buy expensive makeup

I’d worn Lancome for years, but when the counter girl was MIA I decided to let the Yves Saint Laurent rep fix up my face. I purchased the foundation, powder (the design of which I still love and adore), mascara, and something else but I can’t remember what.

Long story short, this shite made my face break out and my beautiful, thick, long eyelashes all fell out. It’s been nearly three years and my eyelashes are just now getting back to looking somewhat normal.

In November I bought makeup from the Body Shop. Not too expensive, Not Tested on Animals (same can’t be said for YSL), and it didn’t fuck up my face (or eyelashes).

I’m not a makeup snob at all, but I do have a mixed collection of drugstore and high end makeup. Lancome, MAC, NARS and Stila are my favorites. Sometimes it’s worth it to pay more (like for foundation), but drugstore brands can do the job just as well. You just have to experiment.

I really got into makeup when I started visiting sites like makeupalley.com. It’s not everybody’s thing, but they have a great swapping community where you can try out expensive items for a fraction of the cost.

I have very sensitive skin so I’ve found that some of the more expensive make up and skin care products are good.

I think that facial wash, and moisturizers are worth paying more for than generic espeically products that are made for sensitive skin.

Professional quality makeup has more pigment than the drugstore stuff does. Eye makeup, in particular. (This is something I heard from a friend who took a college class in makeup for movies.)

I think I overpaid for Chanel nail polish and I prefer OPI, but Smashbox is a good value for makeup.

I have to admit that I was spoiled when I was young. I was taught by my dad to enjoy the finer things in life…you can’t take it with you; Conversely, I was taught by my mom the importance of saving money, and that more expensive doesn’t always mean better – I agree with her on that point with some [inconsequential] things, like aspirin, but not on many other things, like MAKEUP (some things really are worth the extra money – within reason). As a result of both of these influences, I like to buy expensive things inexpensively – I love eBay, but I digress (sort of).

When I first began wearing makeup I was fortunate enough to have a fairly sizable allowance from my dad a close friend working at the local Chanel makeup counter, so I was able to purchase Chanel makeup at a reduced rate (I certainly can’t say cheaply). I loved Chanel so much (ah, youth) that I had the symbol tattooed on my back (still have the tattoo). A few years later when I had to rely on my own income (and be out on my own, paying rent), I discovered MAC – I like dramtic colors, but there are other lines with different color palettes that are what I would consider quality makeup that is expensive (compared to the type that you buy from the drug store), but won’t completely break the bank (in moderation). I happen to think that my MAC winds up being not much more expensive than (and possibly even equal in cost to) my mother’s Maybelline (if one adjusts for inflation) because she had to reapply her inexpensive makeup several times a day whereas I generally don’t have to reapply anything, even lipstick, except for maybe once in a day. I know that my makeup lasts longer than hers did so I wind up purchasing less. Truly, I find value in spending a bit more for just about any product (facial cleansers, moisturizers, etc) that I use on my face.