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Brigitte Avatar

I think $15 for a face moisturizer is even pushing my limits… I just can’t bring myself to pay $30 or $40 for a moisturizer! To me, they all keep my skin nice and soft… Well what I mean by that is that my drug store brand (aveeno) works fine! I’m only 19 and have nice skin… Maybe once I have face issues I’ll invest. 🙂

mmpotter Avatar

Probably eyeshadow, since there are tons of great eyeshadow looks at reasonable costs. I’ll spend good money on my favorite moisturizer or products like Dr. Brandt’s Pores No More, which I love. But eyeshadow — I can’t justify that.

Emma Avatar

mascara definitely. i find that u can find a perfectly awesome mascara for under 10 bux and besides, y spend 30 bux on a mascara if it will only last u like 2-3 months

nat Avatar

mascara for sure. also lip glosses because i tend to toss them all over the place (possibly losing a few along the way)- i try to keep track of the ones that cost me more though

viv Avatar

yeah, like most other people said – mascara for sure. as well as lip balm actually… the most expensive lip balm i ever bought cost about US$9 and i didn’t even like it that much! i stick to my regular $4 – 6 lip balms

Porcelain Avatar

I usually skimp on blush – I just don’t see the need for an expensive blush. But for most other things, especially mascara, I’m absolutely hooked on the higher-end stuff.

Zoffe Avatar

Probably lip balm. I don’t see why I should spend a lot of money on those when the cheap ones work fine 😉
I’ve had Diorshow mascara before but while I think it was amazing I probably won’t buy it again because of the price. There are a lot of good, cheap mascaras out there!

Anitacska Avatar

Moisturizer, mascara, lipgloss, also shampoo and conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, etc. I use L’Oreal and Nivea and they work fine. I will however pay lots for pretty stuff like palettes and powders. 🙂

AleksisLovesBeauty Avatar

Mascara…I love to try all different kinds and I have found there are drugstore brands that work just as good if not better than department store brands! Besides all that you have to dispose of the tube so quickly!

Shanna Avatar

nail polish,Body Lotions, Makeup Removing facial cloths( just bought 100 @ target for US$3.22).I also use disposable sponges for my foundation sometimes and I refuse to buy the higher end ones.(again, I just bought 32 for US$.89 )

gio Avatar

Definitely mascara. I don’t feel like spending lots of money on something that only lasts 2 or 3 months, esp when there are lots of cheap mascaras that work better than high-end ones. And lip balm too.

Jamaya Avatar

I always buy drug-store brand mascara! Maybelline Collossal or Great Lash is amazing. I buy St.Ives Apricot scrub for my face and it works better than my bottle of Philosophy Microdelivery Wash.

Chica Avatar

Same – I’ll buy cheap lip glosses because I don’t wear them that often but I prefer expensive lipsticks – I see them as more of an investment because I tend to wear them every day 🙂

Alyson Avatar

Mascara, for sure. I have found way too many great drugstore mascaras to ever spend more than $8 or so on a mascara ever again. Everything else is kinda no holds barred.

Brooke Avatar

Mascara, since I have to replace it every 3 months. Moisturizer, since I’ve never seen a difference in my face when using drug store brands vs. higher end ones. Lip balm – nothing works better than drug store stuff.

jess Avatar

Mascara, it doesn’t last long enough and no high end mascara I’ve tried is worth $30+.

Body wash and lotion. I just don’t understand how anyone would pay $60+ for shampoo, body wash or lotion. Drug store and higher end brands with lower price points work just as well.

Lip balm. Burt’s bees is where it is at.

Nail polish.

Sara Avatar

i am willing to shell out money for mac products (not their brushes..sooooo expensive) but that it because i know i like them. generally speaking i will not pay more than 15 for anything. most of the things at sephora are too expensive for me, except for the sephora brand. it better get DAMN GOOD reviews for me to want to spend > 15.

crystela Avatar

I go to target/costco/walmart for the following:
Mascara
Lip balm
face cream/face wash
body lotion
shampoo b/c I used head and shoulers… 🙂

Laurel Avatar

I can’t conceive of skimping on skin care (a $35 cleanser is why I don’t have to wear foundation), but I refuse to spend big bucks on brow gel — Cover Girl clear mascara holds them in place just fine.

