Generally: bath products (shower gels, scrubs, etc.), nail polish, facial cleansers, lip balm.
— Christine
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I don’t think there is such a thing as something not worth splurging on. It’s all relative. If you have great skin and terrible lips, a seriously good lip product at 20 dollars might make all the difference as compared to people who spend 200+ on a facial serum.That being said, I think “Tom Ford products” is never worth splurging on because the prices are just too high.
@Q You called it for me as well- no Tom Ford at all. This bleeds over into his accessories as well, Dior sunglasses are worth it, Tom Ford? Not a chance. I also won’t spend too much on nail polish ( although maybe a Lippmann splurge and DEFinately ButterLondon) or lip balm ( although I am sort of hooked on Sugar. I realize I just spent $40 on a Clarins body scrub, but these are rarities for me. So I suppose it really is all relative. However it would be no hardship to only purchase DS nail polish. Also I can get cheap body lotion @ The Body Shop so there is that. This will sound strange to many of you but I refuse to splurge on hair color. I’ve splurged a bunch of times and always found I can do just as well by myself at home (apparently Dita feels the same). I know that’s blasphemy to say but I have a simple color so…
@18thCenturyFox @Q no, it’s not a blasphemy 😀 Mom always dyes my hair at home, tee hee
@artemis Alright! I swear my sister cannot believe what I spend on MU but I also don’t get $200 blow outs 🙂
I think it’s so cute your mom does your hair.
@18thCenturyFox I’ve been coloring my own hair since I was about 12 years old, and I guess I do such a good job that I’ve had several friends ask me to do theirs as soon as they find out I do my own. I’ve even done highlights/lowlights on occasion.
I agree with your first sentence so much I think its worth repeating: There is NO SUCH THING as something not worth splurging on. If you love a particular item and will use it all the time and enjoy using it, or its getting you results, then its worth the splurge no matter what it is.
Anything that I use up too quickly. I won’t spend too much on lip balms because I can find great cheaper ones. Basically anything that has a great cheaper version of it I won’t waste money on a more expensive product.
For me, lip products, nail polishes, eyebrow maintenance, highlighters/blushes/bronzers (unless you find one/two that you REALLYYYY like, but otherwise it just doesn’t make that much of a difference to anyone but you)
Honestly speaking I would say… None ! If I had to choose one, well it would be minor LE eyeshadow palettes. When I saw the Sigma project ( Parisian lifestyle palette ), I just wanted to buy but even if packaging was great it was not worth splurging on !
I definitely agree with body products, specifically the ridiculously expensive body scrubs. You can make them at home. And body lotions. My favorites to this day are St Ives and Palmers.
As for makeup/skincare, I think lipglosses and mascaras are just as good at the drugstore as at Sephora. And all of those fancy “100% pure” oils that sell for $50+? Buy real 100% pure oils from the health food store. Those really are pure and natural and you can mix to get the benefits you want most. And they sell for around $5 for a bottle that will last months.
@nacacijin Same here, I absolutely line up with You! I use to buy body scrubs, but I realized that I can make exactly the same at home or maybe better. The other things are nail polish, mascara, lip balm, lip gloss and blotting paper.
With body lotions I’m a little bit hesitating, because sometimes I buy expensive ones (Clarins, Lancome etc.) for special treatments, like for cellulite or for firming, but seriously it seems that it never worth it! Now I’m using Avon+Palmers and I see result finally!!!
I think the only thing I don’t splurge on every once in a while is skin care (other than lotion). But that’s because I’m really lucky and my skin is really well behaved (most of the time). That and my relatives like to bring me nice skin related products (face masks/cleansers) from Asia whenever they visit, so I have a nice stock… So other than face stuff, I think it really is a question of how much you desire something, and how much you think it’s worth…
All the top-end lines that come out of nowhere. Tom Ford, Cle de whatever, Metier de whoosies, all of it.
Also, I find something offputtingly disingenuous about bloggers getting that stuff for free and gushing about how we all need this fabulous $50 lipstick or $90 bronzer. Yeah, no, we don’t. And when we don’t buy this one, there’ll be another one that we all absolutely must own tomorrow. And the next day. And so on. And guess what, we’ll live. Happily.
