To Splurge or not to Splurge...That is the question

In terms of my spending habits, I have to say I am a little contradictory. My friends and family always joke about my spendthrift ways, but at the same time I definitely have a penchant for expensive makeup.
I think the key is balance; knowing on which products to splurge, and which to choose a cheaper option whilst still looking flawless.

Therefore, I decided to offer you my perspective on how to get the most from your make-up whilst looking after your pennies - after all, everyone feels the pinch after the festive period!

Moisturiser
Verdict: Save

I know this is a little controversial, and my choice is of course partly down to my age, but I think cheap moisturisers can do the job perfectly!
As a 20 year old I have pretty good skin and haven't the skin concerns of middle age, so some older readers may disagree with my choice.
I've tried Clarins and Clinique among other premium brands, but to be honest they didn't do any wonders for my skin and if you strip away the packaging and lovely smell I wouldn't say I prefer them over anything I've tried from budget brands.
I think Simple offer great products that leave out nasty chemicals and come with a low price too!
Also a fan of Nivea and the Body Shop's moisturisers.

Eyeshadow
Verdict: Spend

I don't disagree that drugstore brands offer amazing eyeshadow shades, because they certainly do. My argument hinges on pigmentation.
Drugstore brands, simply because they're cheaper, cannot afford to offer the pigmentation of premium brand eyeshadows.

Pigment (the actual colour of the shadow) is very expensive, therefore different brands of eyeshadow contain varying levels of pigment suspended in the filler compounds that hold the shadow together and bulk it out.

Therefore - say you spent £4 on an eyeshadow - the amount of pigment would likely be low, which would require you to apply lots and lots to give a dense colour. 

Eyeshadows by brands like MAC and Urban Decay contain (on average - this does not necessarily apply to all shades) much more pigment. Therefore, though they cost a lot more, the cost per wear might actually be better than the cheaper shadow as you need to use less product to achieve a high coverage - as a result the shadow will last you much longer.

My advice would be to experiment with cheaper brands in order to find the shades that really suit you, then look for better quality dupes when you have chosen shades that you know you'll use regularly.

Another good tip for saving as you spend are palettes!
For example, the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette is an absolute staple product of mine

Whilst I admit £37 is a fair whack to spend on eyeshadow, the palette holds 12 shadows, all of which I use.
37÷12= £3.08, which is a fantastic price per shadow!

I paid even less as I waited until I was going on holiday and purchased mine VAT free from the airport, which of course is a great money saving tip!
If you can't wait until your next holiday then all of you British lovelies keep an eye out for the Debenhams VAT free promotions they run every so often :)

Make-up Wipes
Verdict: Save

I have a similar take on make-up removal wipes as I do on moisturiser - I have paid £4 for wipes, and 2 for  £1 at Poundland, and to be quite honest I notice little difference, and certainly not enough to warrant a whopping £3.50 price difference per pack.

If you don't trust Poundland's brands, then try places like B&M bargains or Home Bargains if you have one near you, as they sell popular drugstore brands at a massively reduced rate.

Foundation
Verdict: Spend

Foundation is so, so important in my eyes.
You can hang beautifully painted pictures on a wall, but if that wall is poorly painted or plastered, you'll still notice the imperfection! Foundation is the basis of all your make-up and I feel it deserves to be invested in.

My main gripe with drugstore foundations is their colours - sure, they often offer a wide range of shades, but few of them actually suit real skin tones.
My skin tone is cool (which essentially means I am yellowy, as opposed to pinky), and I've always struggled to find foundation that suits my skin as, for whatever reason, drugstore foundations all seem to have blinking pink undertones! 13 and 14 were certainly not good ages for me in terms of make-up and I'm sure I sported some dodgy orangey-pink tide marks thanks to ill-fitting cheap foundations.

Cheap foundations generally seem to oxidise much more than premium foundations and become far more orange 10 minutes into wearing them. YUCK.

