Low vs High End -- When to Spend

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Image via Ulta.com.


In my humble opinion, if there are a few things you should splurge on, they're as follows:
  1. Eyeshadow
  2. Eyeshadow
  3. Eye shadow
There are dupes for virtually every other makeup items:

  • Foundation -- Nyx, Maybelline and Revlon have some amazing options, all of which are waaay cheaper than high end picks.
  • Mascara -- CoverGirl and L'Oreal have some of the best in the game.
  • Highlighter -- Wet n Wild MegaGlo collection is more pigmented than Laura Mercier and many other lauded brighteners. Not to say that Laura is bad (because her products rock), its just that you can find more affordable options that are just as dope.
  • Bronzer -- Honestly, NYC's bronzer has been my go-to for years. Never fails.
  • Blush -- CoverGirl or Nyx deliver.
  • Eyebrows -- Glossier's Boy Brow is $6, and Essence's "Make Me Brow" is $3 bucks.
  • Eyeliner -- Drugstore options abound...there isn't enough time in the day to name them all. But Rimmel and L'Oreal have some of my favorites.
  • Lips -- Nyx butter lipsticks are insanely good, as are their lip suedes. ColourPop's liquid lipsticks are dope as well (and almost identical to Kylie's--no shade though love me some Lip Kits).
But eyeshadow? More crucially, eyeshadow palettes? I have yet to find drugstore options that stack up to the likes of Too Faced, Urban Decay, NARS and Tarte.

That's not the say that the higher in price you go, the better it gets. I have a Cle de Peau shadow that makes little to no sense (and its $40 per shade, gasp). BUT, I do think its work dropping $40-$55 on a good palette that you can create easy, versatile looks with and not have to dot your lids with scratchy shadows.

Personally, I am in love with the Tartelette palette--I think it could work for all eye colors and tones, and it has a ton of killer matte shades. Too Faced also makes incredibly creamy and pigmented shadows, as does Urban Decay (Naked palette's are their main shadow score). 

If you're up for something a bit more out-of-the-box (read: not everyday), hit up shades like Urban Decay's Lounge, a deep green-red (yes thats possible) duo chrome that is absolutely STUNNING, along with any of their other duo chrome shadows. 

For my one-and-done shadow looks, I'll just sweep NARs dual-intensity shadow in Himalia all over the lid. And if you want to get realll fancy, you can apply the shadow with a slightly wet brush towards the center of the lid. It'll make the shimmer and overall pigment pop.

Moral of the story--shadows are trivial. They're some of the most playful and creative parts of makeup. For me, I'd rather splurge on a palette thats going to last me a few years and have a bunch of kick-ass colors, then test out five $9 palettes that are crappy, and end up giving them to a random friend of a friend.



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