Tanya Avatar

Its really hard for me to justify paying a lot for under eye creams…you have to use such a tiny amount and they all seem to work the same…all the hype around the crazy expensive brands….I just don’t get it.

Pretty much everything else, I am willing to spend for quality 🙂 But I am a total bargin hunter, so I tend to get good quality for the best price possible.

AshBash Avatar

i refuse to spend excess amounts of money for any beauty product. my limit is about $50 and even then, i try to find a way to get it at discount. i cant fathom that $300+ moisturizer ive heard people raving about.

TUPRNUT Avatar

My two picks are eye makeup remover and mascara. I’ve found my HG in both categories (Almay oil free eye makeup remover and MAX Factor Couture Lash) and don’t think I’ll ever change.

Leah Avatar

Nail Polish, certain mascaras (I dont mind paying in the $10-20 range), eye makeup remover, shampoo and conditioner.

I kind of think about how certain shower products are just washing away so I shouldn’t spend to much money to see it go down the drain.

Jen @ frmheadtotoe.com Avatar

Mascara because drugstore ones (i love max factor) work great… better than high-end ones I’ve tried. I don’t like to pay more than around $6 for nail polish. I always tend to use drugstore shampoo and body wash.

I spend a little more for good concealer (i use lancome photogenic concealer), but for most things I am at least willing to TRY both high and low end to see what is better.

AmyLouise Avatar

Lipstick, for sure. Cover Girl makes several long-wear formulas that work better than ANY high-end lipstick I’ve tried. Plus, most lipsticks come off after a few hours anyway (esp. if you eat!) so why bother?

Everything else, though, I’ll fork it over!

firepail Avatar

I will shell out for expensive mascara before shelling out for any other cosmetic. I think it comes down to the “if you only had time to apply one cosmetic before you leave the house, what would it be?” question–mine is mascara, so no skimping there. Also, no cheaping out on sunscreen.

I won’t spend much on shower gels, body moisturizers, or eyeshadow though. Especially eyeshadow since I tend to wear a different color combination everyday.

Shealyn Avatar

Mascara…my hg is Lashblast waterproof. Shampoo + conditioner, body wash and body moisturizer I buy at the drug store.
All my face stuff is Lush, which isn’t super expensive but does amazing stuff for my skin.

paola Avatar

mascara lol…drugstore brands all the way…buy one get one free lol…and moisturizer def…i don’t see what’s the point in spending so much money on face stuff…if you’re skin is that sensitive or you need special creams you should go to a dermatologist..this dermatologist told my friend to use cetaphil on her face…and that stuff is cheap…i love their face wash…but yeah def mascara and all lipgloss is the same to me…i love my jordana cheapy one (walgreens)

Trisha Avatar

Probably mascara. You can find often BETTER products for under $10.

Also, lip gloss. Eh, really anything you can usually find an inexpensive alternative. I mean, $1 liptick, maybe not. But $5? Probably.

Jennifer Avatar

Body care products – shower gel, lotions, body butter, body mist, etc. I stock up on Victoria’s Secret Garden for really cheap, it works out to like $5 or $6 per product. I can’t bring myself to spend more than $10 or so on hair-care either, because I go through it so fast.

Chrystie Avatar

Lipglosses for sure. I generally am disappointed in the higher end brands. I often feel like I can get something equivalent at the drugstore. Also makeup remover, Albolene is really the best and cheapest solution.

cloudburst Avatar

Mascara & body lotion. I’m dying to get Korres Jasmine body butter but just can’t make myself cough up $27 CDN for it. I always use the tester when I’m in Sephora though, lol.

Lia Avatar

Mascara, always drugstore brands! Same with hair care, I have scalp issue so the good ol’ head and shoulders is the only thing that works. I buy my soap and lotion at Marshals so the are good brands, but I don’t play full price.