That is so true! Anything over 20 dollars for a lipstick or bronzer is just silly. I don’t tend to trust bloggers and would rather see/test the product for >myself< before investing in it. I also don’t usuallyt trust what employees at the makeup counters say either.
I’d have to say mascaras and body products. I always buy the Maybelline ones (The colossal, the falsies) and, to be honest, I can’t see the difference between these and high-end ones. A for body products, I love The body shop body butters and scrubs, and they are not expensive at all.
It depends on how you define ‘splurge’, really. To one person that’s spending $10 on shampoo, to another person it’s spending $50 on lipstick. If it’s a product I’ll use a lot, that I’ll get a lot of value from, I’ll spend the money on it whether it’s a facial cleanser or a hand cream (I put hand cream on my hands a LOT; I spend money on it). I don’t splurge on perfume, but that’s because I don’t wear it. Anything else is fair game. I won’t necessarily spend $200 on a facial serum or eye cream, but I might spend $50 on moisturizer, so is that a splurge or just within my budget?
@blueraccoon Its interesting what you’re saying about your budget: I think I would horrify many with the fact that I have simply no price limit at all on any product type, but then to balance it out I don’t buy many things. I have very basic, classic taste in make up and I’d actually prefer to own less than more, so it doesn’t add up to a huge amount, even if near every item I invest in is GASP! expensive.
@Alison Cole I have very few price limits; I try not to spend over $100 on one single item, but other than that, I’ll try anything if I feel the price is worth it. Like you, I prefer to own classics and have a small but good quality collection rather than have a ton of makeup that’s just kind of eh. Although lipsticks and lip glosses are my downfall…;)
I totally agree on all of the above, but especially about nail polish! I’m an awful nail polish hoarder, but I seldom let myself buy high end nail polishes. I’ve yet to buy a Chanel polish (though I’ve been tempted a time or two!) because I can’t justify the $25 price tag. The formula really isn’t good enough to justify spending 2-5x the amount of most other polishes and I know if I wait, someone’s likely to produce a decent enough dupe to kill my craving. Especially since I can spend that $25 on the dupe AND several other polishes.
My favorite body lotion/cream/butter ever though is Korres body butter, which is ridiculously spendy ($29 for an 8 oz tube). I love it to pieces but rarely let myself buy it as it just feels crazy to spend that much for a body product. The product is nice, but not THAT nice. Even when I occasionally treat myself to the travel size tube ($7 for 1.7 oz), I feel guilty about it.
My favorite mascaras are Milani and Nyx, so I’d have to say I don’t really splurge on mascaras, but I have tried a LOT of mascaras. Most just bother my allergies or my contacts, so I stick with what doesn’t irritate and what works.
I totally agree about it being relative! I have very sensitive and itchy breakout prone body skin, and using high quality body products are a must for me unless I want to be highly uncomfortable all day. Lipbalms/Glosses for me however I don’t notice a HUGE difference with (albeit there is definitely some) but I use them so frequently some of the less expensive ones do the same job. It will depend for each person what is more important to them I think!
I’ve always said that lip gloss is definitely the number one thing I will not splurge on – because to me, you can get the same look with any gloss at any price.. gloss is gloss! A £1 clear lip gloss is the same as a £13 clear MAC gloss, so why spend more? I do indulge in the odd MAC lipglass but can’t be dealing with paying huge amounts for lip gloss from the very high end brands, because more often than not, they look exactly the same on the lips as everything else I’ve already got. Kayleighhttp://addictfordramaticsbeauty.blogspot.co.uk
xox
I agree with bath products (especially body wash) and more of personal care items (toothpaste, deodorant etc.). That’s easy because higher end stuff almost works worse than drugstore items.
Other stuff is arguable, it really depends on the brand for me and the specific product.
same here. I would never splurge on something like a body wash or scrub because I like to use a LOT of product in the bath (same goes for shampoo and conditioner. I overapply everything because I like to get really sudsy. lol!). Face wash is drugstore too. I use Aveeno–it’s affordable and it’s gentle. Why spend so much when it’s only going to be on your skin for a minute? I save the money to splurge on nice antioxidant serums. SO much more important than face wash!
