This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.

Sephora has taken over the world. This leading chain of cosmetics has possessed the minds of thousands of women… and their instagram feeds. If you walk into Yonge-Dundas Square, you will find large billboards plastered with those famous black and white stripes.

The upside of Sephora: walk in bright eyed, eager to try out all the new products you’ve never heard of and hoping to treat yo’ self to your favourite Kat Von D liquid lipstick (we all know its Lolita II).

The downside of Sephora: walking out smelling like a floral shop, with swatches up to your armits and zero dollars in your bank account.

There was a time when my naïve self would walk into Sephora hoping to save some cash and only buy what I “needed.” What ended up happening, you ask? I spent a whopping $300. It’s a beautiful yet very unhealthy relationship. I eventually came to the difficult realization that I kept spending money on products that really weren’t worth the price.

After your first weeks of university and having to buy $500 worth of textbooks, your bank account might be suffering a tad bit. But fear not, we at Her Campus are here to help you allocate your funds between products that are totally worth splurging on and products that aren’t worth your hard earned money. Here are five trendy beauty products that you should or shouldn’t spend your money on:

1. Origins’ Clear Improvement™ Charcoal Mask – Skin Care

Skin care is one of those things students overlook because we aren’t worried about wrinkles and fine lines. However, if this is your first year in university, you will soon realize that with the pressure of midterms and finals, stress will start to appear on your skin. As much as you want to overlook the bags under your eyes by replacing them with a brand new concealer, skin care products are a better investment. You can constantly buy makeup, but you cannot buy new skin and if you don’t start taking care of it now. I have yet to find a drugstore skin care brand that I like. If you want to splurge and treat yourself, then I whole-heartedly suggest investing in skin care products that works for your skin type. My favourite skin care brand is Origins. When I spend late nights studying at the library and eating nothing but junk food, my skin either breakouts or my pores double their size. With my Origins charcoal mask, my skin goes back to life and feels as smooth as a baby’s butt. The mask retails for $32.00 at Sephora.

2. Beauty Blenders

When I was transitioning into my adolescence and knew absolutely nothing about makeup, my fingers were my tools. Now you can use an actual sponge to apply makeup. I used to use sponges to clean dishes, but I can apparently now use them to apply foundation on my face. The most popular sponge on the market right now is the Beauty Blender.

Positives: it works like a charm, and I truly mean that. I’ve tried so many (too many) makeup sponges, but I always seem to gravitate toward the Beauty Blender because it makes my skin look smooth and seamless.

Negatives: it retails for $26.00. That doesn’t seem like a large number, but for a sponge that is smaller than your palm, this number seems a bit ridiculous.

I believe that the Beauty Blender is worth splurging on. However, if you’re trying to save, Real Techniques carries a sponge that works just as great as the Beauty Blender. The miracle complexion sponge retails for $9.99 at Walmart.

3. Becca Cosmetics – Highlighter

If you absolutely need to splurge on any beauty item, I would suggest the Becca highlighters. They are so close to perfection it hurts. Whenever I’m wearing their opal highlighter my face beams brighter than the sun and I get so many compliments along the lines of “Girl, that highlight doe.” I have yet to find a drugstore highlighter that I love as much as this one for two reasons: they aren’t as pigmented and end up looking sparkly. Brace yourself ladies, the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector retails at $46.00, but this luxury high end item is definitely worth the splurge.

4. Kylie Cosmetics – Liquid Lipsticks

The hype is so real when it comes to Kylie Jenner. Everything from her lips to her hips to her weirdly addictive Snapchat account has everyone talking. Kudos to the young nineteen year old for creating a beauty empire that is slowly but surely taking over the beauty world, starting with her liquid lipsticks. Sadly for us Canadians, with shipping and tax, one kit ends up retailing around $45. But the price doesn’t bother me, since I’m paying $22.50 for each product (the liquid lipstick and the liner); getting the product before it sells out is the bothersome part. Instead, try more affordable brands such as NYX Cosmetics’ liquid lipsticks that retail for $9 or ColourPop Cosmetics that retail their liquid lips for $6.00 (plus $10.00 shipping).

5. Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

You definitely don’t want all that time spent beating your face to perfection to drip off by the end of the night. So many people (including myself) swear by setting sprays, especially the Urban Decay setting spray. Retailing for about $38.00, the L’Oréal Paris Infallible Setting Spray works exactly the same and gives a similar matifying finish, retailing for only $14.96.