There was a time when I wouldn’t think twice about paying an absurd amount of money for a makeup product I liked. That was a stupid time. Makeup has always been my weakness. Hence, it is all the more important for me to be smart about it. It is essential to know which products you can save your pennies on and which products you should shell out more for.

Where should you splurge on and when to save?

• Foundation: Splurge. A good foundation goes a long way in creating the perfect flawless look. After all, it creates the canvas you will be working on. However, if you already have good skin, you can skip foundation altogether and go for lighter versions of it like tinted moisturizers and BB creams, which are much less expensive.
• Concealer: Same philosophy as foundation. You would do well to splurge on this and go for a good quality one, especially if you have a lot of marks and blemishes to conceal.
• Powder: This really depends on you. If the only purpose is to set your foundation, you can go for a cheaper one. However, if you are using powder for coverage as well, you might want to consider a pricier and higher quality one.
• Mascara: Mascara has a very short shelf life. You should replace your mascara every six months. Hence I feel it is pointless to spend an exorbitant amount on mascara. Many drugstore brands make great mascaras which do the job equally well, sometimes better than luxury brands.
• Eye liner, kajal and eye shadow: You can definitely save your money here and go for drugstore brands. Invest in a high quality primer instead to make any eye shadow last longer.
• Lipstick: Save! There are so many drugstore brands out there making great lipsticks. I agree, nothing beats the feel of a luxurious lipstick, but when you buy so many different colors and all the hot shades of a season, the costs can add up. A good workaround would be to splurge on classic shades like a red and a nude, and save on seasonal shades like oranges and oxbloods.
• Blush: I’d say save. In fact, save more by doubling up your lipstick as a blush. Despite owning many blushes, I often use my lipstick as blush simply because it is convenient and I don’t have to carry an extra product with me.
• Nail polish: Nail polish has a limited shelf life. After a while, it tends to separate and become all goopy. Besides, we all love buying many different shades. So I’d say, save. No need to buy absurdly priced nail polishes. Instead, use a pricier top coat. It goes a long way.

Hope this helps you in your next makeup shopping excursion! Do let me know in case I have missed something, and please comment below in case you have any questions.

Until next time, stay stylish.

Neha