Haha I always feel like the odd one out, because in this post’s counterpart, I said that I don’t consider a lot of department store products as splurge items. However, in this case, I do feel like I splurge on a few body products and they’re worth splurging on. For example, I know that spending $11-$16 (depending on where and when I buy it) for a Philosophy Shower Gel for 16 oz. is not THAT expensive. However, considering that it functions just like any drugstore body wash that I can for like $3-$4 for 32 oz… they are a splurge! Haha. For me it’s just their delightful and super yummy smells that justify the price! I love my shower experiences!
But anyways, getting back on track: what don’t I like to splurge on? Ironically skin care. Because I know that it’s so much easier to tell whether ot not a skin care product is good (based solely on the ingredients) that I’m able to severely narrow the list of potential candidates for my “ideal” skin care routine. I don’t get tempted by new skin care product releases/launches because I know so much about skin care (or at least I think I do). Skin care is much more objective, while makeup isn’t.
Shower gel (I can already tell the difference between a good and bad body scrub, so that’s not on my list) is about the ONLY thing I refuse to splurge on, though from time to time you get something like the L’Occitane almond shower oil that lures me in! In general I’d say if it’s something I would use, I could splurge on it without feeling too guilty!
I don’t worry about money as much as quality. That said, I own no Metier de Beaute or Tom Ford, because I’ve never seen anything that was so unusual that I couldn’t get a comparable product somewhere else. Before exploring the really high-end lines, I encourage everyone to look into pro brands. The quality is there, but the price is reasonable. You’ll have to research things like foundations, but Christine has one or two on her foundation matrix. Other than that, I buy drugstore lip glosses and lipsticks because it’s just not worth it to spend a lot of money on basic colors.
For me, drugstore mascaras are the best, as the expensive ones are in my opinion not worth their price (Lancôme Hypnôse, I’m looking at you)
Otherwise, I wouldn’t splurge on products I don’t plan on using often, like a bright colored or glitter eyeliner. I also agree with you on body products and nail polishes.
I agree on bath products as well! Shower gels and body lotions especially as they run out so fast and unless you have very specific needs, cheap ones can very often get the job done just as well as the more expensive ones! 🙂
I can’t bring myself to splurge on $20 “Tweezerman” tweezers when they look just like other tweezers, or designer eyelash curlers, when they squeeze my lashes between two pieces of metal to curl them just like the ones I got at Rite Aid. I’d also never pay exorbitant sums for nail polish since I just pick it off or chip it anyway. I was surprised to see facial cleansers in your list though! I have really terrible sensitive/rosacea/acne prone skin so I’ve always *had* to splurge on cleansers and skin care, but I’d save a lot of money if I didn’t have to!!!
For me, it’s mascara…I usually don’t wear it at all and because it has to be discarded before I finish it and there are many really good drugstore ones (and some pricey ones that are dreadful), I usually opt for drugstore unless I’m using up a GWP/sample of a higher end one. Also, lipgloss – I have some pricey ones and like them but they’re no better than cheaper ones. Body products – I actually like splurging on those – it’s a little indulgence.
actually, facial cleansers are VERY important because most of them irritate, dry or clog the skin. cheap ones(and not only, sadly) usually have alcohol and menthol and other bad stuff
@artemis If you ask a dermatologist what to cleanse your face with, s/he will tell you Cetaphil Gentle Face cleanser or CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser – both formulated by dermatologists and very gentle on the skin. For very difficult skin, they may recommend a more expensive brand, but it will be a product like Obagi or Neova – not the overpriced stuff sold at Sephora.
@artemis I agree, Artemis! I’ve tried a huge number of drugstore cleansers and the majority of them have left my skin dry, tight, painful, stripped and burning/clogged and greasy. A lot of the gentler ones were just “okay” with no noticeable improvement at all. I consider my Dermalogica cleanser well worth the investment.
i dunno. i would splurge on anything really if it was a fantastic product and i would use it regularly. Maybe expensive sunscreen because I can’t see myself spending more than $15 on that and the $22 they ask for Sugar Lip Balms.
For me its hair products (shampoo, conditioner, heat protectant), face wash, body products, and mascara. Eyeliner is kind of in-between; I won’t spend $20 on one but I still buy Tarina Tarantino’s on occasion (which are $15). They are just too awesome to pass up!
