What beauty products should you splurge or save on?

If you're a girl with a budget to mind, it pays to know where you can penny pinch or spend big on beauty goodies. It should keep you from buying expensive items that have more affordable substitutes.

However, if you have a bit of windfall once in a while, it wouldn't hurt to buy big-ticket beauty items simply because they feel luxurious to use (in terms of packaging and texture), plus they're simply more reliable (in terms of overall efficacy or staying power). Most expensive products are pricey for a reason.

Ok let's go!

Beauty products to splurge on:

• Moisturizer. Moisturizers are the kind of things you can't take a chance on. Use the wrong one and you break out. Simple. Use the right one and you have moisturized skin. Period. Use a great one and you have glowing skin! These are usually expensive, but that's for a reason.

• Serum. If you like giving your skin an extra boost, serums are your best bets. They offer to alleviate problems like wrinkles, oily skin, blemishes, roughness, and so on. And whoop tee do, the really good ones actually do. For a price.
• Eye cream. Expensive eye cream does make a difference. Up-there eye creams are rich with active ingredients that target your woes.
• Foundation. This is non-negotiable for me! The best foundations cost upwards P2,000 like the ones from NARS, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Smashbox, and Bobbi Brown, to name a few. Clinique and Shiseido makes great ones for upwards P1,500. With these, you get to fake naturally good skin that stays on all day. No chalkiness, no mask-like face.

• Concealer. Higher-priced concealers offer the best color matches, opacity, and staying power. 
• Blush. Pricier blushes offer the best, most natural-looking color selection out there. They also stay on all day. Go NARS and MAC!
• A set of brushes. Forget about the ones you can buy from Landmark and department stores - these will fray and fall out after a few washes. Invest in a quality set that will stay with your for years, such as the ones from MAC and Charm.
• Fragrance. Scents are like shoes. You immediately know when they're cheap.

 

Beauty products to save on

• Facial wash. Cleansers can only do so much, you know. They clean the skin and that's it. Of course, choose one that does it correctly according to your skin type.
• Body lotion. Another product with a basic function. Pick something that's light and non-greasy. Nivea and Avon make great ones!

• Shampoo and conditioner. There's not much difference between cheap and expensive brands when it comes to shampoos and conditioners. If you can find one that doesn't break you out and cause your hair to dry up and have dandruff, stick to something from the supermarket.
• Lipstick. Expensive lipsticks have better staying power, texture, and "donya" appeal. However, cheap ones come in great colors and formulas that you wouldn't even mind the re-application and flimsy packaging.

• Eyeshadow. Sooo many great affordable eyeshadows out there that can rival MAC or Urban Decay!
• Mascara. One of my top mascaras is just P350. The other one is P795. No need to spend more than P1,000 for something that has great cheap alternatives.
• Eyeliner. Before, I thought that only expensive eyeliner can do the job right: they don't smudge, they stay put. But since I found gems from In2It and Majolica Majorca, I'm inclined to think that one shouldn't spend more than P1,000 for a great eyeliner.
• Lip balm. No brainer! Lip balm is basically the same whether it's pricey or not. I love Lip Ice balms, they feel so nice on the lips.

Hope this helps! Do you have anything to add to the list? Would love to hear about it. ;)