Sometimes Drugstore Makeup Works Just as Well
1. Mascara
The most common overpriced mascara people buy is the Too-Faced “better than sex” mascara. Multiple Youtubers have reviewed this mascara and found that it did not live up to its expectations. I have tried this mascara myself, as well as MAC cosmetics mascara, both of which are over $20. Neither was worth the price in my books. They don’t do any better than the good drugstore mascaras which have always served me well.
My favorite drugstore mascara is Covergirl’s Lash Blast mascara, which is less than $7, less half the price of the expensive brands, and it works just as well, if not better. Pay for the quality of the product, not the brand.
2. Eyebrow Makeup
I never spend much money on what is basically just pigment for your eyebrow. I will never pay $40 for brow pomade when I can easily buy E.L.F.’s eyebrow kit for only $3. E.l.f.’s eyebrow kit has served me well since the beginning of my makeup journey. I have learned to apply makeup better over the years and what products work best, yet I have never found the need to change my eyebrow makeup because it works so well for such a small price. Don’t let the trend of having perfect eyebrows trick you into thinking you can only obtain the “snatched” eyebrow look by buying expensive products.
3. Translucent powder
Translucent powder or setting powder is a straightforward and simple product that most people didn’t even use until makeup gurus made it a trend. It doesn’t do much (as opposed to pigmented powder) besides set your makeup and prepare it for contouring and highlighting. There is not much to it, so if you find an expensive setting powder, then most likely the price is just getting marked up because it’s a name brand. Again, you want to pay for the quality you are getting, not the brand.
4. Everyday Foundation
I always keep two foundations, one that I use for special events where I want to look my best and the other one where I want to look presentable but not too worried about looking my absolute best. Times when you want to use your everyday foundation is when you go to class, when you’re casually hanging out with friends, or when you’re working a shift at McDonalds. You will use this foundation a lot more often, and it will do the job without breaking the bank. You can consistently buy it as often as you need without worrying about being able to afford it when you run out.
5. Blush
Blush is very similar to buying eyebrow makeup in that it’s just pigment. You want to go light on the blush, so you aren’t looking for anything that is super pigmented anyways. I have learned that with a good quality setting spray, your blush will stay intact no matter what.
You can either buy $3 blush from E.L.F. or $30 blush from NARS. If you compare them, they look almost exactly the same and, from experience, they have the same application. Don’t throw away your money just because a particular name looks prettier on the packaging.