In my opinion, none. The way drugstore products continue to improve in quality (but go up a bit in price), I find that I can meet all my needs with low to mid end products. However, I am from time to time tempted to splurge on products that aren’t as easy to find in the drugstore, like setting sprays.
I disagree on both the lip products and the nail polish. Yes balms I go cheap for,but when it comes to gloss and lipstick, if you are discernng,high end products can be a dream for your lips. Meanwhile, I’ve never been happy with the lasting power, or product consistency of the drugstore lipsticks and glosses. I also feel like both nail polish and lip products have safer ingredients for certain high end brands vs drugstore. And drugstore nail polish? Really ladies? That stuff stains your nails, is difficult ot apply and chips off in hours. I wouldn’t pay more than 15 dollars for a nail product, and no more than 30 dollars for a lip product, but I choose to pay more than 5 if I want results.
@VioletStevens I agree, though when I was thinking of splurging, I was thinking of BUTTER London, Chanel, MAC, Deborah Lippman, etc. I don’t think of OPI, Essie, Zoya, or China Glaze as splurges. Those are maybe only $1 than many Sally Hanson formulas.
@Lauren13 I’m continually disappointed by the formulas of both MAC and BUTTER London lacquers; splotchy, and I’ve got spray paint that has a more lustrous (shiny) finish. They’re just not worth it
[email protected] ? I don’t know what drugstore polishes you’re using, but they don’t stain MY nails, and they don’t chip any faster than “prestige” brands. I’ve used everything from WetnWIld to Chanel, and DIor lacquer chips faster than any of them, in my experience. The only wonky brushes I’ve gotten have been in Deb Lippmann and Duracote ($30 nail treatment) polishes. Maybe you need to try some different brands?
It totally depends on your needs… for example someone with normal, healthy skin might not need to spend a fortune on skin care because they simply don’t need it. If you have extremely dry och acne prone skin you might benefit from more expensive skin care that actually helps with the problem. Personally I splurge on almost everything, but lip balm, hair dye, and body scrubs and washes are things that don’t vary so much in quality. I wouldn’t pay 50 dollars for something that would never make more difference than the same thing for 3 dollars, like lip balm.
• Bath products & facial wash » why spend an extra money for something that stays on your skin for less than 5 minutes and then you rinse?
• Lip scrub » use your tooth brush or make your own lip scrub using brown sugar, honey & olive oil instead!
• Nail polish remover » acetone/non-acetone, as long as it comes with friendly price tag, I’m happy.
• Brush cleanser » Let me introduce you to Daiso Detergent for Puff and Sponge (for sponge & synthetic bristles) or Johnson’s & Johnson’s Baby Shampoo (for natural bristles). Just pick one of those, you don’t need anything else, trust me.
• Face scrub » just a matter of preference, but I rather splurge on AHA/BHA/Retinol.
• Mattifier » why spend your $$$ if Milk of Magnesia did the job done?
• Mascara » c’mon, why I have to pay more than $15 for something I have to toss away after 3 month? It’s okay if there are no more product left, but if I have to replace my mascara every 3 month for hygiene issue no matter the quantity? No, thanks! I stick to my trusty drugstore mascara or my Benefit They’re Real Mini (kudos to Benefit for making mini size!).
@Adelita Great ideas!
So, how do you use Milk of Magnesia as a mattifier?? Very interested to find out!
I have also found that my $6 Loreal Waterproof eyemakeup remover works as great as my $28 Lancome eyemakeup remover
@Angielove @Adelita Check out Sam’s post about it on makeupandbeautyblog: http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/skin-care/is-milk-of-magnesia-a-cure-for-oily-skin/ He talks about the virtues of milk of magnesia as a mattifier. In the comments he also gets very excited about having dry skin for the first time in his life so you’d best use it sparingly, LOL!
@Angielove It’s the awesomest most awesome thing for duper oily skin! I apply it with a cotton pad to my t-zone (not too much or it can a leave a white residue o dry your face too much). It does some kind of weird voodoo thing and my skin stays miraculously matte troughout the day. Try it, that’s an order!
I’ve been trying to find a dupe for Perricone Ceramic Skin Smoother, a product I gladly shelled out $75 for (one bottle lasted for a few months, though. Anybody know of one, BTW? Now I’ll have to try this–hey, I’ve got some in the cupboard already!
body lotion, mascara and any color I know I’ll only wear a handful of times.
