3 Beauty Products to Splurge On (…With Some Cheap Alternatives Of Course!)
Being a makeupista isn’t cheap. With new products being launched everyday and so many classics left to explore, burning a hole in your pocket is almost inevitable. And unfortunately burned-pocket holes aren’t in fashion, ever. Fortunately, makeup does come in different price ranges allowing us to pursue our passion and have enough money left for less important things- like eating and paying rent. The trick is to choose which items to buy from the fancy stores and brands and which one from your local drugstore or dukaan. Here’s 3 makeup products that you definitely should splurge on:
1. Foundation:
Two words- Return Policy. Okay, if that doesn’t convince you let me get a little into detail. A bad foundation can ruins otherwise perfectly applied makeup. There is no greater turn off than a foundation that doesn’t offer the right color and/or coverage to the wearer’s face. Every high-end makeup brand offers makeup artists who can help you find the best foundation for your skin tone/type. Plus if it doesn’t work for you, you can always exchange/return the makeup. Much better than trying five different foundations from a mid level brand in my opinion.
My pick: MAC Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation
Price: $ 29.50 or 1780 INR
Cheaper alternative: Get a makeup artist at a store to find the perfect shade for you and then look at various beauty blogs and forums for cheaper alternatives for those shades. If you live in North America various drug stores (C.V.S., Walgreen’s) will let you return makeup that isn’t the right shade for you. Under no circumstances should you commit this makeup faux pas:
Photo Source: Eros
Actress Rani Mukerjee What a difference the right foundation can make!
Photo Source: Khaleej Times
2. Eyelid Primer:
Ever wondered why some people’s makeup just seems flawless and lasts forever while yours often suffers from a midday meltdown? If yes, you definitely need to invest in a good primer. Primer is a product applied prior to applying makeup for an overall better application. A face primer prepares the skin for foundation by making it smoother and also increases the foundation’s staying power. Some face primers will correct skin tone imperfections and also mattify the skin and control oil. Eyelid primers allow the eye makeup to stay on longer and appear more vibrant. There are other primers such as lip primers and eyelash primers available on the market too, but the only primer you really need to splurge on is the eyelid primer. You can use the primer with cheaper eyeshadow and eyeliners and make them last all day. Plus a tiny tube of primer goes a really long way, so this is one product that definitely packs a big bang for the buck.
My pick(s): Too Faced Shadow Insurance/ MAC Prep+Prime Eye
Price: $17 or approx. 800 INR
An eyelid primer will make your eyeliner/kajal last all day.
Photo Source: Web Newswire Bollywood Actress Chitrangada Singh
Cheaper Alternative: E.L.F. Cosmetics makes a regular and a mineral eyelid primer that retail for $1 and $3 respectively. The mineral primer imho works almost as good as any high end primer. E.L.F. India’s website does not carry these yet.
3. Makeup Tools:
Just like a good primer a good makeup tools can make your mediocre makeup seem ah-mazing. Flawless application, super easy blending and taking little product a long way can all be achieved with the right makeup tools. While I do speak mostly of makeup brushes here, a good eyelash curler too is a must in every girl’s vanity case. Remember splurging on good makeup tools is an investment since most good makeup brushes will last you a couple of years.
My pick: It’s really hard to pick one brand, but overall I would choose MAC.
Price: Ranges from $11 to $52 depending on the brush.
Cheaper Alternative: E.L.F. has some great Vegan brushes in their mineral line. I wouldn’t recommend the eye brushes, but their face brushes are great. And a MAJOR shout out to their eyelash curler, it retails for $3 (approx 150 INR) but is the best I’ve ever used. There are also some great Indian makeup tools brands such as Vega reviewed on this site, which I have tried and think they work wonderfully. Bollywood Actress Kareena Kapoor shows you how to work those brushes!
Photo source: Bollywood-Stars.Net
The Bottom Line If your monetary resources are limited but your love for makeup isn’t, I would suggest buying the “cheaper alternatives” listed above. If you have some money to spare, take some out to buy a good foundation, a good eyelid primer (a must if you want to wear your shadows and liners in the summer) and invest in some good makeup tools! Heaven must look like a Sephora store…only all the makeup is FREE!
Photo Source: VBJUSA.COM
But since we are on Earth… what are some products that YOU like to splurge on?!
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OOOHHH
CHITRANGADA ROCKS
north america really has plethora to explore
i wish some one would do a tut on her eye look!
loved the article as usual
CVS…sighhhh!! I thought that was heaven on earth for a while with discounts one doesn’t even dream of here. I don’t think stores allow returns here, do they?
The thing I like about buying cosmetics in India is that you can swatch even drugstore brands such as Maybelline, Revlon, L’Oreal, Maxfactor, Lakme etc. at the stores here. CVS, Walmart, Target and other drugstores in the U.S. don’t allow you to do that. But as you said, the deals and variety is superb even at their drugstores. 🙂
I just wanted an excuse to put Chitrangada’s picture up! I think she’s the most gorgeous actress in Bollywood…!
are there any sephora stores in india…to be specific in delhi??
and evn i have heard rave reviews about m.a.c foundation and primers…..my loved ones have used them and they say these m.a.c products are to die for…..
and yes pl somebody do a tutorial fr chitrangda’s eye makeup
oh no Shilpa we don’t have Sephora here. 🙁 there were some talk of Sephora opening stores in India but no specific news as such.
