Hi! I’m one of those people who grew up not allowed to do makeup, found one look that (sort of) worked for me in my 20s, and now want to figure out different techniques and products in my 30s. I’ve mostly stuck with lower end products in the past, largely because I can’t justify $$$$ for something I’m not great at. My skill level has improved somewhat since the pandemic, so now I’m curious about exploring higher-end products without spending unnecessarily.
Current collection favors NYX, Revolution, Colourpop. Probably the fanciest thing I own is Urban Decay setting spray 😆 are there brands or preferably specific brands and products you’d recommend to someone wanting to level up from here without spending just on the name brand? Any budget products you particularly love? Basically, what do you think is really worth spending on and what is just as serviceable on the low to middle end of price?
Think about if there is a category that you feel good about splurging in and get drugstore for the rest. For me I like a high end lippie because I like to apply it all the time and feel luxurious product wise most are the same and you are just paying for packaging
I’m a girl who cannot turn down a palate. No, I do not use a ton of colors but I just love palates. I can’t help it. If loving palates is wrong I don’t want to be right.
Sephora used to do a spectacular holiday palate which was like every single sephora eye color and formulation, every single lip color and then some eye liners. All for around $50. The pans were small but allowed for such experimentation.
To me that would have been ideal. Sephora brand products are certainly not luxe but they are pretty decent IMO. However those jerks stopped making it.
They do still do a blockbuster holiday palate with eye and lip products. And I want to say it’s like 80 shadows and 20 lip colors and some brow stuff. Still a lot of options to create different looks for a reasonable price.
If they ever bring back that original holiday palate I’m totally buying it.
I prefer to spend on complexion products (mainly foundation and concealer; I don’t use a face primer as I think my skincare is sufficient-enough prep). I’m more apt to find shades that work for me from mid-range or higher-end brands than more affordable ones (I’m on the very pale side).
You can absolutely save on mascara; I personally wouldn’t spend much more than $20-25 USD on one.
Eyeshadow-wise, I am #TeamSingleEyeshadowPans versus buying pre-made palettes. Pre-made palettes can be good when you’re starting out since you’re still figuring out what you like. However, I think long-term it becomes more expensive, wasteful, and simply not worth it. (That said, I’m not averse to buying a trio or a quad if I think I’d get good use out of the shades.) With single eyeshadows, the expense is in the short-term (buying an empty palette to put your singles in + the eyeshadows themselves), but long-term cost is lower since you’d only be repurchasing one pan at a time, not to mention you (hopefully) have a selection of eyeshadows you know you love and will use. There are a number of brands that do single pans at varying price points – Sydney Grace, Devinah, Looxi, Colourpop (I think you can also depot any pre-made palettes of theirs pretty easily?), Terra Moons, Dandy Lions, Lethal Cosmetics, MAC, Make Up For Ever, Inglot, Glaminatrix, Clionadh, among others.
For cheek, lip, and brow products, I think you can go either way.
This depends largely on what you’re looking for. Spending more doesn’t automatically mean an enhanced experience or a better product, but I would recommend researching what you want and address issues you’re having to find products that are best for you. And you can describe to us what you want!
For example, say you want “nicer” eyeshadow - the problem with higher end brands is that all their eyeshadow is different. Do you want pigment? Do you want longevity? Do you want sparkles? Do you want something natural? Much easier to give recs this way!
That said, these are the brands worth it for me:
Eyeshadow: Huda Beauty. The tones work well for my skin, they’re easy to blend and buildable.
Blush: Hourglass. Every other blush looks like it is sitting on top of my dry skin, and I struggle with blushes making texture more obvious. Hourglass just looks natural and beautiful.
Affordable brands I love: Colourpop. Colourpop super shock shadows are as good or better than any “special” sparkly shade from a main stream brand. Do you want a specific palette because people are raving about a shimmer? Find the colourpop dupe. Do you want Space Cowboy? Buy Ritz from Colourpop.
I also personally think their new bff eye liners are a much cheaper and just as good alternative to UD’s liners.
I’ve only bought Colourpop eyeshadows for 3+ years now. They are incredible.
I like to find a drugstore product I really love and then google the high end version of it. Sort of a reverse dupe search. lol
Sometimes you find it isn’t worth the price.
Sometimes you find it is worth it.MAC is kinda like the upgraded version of NYX as a line. Maybe start there with makeup stuff. Everyone buys it too so you can usually find a lot of reviews online.
This is a very large ranging question and you’re going to get a wide variety of answers. Nobody can tell you what high end products are worth it to you personally. I’d start where you think there are gaps in your current arsenal that you’d like to fill.
To me personally, I have just as much success in the drugstore section with lip products, eyeliners, eyeshadow, and sometimes blush.
To me, my base is all high end and so is my fixing/setting. I have tried to find equivalent in drugstore because in general I spend too much on makeup anyways but can’t find anything comparable. I also spend on luxury skincare.
My favorite drugstore products:
NYX: -butter glosses: Amazing feel and pigment on the lips and they are CHEAP! HG for lipgloss.
- Lip Liners: smooth and creamy baby.
Maybelline:
- Sky High Mascara: love the thin brush and they have a true brown
- Lifter Gloss: also love the feel of these though the pigment is not quite as good as NYX
- Matte Ink Liquid Lip: literally my HG of lip products. The staying power is insane.
L’Oreal Paris: -Voluminous Million Lashes: great mascara, I love the waterproof version. I use Sky High now but this when I want WP.
Milani:
- Eyeshadow Primer: for me, literally works better than UD.
- Baked Blushes: the ONLY powder blushes I use. They are incredible.
Colourpop:
- Eyeshadow everything: I’m talking palettes, super shock singles, jelly singles. You cannot go wrong with colourpop shadows.
- various cream/powder highlighters: also love these.
Essence:
- Extreme Lasting Eye Pencil: also my HG of eyeliner. Stays put after smudging.
HIGH END “WORTH IT”s TO ME PERSONALLY:
Charlotte Tilburry:
- Setting Spray: this is a HG. My skin is amazing with this.
Hourglass:
- Veil Translucent Setting Powder: also HG. If I had to choose a single product that has changed my makeup for the better this would probably be it.
Armani:
- Luminous Silk Foundation: also HG. You hear about how amazing it is, it is. I have dry skin.
NARS:
- Concealer Pot: this is HG for spot concealing. It is so perfect for that. Not so much for under eyes.
- Tinted Moisturizer: I like the texture a lot.
Tarte:
- Shape Tape Extra Creamy: I use this currently for under eyes and I mostly like it (def better than any drugstore I’ve tried) but I’m looking for something even better.
Have so much fun! EDIT: can’t believe I forgot Colourpop. Added.