Nail polishes, mascara, facial cleansers/toners/exfoliators, eyebrow stuff, and bronzers (i prefer the drugstore ones, if you can believe it).
I don’t know most people think Jack Black lip balms are expensive the the extra SPF is so worth in in my books. (plus i have not found a balm that works so well!)
I tend to avoid splurging on mascaras, lip products, body lotions, and hair products. I’ve tried spending the extra money to get what was supposed to be a “fantastic” product and ended up getting results that weren’t much better than the drugstore products I’ve used. Brush cleaner is another one that I will never justify buying because my baby shampoo works complete wonders for more than half the price. Plus with the gradual increase in quality on drugstore makeup brands, I try to always look for drugstore dupes to save some money.I would have to disagree about splurging on facial products however. I have really difficult to balance combination skin and it was a nightmare trying to find products that worked so I spent the extra money and headed over to Lush where I ended up buying facial washes, toners, and lotions. Although Lush probably isn’t nearly as expensive as some of the facial products out there like the ones sold at Sephora.
the POREfessional by benefit was not worth splurging on! I would say in general you can get some pretty nice 100% natural lip balms for under $5 so there is no need to splurge on those either.
http://canadianbeautyreviews.blogspot.ca
Face wash and many skincare products. Most dermatologists recommend inexpensive drug store brands.
Mascara. My two favorites are drug store brands, and I’ve tried many high end mascaras.
Scrubs, nail polish, cleansers, toners and mascara.
I’ve been disappointed in my “splurges” on mascara.Part of my problem is that I insist on buying only cruelty-free, and cruelty-free drugstore brands are few and far between. So I’ll pay more for a mascara from a cruelty-free company, even though I know there are cheaper mascaras that would perform as well or better.It isn’t always a matter of just money.
@CNo64 Revlon is cruelty Free, and their 3D Volume and Growluscious mascaras are awesome! (in my opinion)
Anything that’s poor quality is not worth splurging on.
@Alison Cole Good answer Alison! I was feeling like a chump for shelling out $25+ for DiorShow, but it works the best for me. On the other hand I’ve tried dozens of foundations, ranging from $7 o $70, and I like Maybelline Dream Mousse the best
@GenaCunningham I think that if it works for you, then it’s worth whatever you want to spend on it. Your budget is your own, and no one else gets to make you feel guilty or ashamed of how you spend your money. I really like the DiorShow sample I have and may invest in a full size when I run out!
@GenaCunningham To me, that would fall under investment. I, too, have found some amazing DS foundations after trying alot ofHE brands, and sometimes it’s been comparable or even better in terms of both formula & color match. I personally like to skimp on some products so I can spend more on others, so it balances out in the end.
I never splurge on mascara, foundation, eyeliner, or lip balm. In my opinion the drugstore is no worse (and sometimes better) than the higher-end stuff. I will splurge on skincare (philosophy), lipsticks (I consider $14.50 at MAC a splurge), perfume, eyeshadow palettes, and brushes.
I love splurging on nail polish. >< I love China Glaze… But, I don’t think I could see myself buying a 50 dollar lipstick although I’ve fallen in love with several shades from Guerlain and Cle de Peau. D:
Body stuff (lotion, shower gel, etc.), nail polish, mascara, lipgloss.
I dont ever splurge on mascara. There are so many good ones for cheap. Also, facial cleansers, Ive learned from experience to look at their labels . If there is a “special” ingredient in the expensive brand, you will find it at the end of the ingredient list because there isnt much of it in there! I tend to splurge on foundation (better pigments) shadows, anti-aging moisturizer/serums, perfumes, and occasionally nail polishes, because the pricey brands( like chanel )sometimes have the most unique shades!
For me…..body wash, nailpolish and lipgloss. The most expensive body wash I had was Korres Guava, and I 100% prefer my Olay, Nivea or Dove body washes. The most expensive polish I bought was OPI and I honestly like my 99 cent ICE ones just as much. Lipgloss is something that I’m typically not a fan of, and out of ALL the makeup that I own I only have about a handful of glosses because I dont like the stickyness and the ring that it leaves around my lips in 20 minutes or so. I just bought a L’oreal Color Riche le Gloss in Naturally Nude and I find it to be of the same quality/lasting ability as all my other glosses that cost much much more (I have NARS, Dior, TheBalm, Sephora Collection and Benefit).
