What items do you splurge on? What do you save on?

[courters]

I splurge on all my makeup: e/s, lip stuff, mascara, blush, concealer, and powder. I also splurge on perfume, but I don't buy it that often.

I save on all my hair stuff and cleansers (face and body) and I get my OPI nailpolish at an online discount store, so it's not much more than drugstore stuff.

 

[shortcake]

Splurge: Face cleanser, moisterizer, foundation, concealer (Cle De Peau), Shampoo, Conditioner, Perfume...

Save: Razors, Shave Gel, Body Lotion, Lip Balm (Rosebud Salve)

 

[chocolategoddes]

I splurge on foundation, concealer, and anything for my FACE!
i prefer using high end brands as well but I don't work and I have to rely on birthday money and my allowance so I usually go for drugstore eyeshadows, blushes, and lipglosses as long as the pigment is good!

 

[girlsaidwhat]

I splurge on MAC and other high end beauty products, skin care products and hair care products.

I scrimp on clothes. I /love/ thrift stores and always find amazing things. I found a brand new guess shirt that I love for $4 the other day. (I probably could have gone to the mall and bought it for $50...but why??) Oooh, and a brand new skirt from Cache that was originally $100 and I got it for $2. I generally find a lot of better clothing at thrift stores. I only care that I look great, not where the clothes were bought, and I love saving money in that way...so I have more left over to spend on MAC!!

 

[Caramel_QT]

I will splurge on Foundation, Eyeshadow, and blush and some hair stuff.

I will save on bath and body products, mascara, bronzer, hand cream. I recently decided that I'm going to start saving on lipstick and gloss because I've had HUGE success with Avon rich moisture lipsticks and their glazwears and Rimmels moisture lipsticks and their lipglosses. Any MAC lipsticks from now on will be B2M and any lipglass I have to reeeeally want it.

Good idea for a post.

 

[Divinity]

I learned the hard way it's a good idea to splurge on my face. Damn acne

I am a MAC only girl with make-up and try to splurge on limited collections I LOVE. I find Sonya Dakar's acne line with a little proactiv usage for that "time of month" to be most effective.

I can use whatever on my hair and body, so I guess I save there. I also try to save at the grocery too.

Clothing is a splurge because I make every piece last until it pills and falls apart! Shoes - it depends, but if it's Irregular Choice it's a splurge!

See where my priorities lie? Horrible...

 

[prettygirl]

I splurge on:
1. MAC eyeshadow.. because it's better quality than any other eyeshadow I've come across
2. MUFE eyeliner, UD eyeliner, or MAC fluidline.. because the drug store eyeliners smudge wayy to much (the regular MAC liners also smudge!)
3. MAC makeup brushes.. I never knew how good quality brushes could make a difference, until I actually tried it out. It feels like a dream sweeping across my face

.
4. Blushes and Bronzers.. because.. I like them

.. hehe never tried the drug store brands.

I save on:
1. Well I slowly but surely figured that MAC, Chanel, and other high end mascaras SUCK. So I'm going to try out my Maybelline mascaras again!

Hehe but right now I'm saving on EVERYTHING.. and I'm not buying anymore makeup until I get a job!

 

[MsCocoa]

I splurge on most items except lipglosses- I like both high end and inexpensive ones, I strictly use OPI Nail Polish with a few exceptions if I need a seasonal colour. I save money on treatments by waxing at home and doing alot of home manicures and pedicures.

 

[Melly44]

I splurge on almost everything...

I Only use Mac Make up because ive noticed the difference big time.. and i don't break out as much any more..
I use drug store cleaners and toners though..
I go to salons mostly to dye my hair i some times do it myself though.. depending

... Nail polish's i really don't splurge on i just use what ever.. i have cheapo's and some opi.. depending..
Mascara's like most of you i won't splurge on because high end mascara's don't do anything for me.. they work the same as my cover girl voulme exact i use
Perfume's... i splurge i can't stand cheap smelling perfume's..yuck!

