I love my makeup collection (not that I'm not constantly adding to it and saying to myself, "oh, but I really need this"). I have a pretty good mix of high-end products, drugstore items, and even a few dollar store buys. The most important thing to know is that, when building your makeup collection, you simply cannot do it with only one of those categories.The average female spends about $600 each and every year on cosmetics -- and that’s not including skin care or hair care products, it’s strictly makeup. Disgusting, right? And I probably spend at least double that. So, it's a good idea to cut corners where you can.
When it comes to cosmetics, many people are surprised to find out that just because a lipstick or lip gloss costs more money, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a better quality product. For example, Lancome’s Juicy Tubes lip gloss costs just under $14 a tube. However, the same exact company makes Loreal’s Colour Juice which costs about half as much and people who have used both products swear that they’re the same.
Here's my basic list of where to buy the goods:
Department Stores
- Concealer and Foundation (if you need it)
- Blush
- Highly pigmented eye shadows
- makeup brushes
Drug Stores
- lip products
- most basic eye shadows
- mascara
- eyeliner (but go for a "high-end" drugstore brand like Physician's Formula. Cheapie brands won't blend well)
- translucent powder
- nail polish
Dollar Stores
-cutesy lip glosses
- nail files
Another good thing to look into is which department store brands own drugstore brands. The makeup world is a small one, and with most drugstore companies there is a large department store business running it. That almost guarantees good quality.