Sej Avatar

Mascara and body care. I try to stock up when Bath and Body Works has their semi-annual sale, which sometimes ends up being cheaper than the drug store!

Todd Avatar

Seriously, I can’t justify spending too much on mascara or hair care. I just don’t see a big difference in performance from high end products compared to what I use.

Todd Avatar

Seriously, I can’t justify spending too much on mascara or hair care. I just don’t see a big difference in performance from high end products compared to what I use. Plus, with mascara not having a long shelf-life… who wants to spend $20+ on something that you have to throw out so frequently?

Skyler Avatar

Anything where the ingredients are mostly the same in all similar products… face wash, body lotion, etc. I am loyal to my favourite brands (the ones that are kind to my skin and do not test on animals), but I will not go out and spend a fortune on something I will go through in a few months. This includes mascara. I never understood spending $20+ on a mascara that you have to throw out in a couple of months. That makes no financial sense when there are perfectly good cheaper ones that do a fantastic job, even better than most expensive ones.

I love high-end nail polishes but will not buy them full price (I use head2toebeauty like a lot of others here). Pointless when it eventually dries/clumps up. Some take longer than others, sure, but they all go stale eventually. Most within a year or two. I wear so many different colours (I do my nails once or twice a week) that I can’t go through one entire bottle before it goes bad.

And lastly, shampoo and conditioner. I have never in my life heard someone say an expensive shampoo/conditioner actually does something different to their hair than a normal drug store brand. They all contains the same ingredients and I am so skeptical when I see these “volumizing” or “shine-inducing” things because they don’t work, not for me. I honestly think it’s all a crock. I would never spend the money on the salon stuff because my hair is extremely shiny and noticeably healthy and I have always used just regular drug store stuff. 🙂

Sanayhs Avatar

I can not use drug store shampoo and conditioner. It builds up on my hair within 2-3 days and won’t come clean. The higher end stuff has less filler crap and doesn’t build up. I’ve tried countless drug store brands.

Vivian Avatar

I came across Fekkai Normal shampoo and I compared it with Head and Shoulders ingredients. Fekkai contains way more ingredients and some were extracts..

I see Fekkai introduced an Au naturel products. I say look into your organic aisle and look for Kiss my Face, etc. They aren’t that expensive. What higher end have you used?

Ashlee Avatar

I won’t spend big on mascara or face wash toner lotion. And thank goodness that cheaper ones work well for me. I buy great lash and it works amazing for me. I tried a high end mascara before and my lashes were clumy spider lashes. Eekk

aj Avatar

mascara and nail polish. i really don’t think that it is worth spending $20 – $30 (or more…eek!) for something that will last you 3 months, and is jjust black stuff that goes on ur lashes. you may consider plushlash (mac) high end, but it is only 11 dollars. and it is AMAZING? need i say more? as for nail polish, i am absolutely inlove wiht OPI and you can get those things for 5-7 dollars. it is NOT necessary to pay 15 dollars for a nail polish.

Stephanie Avatar

mascara, i spent like 35$ on the chanel exceptionelle mascara, and while it worked really well, it dried up waaay faster than any of my other mascaras have. luckily my mom gets a lot of free samples from lancome, so I just use those:)

kat Avatar

Everything, but only because I’m still in school now so I have to be realistic about my spending. But I guess its all relative, depending on what you think it too much. I do own a lot of MAC, and compared to drugstore brand its very expensive, but compared to chanel it’s very affordable… so… it depends right?

Lisa Avatar

Mascara. I use drug store brands, but treat myself to the dept store brands once in awhile. The higher in prices are hard to justify, especially since your suppose to throw it out every 3 months.

Hillary Avatar

lip products.
they fade so fast, and just arent worth the money.
i stick to NYX since theyre cheap but have nice colors.

im never gonna buy more expensive lippies than that.

Monica Avatar

Face brushes (like foundation, powder, contour, not eye brushes cause I have about four MAC brushes that I do not regret buying). And that’s because I know you can find cheap brush sets in drug stores that work just as good as high ends. Instead of paying..what is it…$40+ on a 187..I got a five brush set (including two different foundation brushes) for about $10 at duane reade and they’re all awesome.