Ooooohh… You know my dream is to go on a world tour with say around 1 million dollars in my account.. So that I can buy all the makeup I ever wanted…. Sigh.. :-$ :-$ :-$
How’s that for splurging??? :laugh: :laugh:
But in the real world I like to splurge on eye makeup- especially eye pencils and Matte lipsticks… :inlove: :inlove:
.-= Mrunmayee´s last blog ..Jovees Gold Eye Contour gel- Review =-.
I am accompanying you. 😛
Yay… Such fun!!!! :dance: :dance: :jump: :jump:
.-= Mrunmayee´s last blog ..Jovees Gold Eye Contour gel- Review =-.
I know. 😛 Oh my!! now I want to make this happen. :pray:
Please take me along as well!!!!!
ELF has an India site???? Where??? Let me at it…. :inlove: I :heart: their studio line.
http://www.eyeslipsface.in/ 🙂
OMG.. ELF has indian website?? I love their studio line especially their brushes, warm bronzer and complexion powder. You have to try the warm bronzer, it is amazing. I use them for a light colour on my cheeks and as a eye shadow as well 🙂
.-= Charan´s last blog ..Review – Wet and Wild Silk Finish Blush =-.
:inlove: You know what my wild dream is Mrun……getting loked up in a omsmeti store for a day….I an try and look at whatever I want to and spend suh a great time there……….. :inlove:
i want to be with you in the shop, Jomol. i’ll get some food to eat. 😛
nice article devika loved it
hey whenever i try to find out mac foundation in store they never suggest me mineralize satinfinish , is it coz i have a oily T zone???
me too a brush whore i have quite a few mac
116 , 239,217,226,249 and next on my wish list are 150 , 187/188 and 109
i know they r too costlly here so may be it will take another 6 months hahahah ….
i do love ELF face powder brush a lot the one with flat top love it soooo much …
n yes u said it right primer is a must i do use UDPP and mac paint pot ….
u know when i use to shop at drugstores i got soo many coupons that some times a 13 doller foundation would come for 2 – 3 $ …
m a coupon junkie and all these guys at riteaid n walgreens knew me ….
and sephora is really a heaven on earth … koi mujhe swarg mein phir se pahuncha doo plssss
thumbs up for good article
love n lipglosses
rashmi
he he,
226 was a limited edition no?? Here MAC is out of stock of lots of brushes from past 6 months. Every month I get to hear that the brushes are coming next month. SO I am still waiting. Want to pick up a few brushes from MAC. Let’s see when i do that. 🙂
yes sweetheart 226 was ltd. edt. , my mentor in makeup uses 226 brush so when i happen to find 226 by chance in nordstorm i ordered it without thinking twice , n u know after 1 week only i was shifting to india so it was hell to track the order coz we had to leave our rented flat… but by god’s grace my neighbours were so good to keep it for me n send it to india…
i think there r few still in some of stores
its my HG brush better then 217 …
love n lipglosses
rashmi
Aww!! that’s so sweet. I hope mac comes out with it again. I will buy 2 of them. 😛
Rashmi , do you have oily skin? Satin finish is not for people with oily skin.
Loved the article Devika and I agree with you cent percent. Until I discovered MAC I never realized how important role foundation plays in makeup. I also love my MAC mineralize satinfinish but it has gone a shade darker for me now. But I till make it work. 😛
How do you find mac prep and prime eye. I swatched it at the store the other day I felt that it was a little slippery. I swear by paint pot for eyeashdow primer and I am going to purchase them forever. he he.
Wish Sephora comes to India soon. :pray:
rati chaloo hum saab mil ke ek karva chauth rakhe sephora ke liye….
It’s weird the first article I read by you was the Satinfinish and Mineralize SkinFinish one! I used to use Studio Fix before that.
I do think NC40 is too dark for you. I would say you’re a 35-37.
I mix a drop of my mom’s NC25 in the daytime cause my foundation is evidently too dark for me! I thought I was going to get really tan this summer and picked a shade darker than I normally do. It looks great at night, all tan and sultry but in the day I look a little orange
That’s where my love for MAc started. Those were the first two product I ever bought from MAC. Since then there has been no looking back. 🙂
I am NC 35. NC 40 used to work fine for me but from past one month or so, my kin has lightened a little. Infact, mot of my bases look a little darker on my skin now barring a few that i recently purchased.
I also mix and match my foundation. More than getting the perfect shade, I find it a fun thing to do. 😉
:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Definitely foundation is my top most to splurge. But at present My Vichy foundation works for me 😀 .
But My eyes is on the Shiseido sun protection foundation 😀 and it costs about € 28 or $ 45
.-= Charan´s last blog ..Review – Wet and Wild Silk Finish Blush =-.
Hey Devika…gr8 post!!!! I think i will surely explore the primers from ELF soon