Hello! I'm Vanessa.

Living in Steil

Beauty ·

Beauty on a Budget

Beauty on a Budget

 

Save: Foundation//Eye Shadow// Eye Liner// Mascara//Lipstick
Splurge: Foundation// Eye Shadow// Eye Liner// Mascara//Lipstick

I’m packing my bags again for a quick trip to Rhode Island for the rest of the week. As always, there will be plenty of content on the blog (and I’ll be active on Instagram and Snapchat (username: livinginsteil), too). If you have any suggestions on where to go and what to do while I’m there, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Which brings me to today’s post, as I pack up my makeup bag. I can’t go to Ulta without buying way more than I need. That happens to you, too, right? Do you ever wonder which products are worth splurging on, and where you can save a buck or two?

Here are my rules of thumb when it comes to spending money on beauty products:

Foundation (splurge): Since I have sensitive skin, I will splurge on foundation. Stila’s Stay All Day Liquid Foundation has been my go-to for years, as it doesn’t irritate my skin and provides full coverage all day. For more affordable options, I’ve had luck with L’Oreal’s True Match Foundation and Neutrogena’s Skin Clearing Makeup.

Bronzer (save): I’ve tried lots of bronzers over the years from Bobbi Brown to Neutrogena and never noticed much difference between the brands. I’m currently using one from Stila, but I plan on trying another brand during the summer months. Have any favorites you’d recommend?

Eye Shadow (both): With lots of great palettes on the market, it can be difficult to decide whether to save or splurge. I say, invest in one good palette that you can get a lot of use from. I used to save when it came to shadows, but then I bought Stila’s Eyes Are The Window palette and it has been a game changer. It has just the right combination of colors and comes with a handy chart featuring different ways to wear the shadows. Bobbi Brown and Urban Decay also offer great palette options.

Eye Liner (Save): There are tons of liners on the market from pencil, to liquid, and smudge sticks. Here’s a good place to save some money and just buy the drugstore brands.

Mascara (Save): I’ve posted reviews about mascaras before and for the money you can’t beat L’Oreal’s line. This is a category that is a definite save for me.

Lipstick (both): Maybelline’s Color Sensational line has been one of my favorite lipsticks for years. The pigments are bold and rich, and for under $10 you won’t feel guilty buying more than one. Of course, every season I like to indulge in one really nice lipstick from NARS.

Flat Iron (splurge): This may not be applicable to everyone, but flat ironing my hair is a huge part of my daily routine. When I started flat ironing my hair in high school I used Hot Tools. For a number of years their flat iron was the only one that worked on my hair. The price was reasonable, but unfortunately my preferred model got phased out and then became impossible to get. I tried one from BaByliss, and while it was infinitely more expensive, it also worked better while being less damaging on my hair. If you flat iron your hair often, you may want to consider making the investment in good tools.

What items do you save or splurge on?

Get on the List

You’ll Also Love

What I’ve Purchased Lately
My Makeup Look for Halloween 2019
Sephora Beauty Insider SaleMy Sephora Beauty Insider Picks

Comments

  1. I tried Stila eyeliner and was disappointed. I looked like I had circles around my eyes. Will Ulta take it back without the receipt? I would not use it again. I don’t want to go out and look like this again! I tried Ulta’s gel liner. It stays on neat and I don’t have to worry if I look like I have circles and bags around my eyes! Not flattering! Also the price was so much better.

    Reply

    • I’m sorry to hear about your experience with the liner from Stila, Sue! I’ve used their liquid liner before and didn’t have a problem with it. I’m currently using Stila’s Smudge Stick in Lionfish, and love the coppery brown shade. Glad you found a liner that works for you. I’m not sure if Ulta would take the product back without a receipt, but you can try. Good luck!

      Reply

  4. This post makes sense and is very practical, Vanessa! I agree with your splurges and saves, too. I definitely splurge on foundation because I, too, have sensitive skin and many of the drugstore foundations tend to break me out, even the primers. I tried Revlon’s face primer and it broke me out pretty bad. I also like to save and splurge on eyeshadows because I’ve personally noticed that as long as I have a really good eye primer, most of the times, a drug store shadow will last long and show through. Thanks so much for sharing, girlie, and I hope you enjoy your trip! I’ve never been to Rhode Island before. For some reason, I know this may sound weird, but every time I here RI, I think of Miss Congenitally and the RI contestant, haha! Have a wonderful day!

    XO,

    Jalisa
    http://www.thestylecontour.com

    Reply

    • Thanks, Jalisa! You’re probably tired of hearing me say that almost everything in my makeup bag is from Stila. But I’ve found their products to be amazing and they don’t irritate my skin. To me, that’s worth the money. I’m glad you enjoyed the post, and I hope your week is going well!

      Reply

  15. Totally agree on saving on mascara! You can get so many pretty colors at the drug store. I’d much rather have 5 Mayballine colors, compared to 1 MAC color. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Become an Insider

Join our mailing list for exclusive content!

hey there!

I’m Vanessa E. Steil, a board-certified patient advocate, equestrian, and the blogger behind Living in Steil (pronounced ‘style’). Thanks so much for stopping by!

Latest on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 Living in Steil · Theme by 17th Avenue