Brushes and…that fix+ stuff everyone raves about. I refuse to pay a bunch of money for what I believe is pretty much….fancy water. No offense to anyone who swears by the stuff…but I definetely will pass on it.

Sandra Avatar

Facial wash (I spend more on my cleansing oil/makeup remover), liquid/cream/gel eyeliner (there are good, cheap alternatives) and lip balm (My Lip Stuff balm works great!)

anna Avatar

I would say lipsticks. I don’t think I own one expensive lipstick, only because I think it looks weird on me. AND I much prefer a colored lipgloss. I buy a lot of cheap-o lipsticks just to play around with and take pictures with =)

anna Avatar

Ooh and mascara too. I owned Benefits Bad Gal Lash and LOVED the results, BUT I’ve gotten the same thing from CG’s Lash Blast or Maybelline’s Collasal. Plus they always have great offers on them.

Arika BH Avatar

mascara, body wash, shampoo & conditioner,and face wash. ive been spending my money on my mac brush collection. i really want to invest in quality brushes. i splurge on my haircut. i dont scrimp on that ever. i love the L’oreal genesis skin care line but i always splurge on Dermalogica’s oil-free matte spf 20 sunblock. its my investment in my skin.

Kayra Avatar

Body stuff. I prefer Lush, usually, and sometimes buy organic stuff . I never spent more than 20$ for a lotion. Also I have some really cheap lipglosses ( maybelline’s are my favs ) …

Also brushes. I never own a MAC full size brush, because they are soo pricey. I own theBalm’s brushes and apply skin products with 1,5$ diamond-cut sponges from MAC.

Brittney Avatar

Mascara!

It is almost as if drugstore lines are AHEAD of the game when it comes to mascara! They are still doing more variations of silicone wands and shapes far before the high end brands are. With as much as I use mascara (everyday!), and wanting to throw it out at the end of the month, I’m not going to plot down a twenty for that! That is almost the amount of what I spend on internet per month!

recessionista Avatar

ita cg lash blast is the ish. i only drop big bucks on skincare. my complexion is so clear i dont have to wear foundation. i plan on keeping it that way.

Amanda Avatar

lipstick.

I mentally cannot see the value of $14++ lipstick (MAC)… is it better color selection? Better quality? In my opinion, drugstore lipsticks are just as good, especially since the color wears off and you’re gonna have to re-apply anyway! As someone who only ones 1 MAC lipstick and all cheapos, can someone tell me what it is about higher end lipsticks? I have to say though… my favorite red lipstick is by MAC as I am a picky broad when it comes to red lipstick; I have to have blue undertones as it can get pink in the others…

DaniMae Avatar

Anything other than the make up itself. So body washes, creams, lotions, cleansers, moisturizers, wipes, removers, hair products and the like.

Sara-kye Avatar

I would say that you’ve got it right on. I refuse to spend a ton of cash on Macara, Body Lotions and probably some other skin care stuff like Cleansers and Toners because I have found some drugstore ones that work amazingly well.

Jaime Avatar

Mascara. I absolutely refuse to spend more than $10 on mascara, since drugstore kind suits me just as well as high end, and I only have them for a few months at a time.

gkate Avatar

I’m so surprised no one pays for mascara. Dior ShowLash makes my lashes look positively obese. I love it…

I love cheap lipsticks and lipliners.

Vivian Avatar

ditto what many people said.

Mascara: I tried high-end, yeah, they’re great, but not worth the price cus I bought Rimmel Glam eye that’s AWESOME!

Moisturizer: The most I went for is Clinique Defense with SPF, but I plan to buy drugstore moisturizer later on.

Daily routine: lotion, shampoo, scrub, etc.

Lips: I only bought less than 3 high-end lip products so far in my life. 1.Dior ultra addict shine 2.YSL rouge volupte
Seriously, I could just buy cheaper brand of (especially) lip gloss and they work as a charm.

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