Long gone are the days where you recklessly spend your allowance in Ulta and still are able to eat food that isn’t Ramen or Easy Mac. Since we are all being forced into managing a monthly budget that includes overpriced coffee and increasing rent prices, it’s hard to imagine a world that includes the luxury of really nice makeup. But that is why we are here to tell you that there is a way to justify spending a good chunk of change on fancy makeup: It’s an investment.
1. A Naked Palette by Urban Decay
I bought the original Naked palette almost two years ago, shortly after it was released into the beauty world on a golden chariot. It changed my life and I am not being sarcastic or over dramatic. Instead of seeing makeup as a chore and a waste of time, I now have a lot of fun doing my daily eye shadow routine, as well as creating new looks for special occasions. I’ve hit pan on a few of the shadows, but most of them are intact and haven’t crumbled, broke or became powdery like some eye shadows do. In the span of two years, I now have ¾ of the Naked palette family: The original Naked, the Naked Basics and the Naked 3 Naked, Naked 2 and Naked 3 each consist of 12 shimmer and matte eye shadows that would cost around $18 a piece, if you were to buy them separately. This means you are getting $216 worth of eye shadow for $52. With the Naked Basics, you are getting five matte shades and one shimmer shade for $28, which ends up being a $108 value. I would go and test out all four of the palettes to see which one you like the best. All three of them work on a variety of skin tones, it really depends on which one fits your personal style.
2. High-End Foundation
People like my mother and myself are die-hard drugstore-brand foundation fans because foundation tends to go fast if you wear makeup often. It has always been a pricier item in the department store makeup section…or so I thought. I used to wear the Covergirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation until it was discontinued. I only needed a little bit of it to cover my entire face and it lasted me almost a whole year. I tried every goopy drugstore foundation, but the coverage was either too light or too thick. So, like any good makeup addict, I went to Sephora and asked what I should do. The girl sent me home with a bunch of samples to try out on my skin and told me to come back and buy my favorite one. I ended up switching to a different foundation a couple months later, but thanks to Sephora’s awesome return policy, it was an even exchange. Just like my Covergirl NatureLuxe, my new Benefit ‘Hello Flawless!’ [Note: I woke up like this.] Oxygen Wow Liquid Foundation is the one for me. It has buildable coverage, a sheer feel and SPF. Always test out foundation for a whole day before you commit to it. You need to see how it fairs through your everyday life efore it can move into your makeup bag – like a puppy, or a boy.
3. Liquid Eyeliner
Liquid eyeliner has the power to transform your entire makeup look with one swipe. It’s an art, since you have to know how to keep your hand steady, but it looks fantastic when you figure it out. A big problem that I find with liquid eyeliner is that it fades throughout the day and doesn’t always end up looking so hot. Brands like Stila and Kat Von D combat this with high pigmentation and a smooth finish. Applying your eyeliner just once a day saves you time, but also saves you money since you aren’t constantly replacing it. The $6.99 drugstore eyeliner seems like a good deal now, but if you have to buy it 5-6 times during a six-month period, it’s no longer a deal, it’s an expense.
4. Your Favorite Shade of Lipstick
Coco Chanel said it best: “The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you,” which means you should find your color and stick to it. Some look great with red lips, some with plum and some with light pink. Investing in your perfect shade of lipstick is like investing in a good handbag – it can go anywhere with you. You wear lipstick to job interviews, on the job, out for drinks after you’re done working, to brunch with your friends…you get my point. If you’re wearing something every day, it should last and you shouldn’t have to reapply it a million times or worry about it not being the right shade for you. Test-run different shades at your local beauty store. Ulta and Sephora consultants will help you free of charge so take advantage of this and ask for their honest opinion.
5. Quality Makeup Brushes
I’m not saying you need to go out and buy 300 MAC brushes. Those are really expensive and unless you’re a makeup artist or Kim Kardashian, you really have no use for them. Ulta carries a brand called Real Techniques, which was created by a beauty guru on YouTube, and it’s comparable to all of the fancy brushes you see backstage at fashion shows. Another brand, which is a little bit more up in price, is Sigma Beauty. Sigma is a YouTube beauty community favorite. Their brushes are about $12 a piece with sets starting at $69. With makeup brushes, the quality of the makeup you’re applying on doesn’t matter because the nice brushes make you look as if you’re wearing expensive makeup (even when you’re not). Start buying one or two brushes whenever you have some extra money and build a collection. They’ll last forever and you can fulfill your makeup artist dreams.