Save or Splurge? Beauty Products Edition

I love beauty products. I love the packaging and the smell. I love using different products...and I love the results! At one point in time, I had 6 bottles of shampoo, 3 body exfoliants, 2 conditioners, 1 deep conditioner, 2 bottles of body wash, 1 facial cleanser, 1 facial exfoliant, and a bar of soap in my shower....this is not including the products that I had stashed under my sink. This was about a little over a year ago....Now, I try to keep my products streamlined and effective.

I normally write about what I don't know or what I'm currently struggling with. I thought I would share a little knowledge with my readers about beauty products. More specifically, what type of products you should spend money on and what type of products you should skip or save your money on....

Hair Care

The best advice I have received is to wash your hair every other day. You use less product and your hair is healthier. Even if I work out, I still just rinse my hair (some times I use conditioner, but no shampoo).

hair cut--If you have an easy hair cut like me (long hair with long layers), I would recommend trying out a school. I have a student cut my hair, and I save about $50. I also try to go 3-4 months in between hair cuts.

hair color--Coloring your hair is expensive! I have gone back to my natural hair color and save about $200/session (every 4-6 weeks).

Shampoo and Conditioner--SAVE! Drug store shampoo bottles are great! There are so a lot of great products in the drug store. Try free samples (check out Wal-Mart) to find a product that works for your hair type.

styling products--This can go either way. I splurge for finishing products (like a silicon shine serum) and save on hold products (mousse, gel, hair spray, etc). I'm still working on replacing my Aveda finishing products with a cheaper product, but I haven't found anything that is equal in quality. Also, I don't use very much finishing product, so I spend about $20/bottle which lasts for about a year.

Styling Tools--SAVE! Check out Target! There is no reason to spend $100 on a straightening iron (I used to own a Chi)....especially when a $20 ceramic iron will work just as well. I really like Conair products.

Make-Up

Foundation & Concealer--SPEND! Go to a professional (Sephora and department stores offer free make-up consultations) to match your skin color. By having an exact match, you'll use less product because you can just touch up specific areas (under eyes, problem areas, etc) and not have to place the product over the entire face.

Mascara--SAVE! I'm a make-up junkie, and my favorite product is mascara. Therefore, I have used almost every mascara on the planet. Since you should change your mascara every 3 months to avoid eye infection and product clumping, I try to find mascara on sale. I receive a lot of compliments when I wear Avon volumizing mascara, which I bought about 5 tubes for $2.99/tube. The expensive products do have nicer packaging and better brushes, but some drugstore brands are catching up on the brush technology (try Maybelline).

Eye Shadow--Save! I actually stopped using eye shadow for every day make-up. If you're a die-hard eye shadow fan, try using a primer under a drug store eye shadow for the best results. The product will stay on and be more vibrant with the use of a primer.

Eye Liner--Save! I recommend using a higher end drugstore pencil. The really cheap pencils (like Wet'n Wild) are usually too hard and don't leave a nice line. Maybelline offers great pencils in a wide selection of colors.

Blush--Spend! I'm addicted to Nars blushes. Drug store blushes don't wear well, can change color with skin oils, and don't look as natural. I recommend a make-up consultation to pick out the perfect shade.

Bronzer--Save! There are a lot of great drug store bronzers. Look for something without glitter (shimmer is okay) and that is made to suit your skin tone.

Brushes--Spend! I recommend splurging on make-up brushes. If you treat them well you will have them forever. Good brushes are the key to great make-up. However, do not spend a lot of money on brand name items. Sephora has a line of brushes that are amazing, but much less expensive than a department store line of make-up.

Skin Care

In general, SAVE on skin care! If the results of a product sound too good to be true, then it probably is...
Cleanser--Since a cleanser spends such a small amount of time on your skin, don't spend too much on the product. Stick with a non-irritating cleanser like Olay Sensitive Skin foaming cleanser.

Day Moisturizer--Make sure it has SPF, but most drug store brands (Olay, Neutrogenta, Dove, etc) have great every day moisturizers.

Eye Cream--I think this is a necessary product. The eye area is very delicate. Neutrogena has great eye creams that are gentle and hydrating.

Night Cream--I would recommend doing a little bit more research into this type of product. Find something that fits your skin type, but don't spend too much. Some night creams carry a price tag of up to $400....I have used a few of these creams, and they're totally excessive (and mainly Shea butter).

Exfoliation--I think exfoliating a few times a week is extremely important (note: not every day). Try a gentle exfoliating cleanser from a drug store line. There are tons of options!

Masks--This is the only item that I still splurge on. I mask about once a week, but try to get it in twice a week. I mask after I exfoliate my skin. Finding a mask that works with your skin type is difficult, so if you find one that works stick with it. The reason I splurge on facial masks is because I use it infrequently (about 5-6 times a month) and it stays on my skin for a while (about 10 minutes). Also, masks are an important treatment tool. Using a mask has made a huge difference in the radiance and overall clarity of my skin.