As students we love to save money wherever and whenever we can. So when it comes to makeup, when is the price too high to be justified and when is it understandable? There are some products which can justify splurging but others that you can purchase for half the price at the drugstore.
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Mascara
Mascaras are tricky products for a few reasons. First, they dry out quicker than any other makeup product and second, because you are supposed to replace them every 3-4 months. Buying high end mascaras may not be justifiable or feasible on a student budget. There are great drugstore alternatives which cost a third of the price and work just as well. Another perk of drugstore mascaras is that there are plenty of options whether you are looking for a natural, volume, length or a waterproof product.
A few notable drugstore mascaras include: Maybelline Colossal/Mega Plush, Almay’s Get up and Grow, and L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara.
Maybelline
Lipsticks + Lip Gloss
2012 was the year of the drugstore lip product; new products were added to the already endless shelves of drugstore lip products. You can get an equally good product from the drugstore that has good pigmentation, staying power and color range so you can find exactly what you are looking for.
Some lipstick products to keep in mind are: Revlon Lustrous Lipsticks, Covergirl Lip Perfection, and Revlon Lip butters.
In terms of Lip-glosses, some notable products include: NYX Megashine Lipglosses and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains.
Save: The brand profile
In general, here are some of the best quality drugstore brands which have a good range of products that are good quality:
Revlon– lip products, foundations, nail polish
Maybelline– eye shadow, mascara, concealer
NYX– lip glosses, eye shadow, blushes
E.l.f– studio blushes, eye primer, HD powder, brushes.
Splurge:
Foundation
Having a good foundation is essential for a few reasons. For one, foundation is applied directly onto your skin. If you have sensitive skin, buying a high end foundation is a smart idea. High end brands are usually more ingredient conscious, meaning that you are less likely to have an allergic reaction or break out from the product. Also, in most drugstores you cannot test the foundation therefore you cannot see the color match to your skin tone. You may end up with a color too dark or too orange for your skin tone. It is definitely worth the pretty penny to invest in a good foundation.
Here are some great high end foundations: Make Up For Ever Mat + or HD, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, and Nars Sheer Glow Foundation.
Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet + in shade 35
Blushes
Like foundation, blush is applied to a sensitive part of the face, and because of this buying a good blush is a good idea. The staying power in high end blushes is also significantly better than drugstore blushes for the most part. In addition, they also have more shade selection in high end product lines than the drugstores equivalent. To justify investing in a blush you must note that blushes have a long shelf life meaning they can last you more than a year – it is worth the money.
Some high end blushes include: TheBalm, Mac, and Nars.
Swing both ways:
Eye shadows
Eye shadows are tricky because they set differently for each person. What may stay on for one individual may fade on another. Even with the use of an eye primer, eye shadow pigmentation may appear differently on each skin tone. For example, for some reason light pink eye shadow does not show up on my skin tone but for someone with a lighter skin tone it may look great. Though I don’t have a full recommendation for eye shadow I would check out some of these brands so you can figure out what is best for you:
Drugstore- NYX, Physicians Formula, Maybelline
High End- Urban Decay, Mac, TheBalm
The Urban Decay Naked Pallette