Where to spend and save when it comes to make-up

By Hannah Hillyer
18th Feb 2019

It’s no secret that, with us all following so many fashion and beauty influencers, we shop more. When it comes to make-up, it can make us feel as though we all need to be using countless expensive products on our faces and that there’s always another palette to get. Like skincare, there are certain products that do not require a luxury price tag and we’re here to help you navigate where to spend vs where to splurge.

Where to Spend

Foundation: As an incredibly pale girl, I’ve always struggled to find cheaper foundation in the right shade for me, which means even at 16 I had to fork out a bit extra for the perfect one. This goes the whole way up the shade spectrum — for more choice, you need to go high end. Budget options have massively improved in finish and texture, but for the right colour, I will always spend that little bit more. Bobbi Brown do the best range of shades and finishes, and now Fenty Beauty have an amazing selection of darker colours that were previously impossible to find.

Concealer: Much like foundation, concealer is often worth spending that bit more. Not just for the shade options but also for the variety of different concealer needs. If you are colour correcting for dark circles under your eyes, you need the colours to be perfect. Bobbi Brown again are the best for this. Covering blemishes and redness? You’ll need something highly pigmented and long lasting. My personal favourite is the Nars Creamy Concealer which will cover anything.

Where to Save

Mascara: Of all the categories, this is the most personal. If you have straight, short, curly or long lashes, everyone wants a particular look. Some mascaras offer a curl, thicker lashes or lengthening so your favourite mascara is most likely not the same as your best friend’s. Finding that holy grail mascara can be a journey; one where you don’t want to buy lots of high-end ones for them to be left rejected at the bottom of your make-up bag, Try L’Oréal, Maybelline or No7, who all sell great mid-priced mascaras.

Lipstick: With so many different formulas on offer, it’s easy to get a texture you like without spending the earth. Bourjois do a great range of liquid lipsticks and you can’t go wrong with L’Oréal for a classic red, so it’s easy to pick up your perfect lippy in Boots. Despite the fact it’s easy to get a great lipstick for a bargain, for some of us (myself included), there is something about re-applying with a glamorous lipstick that cannot be beaten. Pricier options like Charlotte Tilbury have such fabulous packaging that it is hard to resist blowing your make-up budget here — sometimes, you just have to treat yourself.