Where should you spend the money on high-end brands and when should you opt out for the cheaper brands?

Aug 16, 2011

Erica J.

ok so this was the topic this week on #bbloggers on twitter and I thought it was a great discussion and I also thought it would make and interesting convo for beautylish.

so basically what is "worth it" to spend the money for beauty products?

I think that nail polish is one to buy cheap. unless there is a unique color that your eying, they all chip around the same time- weather it's essie or whatever I am always needed to fix them nightly

face wash? i use and love proactiv personally, but I use the loreal 360 clean (which i reviewed on my blog-http://meetmakeup.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-loreal-go-360-clean-deep-facial.html ) and I love it to use right before i use proactiv. my mom likes the clinique 3 step and i have tried it, but i love the loreal actually much better.

so know I am wondering, what/where do you think the money should be spent?

Aug 16, 2011

Soma S.

Taste is subjective, and a general rule of thumb is to splurge on whatever you feel makes you look absolutely stunning, and the cheaper stuff should be things that can be easily duped.

Many people say they would never spend $$$ on mascara, I find I need the formula and brush types of the higher-end brushes to get the results I desire.

Lots of people spend $$$ on high-end lipsticks, I find drugstore brands do just as well, if not BETTER than many of my high-end lipstick splurges. [Love Revlon Colorburst and Covergirl Liplast]

Money should def. be spent on foundation... since I expect lots from my foundation, I'm more likely to pay more to get it. I want my foundation to blend, look like skin, not break me out, match my color, have a certain finish [matte/dewey/satin/etc], last long, not oxidize [even though they all do to a certain degree], not look cakey... etc.

Eyeliner isn't something I would spend lots of money on though. It only needs to be black and stay long.  =)

Aug 16, 2011

Madison G.

I typically spend of drugstore because they have been stepping it up a lot, there are plenty of brands that have amazing quality for reasonable price. Then if there is a higher end product I really want and I have the money for it then I will buy it, OR I put it on a birthday/christmas/anniversary list.

Though I have heard many say foundation is great to spend on for higher end make up cause that is the base and the larger canvas :)

Aug 16, 2011

Kristina H.

I guess in short, anywhere I can. Unfortunately I can't find the quality I like in most drugstore brands. I do love Milani cosmetics, they have fabulous liners and the lip products are quite nice as well. I haven't tried their shadows or blushes yet but I find it is pretty hard to mess up blush quality.. it is always just a matter of finding the right color.

NYX has some pretty awesome lipsticks, so does Maybelline. I think most drugstore mascaras are pretty decent, however sometimes there can be a world of difference. So I think the only safe bet for me is lip balm. I think Burt's Bees is far superior to any other lip balm I have used as far as using it for the purpose of chapped lips.

Aug 16, 2011

Tamara R.

I think it all depends on what works for you paired with preference. There's definitely no hard, set rule on the matter.

Hunting down products just because they're cheap or expensive tends to end in disaster. If I think something will work for me, I'll try it.. if it doesn't work out, it goes back to the store. I tend to repurchase products because they work for me and meet whatever particular need I have. Whether they're drugstore, professional or luxury is moot.

Aug 16, 2011

Gracey W.

I"ll always be willing to shell out some money for a good foundation. But lately I've been trying to be more environmentally friendly and be green so I've been spending loads trying to find which brands and products I like and don't like. 

Aug 16, 2011

Jessica D.

I wont buy MAC shadesticks b/c NYX pencils do the same thing, but better and for a fraction of the price. I do like some high end mascaras but again, i use the maybelline falsies or the covergirl lashblast and its too comparable to justify spending a ton on an expensive mascara. I will not buy cheap perfume though. Also, I do not buy cheap shampoo or conditioner. I used biolage. I have to have high end styling tools but im cool with walmart brushes, and hair accessories. also, while i enjoy and love high end foundations...i discovered the revlon colorstay and it is so comparable that i have 2 bottles. i love the laura mercier silk creme but im not sure if i will repurchase. also, i love creamy eyeliners, so i stick with smashbox for them :) hope u enjoyed :)

http://www.youtube.com/jessicathinkspink  

xo

Aug 17, 2011

Erica J.

