreed! My mascara (Smashbox Super Fan) is pricier than drug store mascaras, but it’s my absolute favorite. So I continue to repurchase it every few months because it works the best for me (and I’ve tried a lot of mascaras, both low- and high-end).
I won’t skimp on essential skin care, which for me is prescription tretinoin and sunscreen, although I order the tret online from India so it really is not very expensive. I expect that I can find a less expensive substitute for everything else I use or that I could do without the product altogether.
This past years I started not skimping even on body SPF. I got so many burns no matter what I tried from the general stores or drugstore… Nowadays it’s either Paula’s Choice or La Roche Possay for my face and body sunscreen, nothing else. Expensive, especially during summer, but worth it.
I have also invested in UPF rated clothing, which is also worthwhile for me.
Certain parts of my skincare and haircare regimens are HG and rather pricey, but they work phenomenonally on my skin and hair, so I always justify replacing those. Unless lower cost alternatives that do just as wonderful of a job one day exist, I’ll keep purchasing Ole Henrikson Truth Serum, Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic Acid & Retinol Eye Serum, DE Protini Peptide (for cooler weather) and JPM Tea Tree Lavender shampoo and conditioner, plus It’s A 10 Leave In Treatment with Keratin.
Also, my favorite fragrances like YSL Black Opium (the less coffee version, whose name I always forget, but recognize it in-store!) and Tom Ford Black Orchid. Good thing I still have plenty of both to last me through this winter, too.
Some skincare products. I have tried cheaper alternatives. The only thing they did was lighten my wallet. Some drugstore lipsticks also have a plasticy or chemical taste and I prefer slightly higher end ones. Toothpaste. Some I can’t stand the taste. Maybe foundation.
Eyeshadow; while I will occasionally pick up a DS product, it’s only from brands I know. As beautiful as many of the Rimmel palettes are, and they often get pretty good reviews, I just never felt compelled to try one; on the other hand, Wet n Wild almost always gets my attention…
Foundation, mascara and creme blush (NARS Multiples). Also lip gloss.
I’m a fan of Oil of Olay skincare but have some pricier products. My skin has changed due to thyroid/menopause and am still experimenting. I do switch it up for the seasons but I don’t skimp on oils. I adore Herbivore and they last long. I was skimping on cleaner but a friend gave me her Tatcha cleaner and one tiny dot actually makes it more economical that the Olay cleaner.
I know this isn’t skincare…on the outside…but I don’t skimp on quality food. I eat pretty clean and make sure I eat grass fed meats, mostly organic fruits and vegetables, and good, quality healthy fats. I had started intermediate fasting to reset my dietary hormones and got rid of all vegetable and seed oils…my dry patches are gone, my skin is less dehydrated and I lost 10 lbs in 17 days. My skin is glowing. I just used a dab to even out small areas on my face today for brunch and that was it.
Obviously I never skimp on skincare. ?
As a person with a small curated makeup collection, one product of each which I use until I finish, I rarely skimp on anything. I prefer to buy the best, even if it’s just 5% better than the drugstore/cheaper dupe.
But if I was stricter with the question, it would be complexion products. I might go with a cheaper mascara, brow products, powder… but foundation, concealer and primers need to be top notch!
Refuse is too strong of a word. Least likely are skincare, eyeshadow, and foundation. I’ll pay whatever I need to, within reason, to get the performance and shades I want. But I’m not at all against buying less expensive items if they meet my needs just as well. Price does not always denote quality.
I won’t any longer buy a product w/ known ingredients that are carcinogenic like talc and petroluem derivatives, just because it’s cheaper. So I guess the way to put it is, I won’t skimp on buying safer/healthier formulations when I’m aware that the ‘dupes’ carry a risk.
I am very picky with skincare, so while I do try not to spend too much, if something works it stays.
Now, Christine- I need to know what that lip balm you like is! If you like it it must be great!
Sara Happ The Lip Slip and The Dream Slip. The latter is a bit heavier duty, but I use them fairly interchangeably. Very heavy and tacky but perfect for all-night wear.
Nope. I’m happy to skimp where- and whenever possible. I know that you do sometimes get what you pay for, but expensive ingredients aren’t necessary to make most products perform well. If my current favorite of a certain kind of product is expensive, I’m likely to try out less-costly alternatives. For example, I’ve enjoyed Lancôme’s Définicils mascara for years since trying a sample, but it’s not cruelty-free and not even particularly luxuriously packaged for the price, so I switched to…CoverGirl’s Clump Crusher, ha ha.
The beauty product I hardly ever skimp on these days is eyeshadows. Nearly every DS eyeshadow I have tried (apart from Maybelline’s Burgundy Bar) has been a disappointment, so for quite awhile now I have been purchasing eyeshadows that have been rated well here.
In terms of skincare, I do tend to switch things up a bit and vary my cleansers, moisturisers and oils. But only from the brands I trust and they do not fall into the ‘cheap and nasty’ category. Nearly always I can get them onsale from beauty retailers here (who have a pretty good range) and online. I find I use only La Roche Posay and Skin Doctors for facial sunscreens.
There is not anything that I skimp on. I started over 30 years ago using Clarins Paris, bought the entire daytime, night time, and weekly ritual. I used more steps than K-beauty before it was cool, and I actually get asked for an ID twice a year or so, when I’m out with my sons. I have moved on to the complete daytime, night time, and weekend rituals of 7 steps or more each time of brands like Sunday Riley, Tasha, NIOD, Ole Henriksen (sp?), Farmacy, Glow Recipe, Omorovicza, etc, and Aesop for some toiletries, but one brand that has really produced great results for me has been African Botanicals. Their floral oil and lifting serum, along with other potion in my upper shelf of skin care (so many more that I use in rotation), are a couple favorites. For lip balm, I was surprised how well Laneige’s and Tacha’s sleep lip masks work, but I am drawn to Sol de Janeiro’s lip balm. Its scent and flavor are delightful and have great staying and hydration power.
Skimp applies more to efficacy rather than price for me. I do not want to skimp to the point where I sacrifice quality I expect. I pare down where I feel I can. I feel I can live with a lot less than I have in the past and this applies to my spectrum of buying habits. But there are areas where I have tried to skimp and have gone running back to my preferred versions. I love me Oribe shampoo and styling products.. oy.. I hate that I love them so because I find the price outrageous.
I don’t skimp on SPF. I try not to buy backups of my favorites because most do have an expiration date. So when I run out, I’ll usually repurchase at full price. Most other products I’ll wait until there’s a sale/points/GWP because there’s rarely anything else I can’t live without for a few weeks-months.
Haircare and skincare. My shampoo is about $20 and my conditioner is the same, and my holy grail serum is about $15. That’s about my limit budget-wise.
I’m interested in trying expensive lip products but I’m afraid I’ll like them so much I’ll have to find room for them in my budget.
Skincare and haircare. I don’t consider those products splurges because my skin is so sensitive that finding a product that works well and doesn’t trigger weeks of discomfort is rare to begin with. Then things stop working, even when they were doing fine before, so I discover I have to start looking again. What I end up using is a mix of high and low, but that’s just the combination of working right now. It will change. With all of that going on I will not burden myself with the notion that what I get for basic self care is somehow extravagant or unnecessary spending.