Save Splash or Splurge: The Makeup Edition. Read all you need to know.

I think we can all agree that designer & international brands manufacture unbelievable skincare & makeup. Sadly the price tags on many of these fabulous brands do not allow us regular gals to kit ourselves out exclusively with designer makeup beauty items.

Naturally, some beauty & other products have higher price tags than others for a reason. In Afrikaans there is a saying: Goedkoop koop is duur koop. Very roughly translated it means that if you buy a cheap item of inferior quality now, you will have to replace it or pay the price (in monetary value or in some other way) later. This is obviously true for things like running shoes, mattresses & labour.

To Save, Splash or Splurge?

When I recently got some questions about which makeup & skincare to use from my friends, I erred on the side of saying that they should consider the price. Why? Well because we all (especially moms) have to adhere to a budget, so splashing out or splurging on make-up each month is simply not realistic.

I have my own opinions about which makeup items you should splash out on or save on, but I also decided to check in with a professional makeup artist & beauty pro, Shahnaz of the lovely Shahnaz Loves Beauty Blog for her suggestions. Here is what we think:

Base / Foundation

Me: I would say splash purely because I am absolutely in love with my Chanel Foundation. It gives light coverage & makes me look & feel great.

Shahnaz: I say you can have a drugstore for every use like Bourjois, Body Shop, Revlon & then a medium to expensive for going out or special events like Bobbi Brown, Chanel, Elizabeth Arden, Smashbox, Estée Lauder… the list goes on.

Eye-shadow

Me: If you love to play around with colour, then I really think that little affordable winners (like Essence & Catrice) are the way to go.

Shahnaz: I love NYX palettes they are good value & great shades & texture. They blend beautifully too. Also brands like Morphe that are available in SA. You can get 35 shades for R650; amazing shades & quality & you don’t have to break the bank.

Mascara

Me: There are some good budget items out there like Avon or Essence, but my first choice remains Lancôme or Chanel.

Shahnaz: I love drugstore mascara’s Maybelline is one of my go to’s. However there are some more expensive brands that rock when it comes to mascara like Mac, Lancôme & Dior.

Eyeliner (liquid or pencil)

Me: I am a bit of a creature of habit when it comes to eyeliner because I’ve probably been using the Rimmel Liquid Liner & pencil for 15 years.

Shahnaz: I’ve never been a fan of liquid liner. It’s too messy. But I absolutely love gel liner for the feline flick/graphic eye. Mac black track is my go to & now recently Chanel. Eyeliner pencils are also amazing & the easiest to apply to create a line or a smokey eye.

Lipstick / Gloss

Me: I have a beautiful lipstick that I got as a sample with a magazine. It is a no-name brand (or rather branded by the mag). The packaging & colour is great, but it smudges & doesn’t stay on. My point? Sticking with a middle-of-the-road lipstick or gloss is good. However, if your budget allows then I would say that a Mac or Bobbi Brown lipsticks are really worth the splurge. It won’t dry out your lips & will stay on.

Shahnaz: I am definitely a lipstick kind of girl with a Matt finish because it looks modern & lasts a lot longer brands like Mac, L’Oreal, Gosh. Lipgloss does look pretty but it just doesn’t stay on great for photo shoots. For all-day wear its one you just have to keep applying. If you going for a matt lipstick make sure you apply lip balm first to keep lips hydrated.

Nail colours

Ok, technically nail colors are not make-up, but we’re throwing it in for fun.

Me: My opinion is that you can save so much here & that you should really give the budget brands a try. Some great ones are Rimmel, LA Girl & Mavala. Revlon nail colours have also never disappointed.

Shahnaz: I agree that the drugstore brands are really pretty impressive. I love Rimmel & Revlon. Although I am partial to Chanel because the quality is great but it is super expensive.

To summarise, here is what you need to consider for yourself:

Is it a wow occasion (wedding, matric dance)? Aka, are you going to remember how you look & felt for the rest of your life? And will it be captured on pictures?

Do you like to play around with looks? Fashion colours are probably not worth spending a fortune on.

Do you enjoy wearing make-up every day or will you only wear a mascara one every six months?

What does your budget allow? With skincare products, I would say you should buy the product/range that you can afford to use long-term. The various products in a range are also developed to work well together, so ideally you should use all the products from one range for optimal results. Whereas with make-up, you can mix it up a bit more!

It is clear that there is not one correct answer, but Shahnaz wraps it up nicely: “The key to drugstore makeup is finding the right texture & making sure you have a good skincare routine too.” So, consider how you want to divide your budget: a good moisturiser & sunscreen in a non-negotiable. Do you then still have cash to spend on hair/nails/makeup or other treatments too? I guess it is all about your own preferences & how they fit into your budget.

a zesty life

Save, Splash or Splurge? The Make-Up Edition.