I differentiate between “splurging” & “investing”. I bought the MUFE Flash Color Palette a few years back, and it was probably the most expensive cosmetic item I’ve ever bought at around $100 USD. For me, it was an investment rather than a splurge as I know it will last a *really* long time, and it is a multitasking product. Yes, the initial cost was high, but I will more than get my money’s worth. I can use as a shadow base, to customize lip & concealer products, etc. A splurge on the other hand is something I can get at a much lower cost, even at the same level of quality. An example of that is my NARS duo in Pandora ($34 USD, matte black/shimmer white), but it’s NARS, and it looks so nice sitting in my NARS drawer. My next duo will be Portobello, which can also be duped, but again, I just love NARS. There’s also a difference if your skin or hair has specific needs, and only pricier products can address them. I have thick, manageable, “normal” hair, so I can go to the supermarket or DS, grab a bottle of Suave, and be good. My skin is the same; TMs and DS foundations work well for me. Having said that, as soon as I get through some of the face products I have, I will likely invest in NARS’ TM, which is an investment due to the included SPF 30, which will save me both money on a separate sunscreen, and the extra step in the morning. Then I have my “in-between” purchases, such as my Naked palettes, which are great quality, and although I use neutrals *alot*, I really didn’t need them, but I like the convenience of being able to leave one or two palettes in my bag and not have to worry about not having what I need.
I also wanted to add that I *personally* cannot justify spending more than $10 USD on a bottle of nail polish or lipstick, unless the color just “WOWS” me, or it’s part of a GWP/PWP promotion. I have never found a nail polish that lasted more than a day or two on me, and as lkipstick goes, with the exception of the original Revlon ColorStay lipsticks (of course now DCd), I haven’t found one that stays on long enough, regardless of pricepoint, so I just look at color when decicing. As for “tools”, I find a discernible difference in my $20+ USD tweezers compared to cheaper ones, although I do have a pair of amazing ones I found in the “Dollar Spot” at Target, and they were on clearance, as well, and ended up costing a quarter.
I also wanted to add that I *personally* cannot justify spending more than $10 USD on a bottle of nail polish or lipstick, unless the color just “WOWS” me, or it’s part of a GWP/PWP promotion. I have never found a nail polish that lasted more than a day or two on me, and as lipstick goes, with the exception of the original Revlon ColorStay lipsticks (of course now DCd), I haven’t found one that stays on long enough, regardless of pricepoint, so I just look at color when deciding. As for “tools”, I find a discernible difference in my $20+ USD tweezers compared to cheaper ones, although I do have a pair of amazing ones I found in the “Dollar Spot” at Target, and they were on clearance, as well, and ended up costing a quarter.
In my case I believe nail polish is to be splurged on but not for a brand name’s sake, more for the finish and uniqueness of the polish itself. I’ve not had an issue shelling out $20+ for a delightfully holo polish but I’m just as happy filling my polish needs with a wet-n-wild $1.99 polish if it has the look I’m going for. As for products I wouldn’t bother spending too much on, it would be bath stuff and lip gloss. Bath stuff /literally/ goes down the drain and I much prefer lipstick to gloss. To be sure, I have some glosses that are pigmented and cost a pretty penny but only a few. Mascara is another one, I buy the Benefit $10 mini mascaras because I prefer their performance and with the smaller size, $10 doesn’t bother me at all, especially as I know I’ll finish it out before I have to toss it. I can’t imagine spending $30+ on a mascara just to throw away half the tube come the 3 months mark.
I won’t pay more than $8 for nail polish, but I really don’t like cheapies. They don’t last and I often don’t like the formula. I’m an Essie, OPI, or Zoya girl. I don’t even care for many China Glaze polishes or Orly. I also have found great drugstore brand shampoos, conditioners, and gel for my curly hair. I used to shell out the big bugs for Ouidad, but it wasn’t worth it. I cut the silicones and sulfates and I now buy Tresseme Silicone Free Conditioner and LA Looks Gels. My hair looks better than ever. I have sensitive skin, so I’m picky about face products, BUT I love Neutrogena. It’s better than anything else I’ve tried, even high end products. The areas I can’t skimp are foundation and eyeshadow. Foundations are VERY hard to color match at the drug store if you have a more yellow complexion. My favorite is the Smashbox BB cream. It feels like you’re not wearing ANY makeup. I top it with Smashbox Halo. It’s $$$ but makes my skin look alive! Eyeshadow also has to be Urban Decay or MAC. I’ve been disappointed too many times with drugstore products.
