I often see the question asked “is X product worth the money?”. To me, there are a few things worth splurging on, and anything else is purely discretionary– if you can afford it, sure, but you can live without the high-end. These are the areas where I think spending the extra money is really and truly worth it. I’m not saying everyone should go high-end on these items, because I’ve found both high and low priced products that work for me, but if you are perhaps wondering how you should budget your beauty buys, perhaps this will help. :)
Foundation
I’ve said it many times, a good foundation is worth its weight in gold. It’s a good thing only a few companies put a pricetag anywhere near that on their products. ;) Why is it worth the extra money? Well it’s right there in the name. Foundation is the base for all of your makeup. Bad foundation can ruin a look. The splurge for a most costly foundation is also completely worth it if you are hard to match. Mis-matched foundation is embarrassing and unsightly. Don’t let it happen to you! Although I will say if you have to fudge your shade match, it’s much easier to go slightly too light and then correct with a bronzer than it is to lighten foundation that is slightly too dark.
Concealer
How many of you have struggled to find the concealer, the one that makes you scream hallelujah? Yeah, me too. So when you find it, it’s worth the pricetag. Like foundation, concealer is also worth splurging for if you are hard to match. It’s also worth splurging for if you have blemishes to cover, or under-eye fine lines that you do not want emphasized, etc. A bad concealer will draw attention to the very things you are trying to conceal, adding insult to injury of wasting the money on a bad product. At least when you find a really good one, you shouldn’t need to use very much at a time to get the best results so it will last you a while between buys.
Skincare
There are a lot of fabulous drugstore skincare products. I myself am a huge fan of Neutrogena’s Acne Stress Control line for their scrub and BHA gel. However, if you have skin struggles and are having trouble finding something that works for your skin, a high-end skincare product is absolutely worth every penny if it works for you. This goes for sunscreen, too. If you have sensitive skin or allergies to certain ingredients, a higher-end sunscreen will probably be better for you. Those of you who are like me and have sensitivities to chemical sunscreen but need a lot of protection will be hard-pressed to find an inexpensive sunscreen without chemical ingredients in the United States. For some reason Europe seems to be better about that. Perhaps it has to do with the U.S. and their tanning culture versus Europeans being more likely to embrace the pale. Just remember to take good care of your skin so that you will always put your best face forward.
So all the rest of stuff…I wouldn’t say splurging is a necessity. Not to say I don’t love my high-end makeup, but if I had to I could live without it as long as I was allowed to keep my high-end foundation, concealer, and skincare.
What do you think? Are these your splurge items or do you have a different take?
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