oh yeah i love nyx jumbo pencils - there are perfect! and yes the revlon colorstay is also a holy grail for me. agreed also to the nyx and maybelline lipsticks. If im gunna buy a lipstick, i want it to be creamy and have a great color pay-off! if i wanted a sheen or glossy finish then i would just buy a gloss

jessica, you bring up a great point about the perfume- high end also seem to have a more defined bottom note- cheap ones never seem to last long- i too love creamy liners and i have been wanting to try out smashbox liners so i will def. have to put it on my list!

thanx so much ladies for the tips! and keep em coming! ima penny pincher and i love to know whats worth the splurge and what isnt!

Aug 17, 2011

Jasmine P.

I feel like what I'd like to splurge more money on is subjective. For limited edition colors, I'd pony up the money for if they're unique, but if it's a shadestick or eye shadow that can easily be duped, I nix buying the more expensive (unless the formula is absolutely amazing and I can't live without how it goes on my face).

For face, I say it's worth it to spend the extra money. If your skin breaks out, it makes your whole look terrible so I always make sure I use good products on that.

I agree with Soma about mascaras and lipsticks. I find that the drugstores work just as good! 

Aug 18, 2011

Dani P.

I buy a lot of drugstore makeup, simply because I don't always have the extra cash to go buy high end stuff. I'd much rather go buy all three Wet N Wild color icon 8 pan palettes for $15 and get 24 that have TONS of UD dupes in them, then go buy one MAC or UD eyeshadow for nearly the same price.

I've tried higher end foundations but they're usually really heavy on my skin. I prefer to just use the Revlon Photoready or Bare Minerals. So I save money there.

Just about everything I like in higher end brands I have found in some form of drugstore brand. I love Milani, NYX, Wet n Wild, and Revlon. The only high end product I constantly re-purchase is Urban Decay Primer Potion, or Two Faced Shadow Insurance. I have some light scarring on my lids from a chemical burn I got from some bad liquid liner as a teenager, so my eyes don't like to hold color in a few places without a primer and base underneath.

I say buy what you can afford and works for you. Don't empty your wallet for a "Name", especially if the little guy does the same thing at a fraction of the price.

Aug 18, 2011

Amelia R.

I am a very very thrifty makeup person. I have a really hard time convincing myself to splurge on something.

First I have to ask myself: How often am I going to use this? I bought the Naked Palette because I knew I would use it a million times, and Urban Decay shadows are fantastic quality. I also use Benefit's Erase Paste concealer because I know it'll work on anything (I am the queen of under-eye bags) but if I don't need to do any heavy-duty covering, I use my Maybelline Fit Me concealer.
Basically, I won't spend $30 on a red lipstick because I know I'm not going to wear it that often.
I am also very particular about what kind of product it is. If there's less expensive alternative, I'll try that first. For example, Benefit Creaseless Cream eyeshadows. I tried the Revlon and Maybelline cream shadows and they each creased after about 2 minutes, whereas the Benefit sample I got with another purchase had never creased, so I got the full size.
Another thing is your skin type and personal preferences. If your skin reacts badly to drugstore foundation, for example, then it's worth splurging on Bare Minerals. If you like crazy bold lips, spend on the lip color you love, but don't think that expensive brands are going to automatically mean good products and inexpensive ones are bad.

Aug 19, 2011

Yasmin K.

I love both drugstore and department store ("high-end") and buy what I like if it's within my budget. Just because something is "high-end" doesn't make it that great, I've actually bought plenty of products that were $20, $40, $80 and $120 and turned out to be crap. Buy what you like if it works for your be it drugstore or so-called "high-end".

Aug 19, 2011

Liana B.

I pretty much think that any products that go directly on your skin are the ones you should pay more attention to because they are the ones that are actually going to affect you the most. Lipstick, eyeliner, etc all come off eventually, but skincare products can make or break you. Even foundation or concealer I would splurge more one because they are what people will see the most, even with other makeup on, and you want your skin to look good.