@Lauren13 I guess you know about Inglot’s eyeshadows. They blow both MAC and Urban Decay right out of the water, in terms of quality.I’ve also come across some Revlon shadows that were *wonderful.*
Shower gel, lotion, and body spray (especially since it’s so easy to get something with a lovely smell from B&BW sales or closeout stores); scrubs (I’d pay a few bucks for a nice package/scent but in terms of function you can just make your own); nail polish that isn’t particularly unique (high-end brands can have some amazing colors, but if you just want a simple silver glitter or something like that there’s no reason to splurge); untinted or barely tinted lip products (again, I get splurging on crazy unique shades, but how much difference can there possibly be between almost-transparent pink glosses?); eye primer (makes sense to splurge in theory, but in practice I’ve found that indie products and even crappy liquid foundation can match or top UDPP).
mascara, nail polish, lipstick, eyeliner pencils in basic colors, body lotion, makeup remover, lip balm, shampoo, conditioner, body wash
I don’t splurge on blushes or highlighters. I feel like it’s silly to spend big $$$ on just shimmery powder. And you can find nice blush colors anywhere in the drugstore..
I don’t splurge on mascara or lip balm, as I’ve found products for under $10 that work wonderfully for both (ELF makes a waterproof lengthening mineral mascara that’s to die for, and I love the Jack Black lip balms)! I find it hard to justify splurging on make-up brushes, too, again because of ELF (their studio brush line is comparable to higher-end brushes in quality and longevity; I especially adore the kabuki face brush, for $6, and the $3 stipple brush does a wonderful job of applying foundation). I only splurge on lipstick when it’s a unique shade that I’ve fallen in love with – the last one I remember buying for more than $10 was Rebel, by MAC. Same thing goes for lipgloss, since my lips are already quite pigmented so most paler glosses don’t show up on me; Smashbox’s lip enhancing gloss is great, but I try to not buy it very often.
Then, of course, there are the products that I’d be willing to splurge on but don’t, because I’ve found drugstore alternatives that work better than higher-end brands! St Ives green tea cleanser does a wonderful job at keeping my skin clear in the winter, for example, and Revlon PhotoReady foundation is easy enough to find on sale and matches my skin tone much better than a lot of higher-end products.
As for things I will splurge on? MAC’s Mineralize Skinfinish foundation is $30 here, but worth every penny. I work as a barista and it’s the only pressed powder I’ve found that actually keeps my foundation from melting away during long shifts! Eyeliner, too, is a big one – I own far too many of Urban Decay’s 24/7 liners, again because they’ll stay put on my waterline and not disappear over the course of the day. I tend to splurge on eyeshadow, too. Right now, I am adoring Tarina Tarantino’s eye highlight duos – lots of product with a formula that has some real staying power! Philosophy’s Hope in a Jar moisturizer is also an unfortunate addiction. The stuff is painfully expensive, but my skin has improved 100x over since I’ve started using it!
Foundation
Serums
nail varnish remover
Mascara, lipstick
mascara
mascara
mascaras
mascaras
Mascara
Nail polish.
mascara… drug store works just as well as department store. The only items i splurge on is eyeshadow.
mascara… drug store works just as well as department store. The only items i splurge on is eyeshadow.
Lip gloss. Expensive or cheap, they last the same amount of time.
Nail polish remover.
mascaras, just because you have to replace them every 3 months.
hand and body lotion, sun screen, nail polish, lip liner, and lip balm.
hand and body lotion, sun screen, nail polish, lip liner, and lip balm.
Mascara
Definitely mascara!
Definitely mascara!
I agree about mascara. Also, the best I’ve tried and continue to use are Maybelline variants! Dior and Lancome just weigh my lashes down!
Fancy eyelash curlers that they claim you have to replace every three or four months. Since they don’t sell spare pads for them, you’re forced to replace them once the pad wears out. That’s such a ripoff.
