Makeup:Spending Where It Counts
August 6, 2009 by Ellen
Filed under Chic Stuff, Fashion, chic
As you know by now I love saving money! I am always on the hunt for a good deal and love bargains but more than that I love quality. A deal on junk is still junk and you have wasted your money and I hate wasting money. Over the years I have learned to pick and choose what items I have to have the more expensive brand of and what I can go cheaper on. Today I wanted to talk makeup and when to splurge and when to scrimp. Here are my thoughts on where your makeup money should go.
Let me start by saying not all makeup is created equal. Department store makeup IS better than drugstore makeup but that doesn’ t mean you can’t mix and match both. I suggest deciding what makeup items are most important to you and splurge in that area. For example I wear the makeup basics everyday: cover-up, blush eye shadow and eyeliner. For my cover-up and blush I buy the cheap or free stuff from the drugstore. I have found that the shades are always fine and the application looks good so I am set. My eye makeup is a different story. I buy Clinique eyeshadow, yes that’s right this week I dropped $17.50 on one eyeshadow duo at Clinique. Are you thoroughly shocked? Don’t be I think it is worth every penny. I have tried to use cheaper eyeshadow and liner and it is just not the same. Plus I have very sensitive eyes and Clinique looks the best while being the gentlest on my eyes.
Truth be told if my budget was unlimited I would buy all my makeup at Clinique, but it’s not so I save where I can to spend where I want. When I pay nothing to only a little for all my other makeup needs combined I do not have a problem splurging every few months on my eye makeup. Plus if you time it right you can always hit the gift with purchase ( I love gift with purchase). So what are your thoughts, do you mix and match or are you brand loyal? I would love to know.
I mix and match, just because I’m on a budget.. but the one thing I splurge on? My Estee Lauder Mascara. I will not buy anything else. I think it’s $18.50 a tube, but I have spent much more than that “testing” cheaper mascaras to find none that I liked. It’s worth it to me.
Great post with a great balance. There are times when spending more is the right thing to do to stay “brand loyal”. I call that the principle of “spending money to buy time,” Sometimes the right thing to do cost more, but is worth it in the end. Blessings.
Stop by and play 5 Things Friday if you have time.
Jean
I tend to splurge on eye makeup as well. I love MAC eyeshadows, they look beautiful and last all day without fading or creasing. I also would really love to splurge on foundation, but since it’s one of the more expensive makeup items, I purchased a tube of Prescriptives at an outlet and I use it for special occassions, and use my Neutrogena for my every day foundation.