To Spend Or Not To Spend
With the rise of social media, it's easier and easier to be convinced that you need the highest-end products for every step of your makeup look. On the flip side, social media has also brought awareness to smaller and more affordable brands that often have high-quality dupes for luxury products at half the prize. Some products benefit from the higher price tag, but not all.
1. Foundation
Foundation is the base of your makeup look, and for that reason you want something that can hold product while still looking fresh at the end of the day. Everyone's skin is different, and it's worth investing in a foundation that you and your skin love. Additionally, higher-end brands are likely to have extended shade ranges.
2. Setting Powder
You want your setting powder to be fine enough to perch on top of your face like the princess and the pea. The higher quality your powder is, the more finely milled it will be. There's a reason why everyone raves about the Laura Mercier powder.
3. Concealer
You want your concealer to match the rest of your face, right? The easiest way to find a shade that matches is to shop within the same or similar brands. You don't want those pesky dark circles peaking through.
4. Bronzer & Blush
In keeping with your complexion, shade and undertone are imperative in pulling your face together. With bronzer and blush, a little can go a long way, and you don't want to add a dab too much and be unable to blend it out. Of course, if you use these products very sparingly, drugstore is fine.
5. Lipstick
A matte red lip can be a look on its own, so it's important to spend wisely if you want to draw attention to your mouth. While cheap lipsticks are great for testing out shades or for novelty colors, a luxe lipstick will go the distance. Rather than creasing, cracking, and transferring, a good lipstick will go on like velvet and stay on.
6. Eyeshadow
Eyeshadow is one of those products where drugstore simply can't compete with luxury. If you're just starting out with eyeshadow or mainly use cream shadows, we recommend going drugstore. However, you'll get far more longevity and far less fallout if you spend big bucks.
7. Moisturizer
Moisturizer isn't makeup—it's more important than makeup. Even if you don't do a full face everyday, you should be moisturizing daily. We don't play about our skin, and you shouldn't either.
8. Highlighter
Highlighter isn't nearly as big as it was in the mid-2010s when everyone was walking around looking like disco balls, but a few dabs can totally elevate a look. Drugstore highlighters are getting better and better for everyday wear, but for more experimental looks or for a more complex gleam, luxury has your back.
9. Brushes
As a general rule, anything that touches both your skin and all your products is worth investing in. You don't need the same heavy-duty set that celebrity MUAs use, but a few soft and versatile brushes can take your look to the next level. Makeup brushes can outlive you if you treat them right.
10. Bags
When we say "splurge" here, we don't mean you should buy a bag splatered with designer logos whose empty space will only encourage you to buy more products you won't use. However, you shouldn't have to worry about your makeup getting damaged or spilling out of your bag. A $15-$30 bag will do the trick.
Now that we've discussed 10 products that are worth spending a little more on, let's get into a few that you can pick up at the drugstore.
1. Anything Trendy
Are you hopping on the latest microtrend? Did you do graphic liner for a few months because the Euphoria teens looked so cool wearing it. Trendy is necessarily bad, but if you just want to try something out or aren't sure you'll want to add it into your daily rotation, it's better to save.
2. Eyelash curler
Anyone who tries to sell you an expensive eyelash curler is lying. You can get an e.l.f. one for $4 and it will get the job done perfectly. There's no need for a heated one either.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels
3. Wipes
Even on those endless nights, you need to be removing your makeup before you crawl into bed. Your drugstore pack will do just fine. However, if you really want to save and protect the environment, you can pick up reusable makeup wipes and save for a lifetime.
4. Sponges
Unlike with brushes, a cheap sponge won't impact an expensive look. The multipack you can find at Target will work just fine, provided you rinse them between uses. Once again, those influencers who clean bathtubs full of sponges are flying to you.
5. Falsies
Getting lashes at the drugstore used to be tacky, but not anymore! A lot of your favorite celebrities wear drugstore lashes to red carpets and concerts, and if we didn't know, we wouldn't be able to tell the difference.
6. Setting Spray
After you've put all that hard work into your look, the last thing you want is for it to be flaking within an hour. Luckily, drugstore setting spray is where it out. Unsurprisingly, NYX and e.l.f. have some of the best sprays in the business.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels
7. Eyebrow Pencil
Depending on how you do your brows, you might want to spend a little more, but for everyday wear, a drugstore pencil will do just fine. If you prefer a natural brow with some combing and gel, then spending big bucks on a product that basically makes your eyebrows look the same is a bit silly.
8. Mascara
Just like with lashes, you'd be surprised by how many celebrity MUAs swear by drugstore mascara. If you've been seeing a high-end mascara everywhere, the chances are that there's a reliable dupe at Walmart. When researching this article, mascara was the #1 drugstore product people swore by.
9. Eyeliner
Depending on your preferred form of eyeliner, this product could fall on either side of the list (or both!). However, the overwhelming consensus is that whatever your fancy Sephora liquid liner can do, NYX's liners can do better.
10. Lip Gloss
Let's face it, lip gloss looks pretty in the half hour after its applied. After that, it transfers, vanishes, or disappears into your stomach (we're not judging, we've consumed our fair share of gloss). If you're going to be reapplying throughout the day, don't waste your money.