 

[*KT*]

I would be splurging a lot more if it weren't for some 'perks'.

I have a friend who's a beautician, so what would be a splurge on hair & nailcare items, is usually drastically reduced by going with her to Maly's or Industry Source.

The company I work for has a skincare department, so what could be a serious splurge is reduced by 40% on Jane Iredale foundations, makeup brushes, PomMist finishing spray, creme-to-powder eyeliner and a couple blushes. In a few years, I think I'll appreciate it even more when I start getting into the serious skincare stuff like Skinceuticals & SkinMedica (TNS). We've also got some spray-foundation. Going to check that out at our next employee-event. =)

Cleansers & lotions: I keep the Boot's 4-in-one towelettes around for lazy nights and use the Olay daily facial towels most other nights. I usually stock up on the latter when I can get 120 of them for about $10 at Costco. I buy shower gels & body lotions from Bath & Body works when they run their sales. I've got major backstock of this stuff in a drawer, DH thinks I'm crazy. A big bottle of Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer lasts me a long time. About the time I see a really good GWP is about the time I'm ready for another bottle!

My splurges are mostly limited to eyeshadow (mostly MAC) and pigments, mascara (BadGal), NARS blushes, MAC beauty powders, primer (UDPP), lipgloss from BE, and some Laura Geller baked products. My Sephora & MAC wish-lists are pretty horrific.

 

[nibjet]

Mascara, I'm using Loreal Voluminous now. And facewash.. I have equate and aveeno, and I use almay eye makeup remover.

I do hair, so I get my hair products/nail polish etc at a discount, so I don't really splurge on those things even though I do purchase high end products.

 

[darkishstar]

What I save on:
-Mascara
-Shampoo (I don't even use conditioner O_O, I don't have to..)
-Facial Wash
-Body Lotion
-Body Wash (It's Victoria's Secret, but cheap as hell, and probably not good for my skin)
-Lipglosses (I have a ton of Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush glosses, 3 for $15!!!!)
-Nailpolish
-Shaving Gel
-Deodorant

Splurge: (Most everything is MAC)
-Foundation
-Eyeshadow Primer (UDPP)
-Eyeshadows
-Lipsticks
-Lipglosses (the rest are MAC)
-Facial Moisturizer
-Eyeliner
-Lipliner
-Fragrance

 

[liv]

Save:
Max Factor Lash Perfection
Revlon Colorstay e/l
PF Mineral Wear fdtn
OPI/Revlon/Sally Hansen nailpolishes
Brushes (Essence of Beauty brushes are really awesome)
Neutrogena sunscreen (although I may switch to Shiseido)
Cetaphil cream moisturizer
Aquaphor
Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil
Lip balm (Dr Pepper Lipsmacker Burt's Bees)

Splurge:
Pretty much all of my other makeup (e/s, blush, face stuff)
MAC #187 (Yep, this expensive but worth it little bastard gets its own line because of it's steep pricetag)
Shower gels (usually Philosophy or BBW; sometimes get these cheap if I'm on a tighter budget when I run out)
Shampoos/conditioner (right now I'm using Aveda Brilliant, although sometimes I do get these on the cheap because my hair is undyed and I rarely blowdry/straighten so I can get away with it)
Body lotions - almost all BBW
Face care - mostly Philosophy, still looking for the perfect skin care regimen
Perfume - I am OBSESSED with things that smell good. And I can never have enough, even if I've just bought one that I haven't even used yet.

 

[SnowWhiteQueen]

I pretty much splurge on everything....though I have recently switched to some body shop skincare since I find it worked very well for me, and significantly cheaper than what I was using before.
I save on eye makeup remover (I still think Rimmel's is the best one I have ever used) though. I find that generally you pay for the quality of the products. Even drugstore brands these days are charging 20 dollars for a foundation, so why wouldnt you spend a little bit more and get a foundation that is absolutely amazing?

