Part of what came from loving YouTube was an obsession with all things beauty. Through watching many beauty videos and my own exploration with makeup, I've gotten a pretty good sense of what is worth shelling out the cash for and what you can definitely opt drugstore for. In order to put my hours of YouTube watching to good use and justify my countless beauty purchases, I'll break down what I've learned for you!
Foundation
Foundation is definitely a makeup item that I'd say to go ahead and spend the money on. Having a really great quality foundation will create a beautiful base for the rest of your makeup and in general, high-end products will most often have better ingredients. That being said, by no means is drugstore foundation a no-go. I have tried some really great drugstore foundations ( I'm currently testing one out) and if you don't want to spend $30+ on a foundation, going drugstore is a great alternative.
Eyeshadow
For eyeshadow, my consensus is right in the middle. Drugstore eyeshadow can at times be hit or miss as they can sometimes be chalky or lack pigment. But, I think if you are looking to try a color that you've never worn before, it's a great way to get your toes wet. Then, say you did love how bright blue shadow looks on you, you can always go back and find yourself a high-end version. But, if you are thinking of adding a palette to your collection, I'd say try to find yourself a high-end version especially if it's a neutrals palette. With a neutrals palette, you'll get a whole lot of use and for sure, get your money's worth.
Mascara
Mascara is a category that I think you should primarily shop drugstore for. The drugstore has some really great ones and they cost half of what you'd pay at Sephora or Ulta. Also, mascara is a product that has a shorter lifespan ( you want to switch it out, at least, every six months), so spending less on it is better for your pocket. But, if you occasionally want to feel bougie ( I know I do haha), go ahead and get yourself the high-end product.
Lipstick
For lipstick, I'd say the same that I said for mascara, going drugstore is fine. I've tried a whole slew of lip products and when I bought high-end, it didn't feel dramatically different than what I had tried at the drugstore. If you are a girl that typically sticks to one or two lipsticks, splurging on a couple high-end products won't be a bad investment. But if you're like me and you want to have every color under the sun, go drugstore. You could also have a happy medium and have your "core colors" ( think a good neutral color and a staple red) which you buy high-end and then your fun colors (the fuschia you reach for only on occasion) that you buy drugstore.
Blush/Bronzer
When it comes to blush and bronzer, I am all across the board. Like lipstick, I like to have a whole color range to choose from, so I have a fair amount of both. As with eyeshadow, you can risk getting some chalky or unpigmented products from the drugstore, but for the most part, this isn't a regular thing. Also, you definitely don't have to spend a fortune to get a pigmented blush. For example, I've bought some wet n wild blushes for about $3 and they were super pigmented and easy to blend.
Brushes
If you've read my previous makeup posts, you'll know that I am a fan of drugstore brushes, especially if you are just starting out. Opting for something less expensive doesn't mean that you'll be compromising quality. Most of my most reached for brushes have been ones that I've picked up for a good price, and they are just as great as some of my more expensive brushes.
Powder/Highlight/Primer
I've grouped these together because honestly, I haven't tried enough to opt for one end or the other. For face powder, I've only tried a few high-end ones because I was using a drugstore one that I really liked for the longest time. I haven't tried a whole bunch of highlighters because I tend to have oily skin, so I stayed away from them for the longest time. The most recent ones that I've tried have been drugstore though and they work pretty well for me. I do know that there are some really great high-end ones, though. I haven't tried that many primers, but I do know that most of what I tried at the drugstore did not work for me at all. But, I have seen that a couple drugstore brands have released new ones that have gotten pretty decent reviews, so going drugstore is not entirely a lost cause.
I hope this helps you as you are making decisions on what beauty items to spend your money on, but as I always say, how you want to build your makeup collection is entirely up to you. You are the artist and you get to choose your materials. I hope you guys are having a great start to your week. I am thinking up of some topics that I want to post on here. It's been a challenge trying to balance between pre-med and non-premed related content (sorry to my non-premed people), but I'll try to fix that. Have a great day and I'll talk to you soon!
~Genesis<3
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