Mascara
Lip Liner
Mascara and (most of the time) lipstick/lip products.
Lip glass.
Anything MAC
Anything MAC
Brushes and foundation for sure!
Mascara definitely. I also think drugstore foundation is amazing. I like Revlon so much I never buy high end foundation.
Mascara, lip liner & lip balm
Mascara
Lip gloss
Sun screen
Shampoo
Body an hand lotions
Nail polish
Nail polish remover
Lip liner
Even lipstick
————
I would definitely splurge on complexion products !
For me is blushes, powder, nail polish, shampoo/cond, mascara, lotions, lip liners,lipsticks, and eyeliners…
For me is blushes, powder, nail polish, shampoo/cond, mascara, lotions, lip liners,lipsticks, and eyeliners…
Mascara! Found out the hard way that expensive doesn’t always mean better
Mascara, nail polish , makeup removers, fake eyelashes and mask sheets.
Lipstick. Foundation and eyeshadow… did i mention mascara?
mascara because it only lasts up to 3 months and even expensive mascaras are still clumpy, i would never buy expensive nail polishes, also lip glosses you can find alright lip gloss for so cheap, but i think it is important to buy expensive lip sticks, foundations, hair products and skin products.
Pricey skin care products are such a scam.
Products I don’t spend money on are: mascara, black/brown pencil eyeliners, makeup removers, nail polish, lip balms, dark pink/plum lipstick or lipgloss and shampoo
Mascara for sure and body products (lotion, shower wash, scrub, shaving lotion, etc). Although, I admit I just went into Lush for the first time and I did pick up two body butters which are really awesome, but I couldn’t afford to buy them often. As far as mascara goes, I’v tried some high end one from kits, but none of them have wowed me to the point of wanting to repurchase.
I don’t spend a lot of money on shampoo/conditioner, though I suspect my hair might be happier if I spent more! I try not to spend too much on brushes since I know I don’t wash them nearly enough. Makeup tools in general I try to buy on budget. If something is unique, I’ll spring for it (after studying reviews, though). If it’s a staple, I don’t care, I’ll buy it! 🙂
Eyeliner, mascara, lip balm.. little things that i just need a little of, i don’t think should need like $50 ones because they work the same if they were about $10. my lashes are tiny so any mascara still gives the same thing.. i’d need falsies to achieve what i want. Eyeliner, as long as it doesn’t hurt my eyes and can easily wash off with cleanser.. any is fine. I also think lipstick/lipgloss doesn’t need to be that expensive.. i’d usually just buy MAC or drugstore ones, based on reviews. Its the color that makes me decide, not the brand. I’d only splurge on foundation and skincare because I want to maintain youthfulness as long as i could
Eyeliner, mascara, nail polish (you can find good dupes at drugstore)
Mascara!! Eye makeup remover, makeup wipes, and cleansers
Shower gel, lipbalm, basic body lotions…
I spend quite a lot on face care because my skin is sensitive and acne prone. But anything that goes on and goes off within a minute, like cleansers, aren’t worth splurging on.
I splurge a bit on foundation (MAC and Clinique), because I don’t think the CoverGirl one looks good on me. I don’t think Mascara, hand lotion, body lotion, nail polish remover, makeup remover pads, makeup remover, lipgloss, or lipsticks are worth splurging on. This is just because I mostly don’t notice a huge difference when I borrow my mom’s high end versions of these products vs. my own drugstore versions. In fact, I think my own L’Oreal lipstick that I have wears a lot better and lasts a lot longer than my MAC one anyways.
I agree with Christine and would only add brow gel – clear mascara works just as well.
How is buying Jack Black lip balms not splurging?! They’re far more expensive than any of the lip balms I’ve seen here! About 5x the price of a cheap drugstore balm like Nivea.
Exactly what I was thinking. Also she uses Philosophy shower gel which is way expensive. I’m not attacking Christine in any way, what’s considered splurging to some is just a reasonable amount to be paid for others.
I find it unnecessary to splurge on brow powder, eye shadow (I don’t wear it much), eyeliner, blush, lip pencils, hair products, and nail polish. I am a living example that all these products can be bought at affordable prices and be very effective at the same time.