 

[kitanaX]

After skimming most of the posts - I've noticed a lot of people don't splurge on mascaras... I on the other hand, splurge quite a bit on them. Why? Because I wasn't born with naturally long and curly eyelashes and instead i am born with stubby and short ones so a good mascara for me is worth every penny. Lancome does make the best mascaras tho hands down. I've tried and bought pretty much everysingle type they make and I find that Hypnoses is the best for short stubby asian eyelashes.

I find that drug store brand eyeliners work just as well as department stores. I go back and forth with blush but I stay high end with eyeshadows (because of the pigment count and how easily it can be applied versus the cheap stuff) except for HiP because they make some decent stuff. If I want a matt color eyeshadow, I can do drugstores. but if I want an eyeshadow with lots of shimmer, drugstore brands tend to suffer in quality.

I use to be a die-hard lancome foundation/powder girl - until I met mineral make up. I tried all sorts of brands, but buttom line, nothing beats Loreal's mineral foundation - 10grams for 7 bux (after bogof at ulta or walgreens). quality is good enough and I dont use it alone. I blend with the MAC loose powder (077 with shimmer). however, for skincare, I stick to Lancome as well for night and day... eventhough I am only 22, I believe in prevenative wrinkle cream as well as a good day lotio with lots of sunscreen power. As for facewash, St.Ive's face scrubs are a bargain for under 3 bux.

For hair i use drugstore brands because it does make my hair just as soft if not softer than salon brands. I've used the expensive stuff before and find them to be well, just expensive and not worth the 20bux a bottle. As for body, Bath and Body Shop's $5 showergel and aromatherapy lotions, is as fancy as it gets.

 

[Dark_Phoenix]

I splurge on face makeup (powder, blush, foundation, luminizer, etc..). It's usually because I have an extremely difficult time finding things that go with my skin the way I like. My favorite blushes are Shiseido Innocent Rose, Nars Orgasm, and MAC Pearl Blossom b/p. Favorite foundation is Shiseido Stick Foundation.

I don't spend alot on make-up remover because I find Pond's wipes and Lumene eye-makeup remover work just as well as the counter brands.

 

[MAC_Whore]

I have gotten to the point where I pretty much splurge on it all, makeup, hair, nails, etc., but I also put it in perspective. DH and I have worked really hard to get where we are right now, so we enjoy the perks, but do so sensibly. We pay the bills, invest, improve upon the house and save, then have some fun.

That being said, I also don't shut myself off to any options. If I see a cool drugstore item, I'll pick it up. Beauty and fashion are wherever you choose to find them.

If I had to choose, I would splurge on:

• Hair care: Stylist and products
• Makeup: Foundation, mascara, eyeliners and tools (brushes and lash curlers)
• Skin care

I would skimp on:

• Makeup: Shadows (L'Oreal HIP are pretty good), blush and lip products.
  Nail Products

 

[tinadudum]

splurge on mac every three months, will spend hundreds as I accumilate a list. feels so good to wait and get a huge bag filled with goodies!!!
as I gete older, i feel I shy away from drugstore products...
Sephora is my other best friend... get most of the cleansers, serums, eye makeup removers foundation, etc...
will get mascara at drugstore sometimes, and regret almost any other purchase...

 

[cloudburst]

I typically splurge on skincare (moisturizer, serum, eyecream - Lancome, Clinique), and face makeup (concealer, powder - MAC, Dior). With colour makeup, I go either way - basically I just buy what looks good! I buy drugstore & high end eyeshadows, blushes, pencils (MAC, NARS, Dior, Stila, L'oreal, Anabelle)...but I always, always buy cheap mascara! (Maybelline)

Nail polish wise, I splurge on topcoat (Seche Vite), and mainly buy OPI, but also like Sally Hansen.

For makeup brushes, I really believe you usually get what you pay for - so I splurge on MAC & Shu Uemura. However, I did once get a great brush from L'oreal!

 

[macface]

I dont mind spending big bucks on Foundations,eyeshadows,primers,concealor everything else I would buy drugstore loreal only.