Save, Splurge, Or Skip: Where To Invest In Your Beauty

With so many products to choose from, it can be tough to figure out where you should save, where you should spend, and what you should skip buying altogether. Save Your Money! Mascara If you peek in the kits of many top makeup artists, you'll see drugstore brands, like the iconic pink and green tube of Maybelline Greatlash . This is because for the most part, there isn't an enormous difference in the performance of mascaras, so if you're on a budget, get your mascara on the cheap! Body Moisturizer/Makeup Remover It has been a while since coconut oil became the answer to everything, so here's a reminder in case you've forgotten! I love coconut oil to remove my eye makeup, and to moisturize my non-facial skin! It's been said that coconut oil isn't non-comedogenic, which is the only reason why I don't recommend it on your face (unless you're following up with a cleanser in the case of using it as a makeup remover)! I'm more particular about the coconut oil I eat versus what I apply topically, so the one that goes in the beauty section of your home can be very inexpensive! Color Cosmetics If you're using great skincare and foundation, as well as a good primer, you can get away with using really inexpensive eyeshadows, blushes, lip colors - anything that's for color! The lines in the drugstore created for women of color are often as well-pigmented as prestige and artistry lines, and if you use a good eyeshadow primer first, they blend well and are long-lasting, too! Check out Milani , Wet & Wild , Iman , Black Opal , and Black Radiance ! If you're using great skincare, foundation, and primer, you can get away with using really inexpensive eyeshadows, blushes, and lip colors. Splurge! Skincare Your skin is like an outfit that you have to wear for the rest of your life, so spending a bit more for great products is a worthy investment! It's also the basis for all of your makeup - it goes on better, and you'll need less if you have the fabulous starting point of beautiful, healthy skin! Different lines and products work better or worse on different people, so I recommend experimenting until you find what's best for you. I love the whole AEOS blue line , and their skin replenisher cream , but I think the most important things to look for are avoiding things that are dangerous for you. The "think dirty" app is a great way to look up products and make sure the ingredients are safe. Shampoo and Conditioner Your hair care is key because, unfortunately, a lot of less expensive brands contain harmful ingredients that can dry out your hair and cause you to need to have it colored more often - costing you more money in the long run! Watch out for alcohol and sulfates - those are the main ingredients to avoid! We love Kerastase and Biolage ! Foundation This is important to get a good one, because just like the reasoning behind why skincare is splurge-worthy, foundation is, too. It provides the base for your makeup (hence the name, and why some even call it "base!"), and nothing else you put on will look great if your foundation isn't good! We love Face Atelier , Temptu , Kjaer Weis , and Armani as splurges, but again, experimenting is key for finding what's right for you! Skincare is the basis for all of your makeup - it goes on better, and you'll need less if you have the fabulous starting point of healthy skin! Skip! Eyeshadow Palettes I'm as big of a sucker for these as anyone else, and really need to be better at following my own advice, which is to avoid buying palettes! As beautifully as they are packaged and marketed, it's extremely rare that I buy a palette and use all of the colors equally. Generally, I end up using a couple colors a lot, some never, and then a handful here or there...It's much smarter, when you can, to buy color cosmetics individually in the colors you'll use consistently! Anything You Don't Know How To Use/Feel Pressured to Buy One of the worst beauty purchases you can make is something you won't use. Items that fall into that category are things that a slick salesperson looking to make a commission may suggest. If you're tempted, get a sample, and see how much you actually use the sample or wish you had the product in the next week, and go back if you're still dreaming of it! Anything on Clearance You Wouldn't Normally Get Sometimes I'm guilty of buying things just because they are on sale. This is great when it's a product you use and love, and you can get it for less, but it often ends up being more of a money-waster than a money-saver if the product ends up going unused! Instead of spending a little bit on a product you don't actually want or need, save that money to put toward one of your splurge items! Instead of spending a little bit on a product you don't actually want or need, save that money to put toward one of your splurge items! Closing Thoughts I hope these tips demystify your next trip to the store so that you're able to make financially and beautifully wise decisions about your personal care routines that help you look and feel stunning inside and out!