Spend Or Save On Beauty?

It’s so easy to walk into a beauty hall and feel completely overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choice available, so many brands and so many products! It’s like walking into a toyshop as a child and wanting to play with everything. But its not just a matter of wanting to play, oh no, here we have cleverly trained sales assistants using their magic to lure you into a false sense of security the moment you lock eyes with them.

Their aim is to make you feel like you actually need that lip-gloss, brow pencil and perfume in your life and if you don’t purchase them your life simply won’t be the same and you’ll look far less beautiful for it. Does this feeling sound familiar?

Well it probably feels that way because secretly, deep down we are naturally attracted to expensive, beautiful packaged makeup (due to a number of factors, one being advertising, instagram and celeb endorsements) and so its incredibly easy to be persuaded into buying them. But the big question is, if we were sensible and did some research before hand, which products would be worth investing in? And most importantly, which products could we get away with buying from a supermarket? After seemingly road testing every product out there from luxury to bargain we have the official ‘Spend or Save’ beauty guide, helping you to save money on the products that are equally as good from cheaper brands and making sensible decisions to spend on those luxe items that really will deliver ‘wow’ results worth paying for!

SPEND

FOUNDATION– your foundation is one of the most worthy beauty investments. You really do get what you pay for here and if you go for a cheap one, its more than likely to fall off your face by the end of the day and won’t be the perfect colour match. High-end makeup brands will have beauty counters for you to visit and have a skin consultation and colour match to ensure your foundation is exactly the right shade for your skin and the right finish you’re looking for. Buying a cheap foundation involves a lot of guessing work and even when going by recommendation, its hard to be sure that what works for your friends skin will work for yours- leave it to the experts at the beauty counters to help you decide.

BRONZER– finding the perfect bronzer that doesn’t make you look too tanned is harder than it sounds, and cheaper brands tend to be too pigmented / not the right balance of colour. Check out brands including Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and Nars for high quality bronzers that last.

PERFUME– spending on perfume is worth its weight in gold, cheap fragrances can be smelt a mile off! Find a signature perfume that you love and that makes you feel like the very best version of yourself and wear it everyday. Great perfume works wonders and makes you feel amazing!

SKINCARE – Skin is your ultimate canvas and if its not looking its best, your makeup won’t either- we recommend investing in a brand that works for your skin and enhances it, revealing a clear, radiant and youthful complexion. Skincare brands we adore are Omorovicza (hero products include the Foaming Cleanser and face polish), Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair and Charlotte Tilbury Magic Day and Night Cream.

SAVE

LIPGLOSS– you can definitely save a few pennies when it comes to lipgloss, there are some fab ones to choose from and they provide the same amout of glossiness as the super brands. Try brands like L’Oreal, Bourjois and Topshop makeup for some good ones.

EYELINER– there are some very reliable eyeliners on the market that don’t involve having to spend too much money on. A favorite of ours is the Clinique for the perfect feline flick and Rimmel for a sexy smoky eye.

LIPBALM – save on lipbalm and just make sure you buy one with added Vitamin E- that’s the most important ingredient to look out for. Vitamin E is an antioxidant that naturally protects against sun damage, pollutants and loss of elasticity.

BODY LOTION– There are so many amazing body lotions on the market from brands including Vaseline, Nivea and Dove that you really don’t need to spend lots on this, especially as you’ll probably be using a lot of the stuff its best to find a cheaper brand that you love and can use all the time without feeling bad about the cost.