When I first started getting into makeup I was only aware of drugstore stuff. I'm not sure exactly when I figured out you could get makeup at MUCH higher prices but I almost went into shock when I did. Twenty dollars for ONE eyeshadow? Where they do that at?
Now there's drugstore priced(Covergirl, Maybelline, Revlon) , mid-priced (MAC), and there are truly luxury priced brands (Chanel, Dior, Tom Ford). Because the way my bank account is set up...most mid priced stuff qualifies as high end for me.
I definitely started out using everything drugstore and gradually started branching out and trying more expensive things just to see for myself whether it was worth it. Some categories...drugstore is completely perfect, and others I find the higher price is almost justified. I say almost because even if I really like a product the price still bugs me.
1. Foundation- I've tried about three higher priced foundations and I found that drugstore foundation can be amazing! I definitely like the one I'm currently using now (Smashbox Studio Skin) but Revlon Colorstay and L'oreal True Match are great foundations at decent prices. No need to splurge....
2. Powder- I'm not a big powder person, even though I have oily skin....but I have gone through about two powders from the drugstore and did not like that at all. There are probably much better options than what I picked up. I do have a Smashbox powder in my current rotation of products and it's a million times better than what I've sampled at the drugstore. I may change my mind as I try more popular ones from the drugstore though.
3. Primer- I've had two drugstore primers and one high end one. The high end worked better for me but I really didn't like paying that price....for a PRIMER.
4. Concealer- Drugstore is catching up with the higher end....I'm not a big concealer user but my fave so far is the Make Up Forever Camouflage palette. It can be hard to find good shade matches-at least for deeper skin.
5. Blush- If I look in the right brands (NYX but they can still be powdery) I can find a decent blush but a majority of the more popular brands can be chalky and powdery in the drugstore. I'm a NARS blush lover and splurging on one or two can be a very good thing!
6. Bronzer, Contour, Highlighter- I lumped these together because I don't use either of them to give the best opinion. For Bronzer...not many options in the drugstore for a deeper complexion. But I find that to be true for high-end also. Drugstore makeup has just caught up to the nude palette trend...so I give them another couple years before the start with the contour palettes. Back in the day I just used a Wet N Wild Eyeshadow and it worked perfectly. I wasn't doing any serious contouring though...just a tad and very rarely. It may be a while for drugstore to hop on the highlighting trend too...a couple brands have done them but to be honest I only have one highlighter- Gold Deposit by MAC. Looks great in hot, summer days but hard to pull off on my skin year round.
7. Mascara, Eyeliner, Falsies- I've tried some great higher end mascaras but at the same time...there are some nice drugstore ones. I could do without high end ones although I will keep trying both. As for eyeliner- I haven't found one in either category I absolutely love. And falsies....I've only used drugstore. I don't like splurging on lashes when you can wear them a couple times then you have to throw them away anyway.
8. Eyeshadow- When I first started experimenting with higher end stuff, I honestly didn't see the difference. Now I definitely prefer high end shadows. The texture, pigmentation, and blend-ability make it worth it for me. Plus you can find some pretty unique shades...and drugstore doesn't seem to have Matte shades down yet. Theres nothing I hate more than dry, chalky shadow.
9. Lipstick, Lipgloss, Lip Pencils- I think I may have to jump on the MAC bandwagon. They just last longer and have great pigmentation BUT at the same time drugstore lipsticks are nice too. I might have to reapply sometimes but that's no big deal for me. As for lip gloss I truly don't see any reason to pay an arm and leg for them. Drugstore gloss all the way for me! As for lip pencils...I haven't tried a ton but Fashion Fair has my vote. I love their pencils. I may need to branch out a bit and I could definitely change my mind in the future.
10. Brushes- Good brushes can completely change your application game. But good doesn't not necessarily mean expensive. I love Real Techniques and Elf brushes, as well as NARS and MAC.
Good grief that was a lot of reflection. Some things are truly worth splurging on and I like high end makeup because sometimes the packaging is super cute and the quality truly is worth it. But at the same time, no reason to be a complete snob at all times when you get find some gems at a price that won't break the bank. Plus the bargain lover inside me loves finding great stuff at cheaper prices.
What's worth splurging on for you? What's not worth splurging?
What are your favorite drugstore products?
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