Makeup: What To Scrimp On

There have long been rumors that lower cost brands, such as French makeup brand Bourgois, are actually manufactured by more expensive companies, such as Estee Lauder. There are also rumors floating around that companies like L'Oreal actually own several of the big name makeup brands, so no matter where you buy from, you're getting roughly the same sort of quality. For me, I've noticed that there are a few like-for-likes in terms of quality. Revlon and Maybelline are roughly the same in quality, but then, they're also the same in price. My favorite cut price switch though is Soap and Glory for Benefit. They're roughly half the price, but the quality is absolutely spot on.

 

Having said all that, I do think there are a few things you can scrimp on as well as a few things that it's better not to scrimp on. 

 

Lipstick, as an example, especially if you want to try out a fashion color, like a deep purple or a bright magenta. Look for products that contain plenty of moisturising ingredients and steer clear of matte formulas unless you've tried and tested them before - the cheaper they are, the more likely it is that they'll flake off. Plus, you can get the look of a matte lip color simply by layering a little matte powder over your lips.

 

Other scrimpers:

It's also not a crime to scrimp on nail polish, either. As much as I love Nails INC I can't justify spending £15 on a bottle of nail polish when I know that could buy me a bottle of liquid foundation and a blusher in some shops, which is more important to me than nail polish. Just make sure you use a bottom and top coat and it'll stay put, really, regardless of how much you spent.

For me, it's most important that my skin looks good, because then I can get away without wearing any other makeup. So I'll spend a little bit more on primer, foundation and a finishing powder, rather than splurging on the fanciest of mascaras. To me, all mascaras do pretty much exactly the same job anyway!