I don't know the exact science behind it, but I've found expensive brands just offer a better finish - not necessarily a heavier coverage, but a better coverage that gives you a certain luminosity.

My favourite brands of foundation are Dior, especially Diorskin Forever, Lancôme, and MAC (MAC being the cheapest of the options with the fab Studio Fix Liquid foundation priced at £21.50).
If you must scrimp on the foundation front then I'd recommend L'Oreal's True Match, Revlon's Colourstay, and GOSH's X-Ceptional Wear Make-Up, which all offer medium coverage in a matte finish without being so matte that they're drying or look powdery.

Lipstick
Verdict: Save and Spend

Okay, sorry, I couldn't make my mind up totally here!

Drugstore brands like Rimmel and Barry M do some fab lipsticks, and I'm not averse to them whatsoever in terms of quality.

However, when it comes to the range of shades they offer, I don't feel they can compete.
Brands like MAC and Illamasqua truly offer every shade under the sun - I found this to my discredit when I entered MAC as an inexperienced youngster and asked for a red lipstick.
I was first met with a bemused expression and then an onslaught of incredulous questions - What did I mean 'red'? Did I want an orangey-red? a true red? a blue-red? a pink-red? a dark or light red? Did I want a matte finish, a frost or lustre finish?
I now see the error of my ways and appreciate the wide range of nuances within each colour and finish - which is both a great benefit to my makeup collection and a huge shame to my wallet :(

There is the old argument that cheaper lipsticks aren't as pigmented and don't last as long, however I don't necessarily notice a difference. Truly long-wearing lipsticks always seem to be drying so personally I'd prefer a more comfortable wear even if that means re-applying more often anyway!

In conclusion, if the high-street have the colour you're looking for, then go for it.
But, if you have more exacting standards of colour and want a shade with something a little more special to offer then I'd pay the extra!

Make-up Brushes
Verdict: Spend, Spend, Spend

A great make-up brush is the difference between a decent or flawless complexion.
I never stop stressing to my friends the importance of having good brushes.
For years I applied foundation with fingers or cheap foundation brushes.
Yes, it was painful to pay £33.50 for MAC's 187 Duo-fibre stippling brush, but my god I'm so glad I did.
The first time I used it to apply my foundation I actually ran about the house to show everyone how good my skin looked.
What is even better, is that I've had it about 3 years now and it's still going strong. The premium materials used to make it ensure that there is little fall out and it has kept its shape perfectly.
The same goes for the rest of my MAC face and eye brushes, I could not go back to using crappy, cheap ones that just don't blend anywhere near as well.

I have heard you can buy cheap dupes of premium brands and have seen a lot on eBay. But honestly I've not tried them and would rather not risk it because I simply do not believe you can make great brushes without great materials - and the fact of the matter is they cost.

Mascara
Verdict: Save

Mascara has always been big business for the drugstore brands, they seem constantly competing to bring out the next big product that will offer ridiculous lengthening and thickening promises.
To be honest, most of these don't ever live up to their claims, but that's not to say you can't find a really good mascara without shelling out much.

It's hard to give exact recommendations because I do find that mascaras, more so than any other make-up product, are pretty personal.
Some mascaras that I've hated, others have loved, and vice versa - It all depends on your particular type of eyelash. 

Just like haircare is aimed at thin, thick, curly or straight hair, I believe mascara should be, because different formulas work well on different eyelashes.
For example, I have quite thin hair and my eyelashes are no exception. Therefore thick, gloopy formulas are no good for me as they weight my eyelashes down and inhibit a nice, lasting curl, whereas thick eyelashes benefit from this type of consistency.

Anyway, bad Lucy, back to the point!
Whilst I love my Chanel Inimitable, I also love my L'Oreal Voluminous. And, to be frank, I'd rather have the extra £19 in my pocket when the difference is negligible.

In conclusion - I TALK FAR TOO MUCH! If you got to the end of this in one piece, I salute you! 

xxx