Minimalist Beauty: When to Save and When to Splurge?
To splurge or not to splurge - that is the question. Photo by Johanne Kristensen on Unsplash
It’s no secret that makeup isn’t cheap.
Even if you’re a beauty minimalist, costs can quickly add up, and the decision to spend more on one item over another is a tricky proposition if you don’t know what to consider.
Answers on when to save and when to splurge are as varied as the beauty industry itself; read on for my spending suggestions, written with the needs of diverse skin tones in mind.
Foundation
Splurge.
Your skin is like a painter’s canvas; perfect it, and your wildest makeup dreams will come true. Hence why foundation, a painter’s canvas in a bottle, is the most important piece in your makeup bag, a piece that should absolutely be splurged on.
When it comes to foundation, however, money is the least of your worries. Since the rise of Fenty Beauty in 2017, the beauty market has flooded with every finish, coverage, and shade you can think of, with matching skincare benefits to boot. And when compared to drugstore options, most mid-range and high-end foundation brands allow you to try before you buy, meaning you’re bound to find your foundation soulmate, a perfect match that will last you for years to come.
Concealer
Save. Sort of…
I’ve flip-flopped multiple times over concealer. Because on one hand, pricey concealers offer better shade matches. But on the other, concealer only lasts a few months, meaning repurchase costs add up fast.
When weighing concealer options, it’s best to base your spending decisions on your skin’s unique needs. Are you haunted by dark under-eyes, acne, or persistent hyperpigmentation? Alternatively, do you only need to hide occasional blemishes?
For example, as someone who deals with finicky skin (seriously, my skin is such a drama queen), I opt to save on concealer since I need to repurchase it frequently. The opposite might ring true for you.
Setting Powder
Splurge.
I’ve always believed powder is glamourous; both the product itself and the act associated with it remind me of ages gone by, when beauty was a bit more mysterious, when powder rooms and luxuriant vanity tables were commonplace.
Like foundation, powder technology has come a long way since its stark white beginnings; in addition to multiple shades, many upscale powders include moisturizing ingredients, ingredients that help the product blend seamlessly into the skin and blur texture. And when combined with a lengthy shelf life, pricey powders are a sound investment that’s bound to last for years.
Contour
Save.
I based this decision on Moon Emissary’s readership; chances are you’re not a fan of heavy contour, such as the kind sported by Instagram baddies.
Subtle contour, where you add definition back to your face after applying your foundation, is likely your goal, meaning contour products will be used sparingly in your collection. So go ahead, grab that budget contour and put the money you save towards something you’ll use every day instead.
Bronzer
Splurge.
Unlike other complexion products, bronzers have been slow to join the diversification train. Shades for deep skin tones are virtually impossible to find in drugstores, leaving melanated shoppers with no choice but to spend on mid to high-end brands.
On the plus side, however, splurging on bronzer means you’re guaranteed to acquire a well-formulated product with precisely the right undertone, one that never looks cakey or artificial.
Photo by Johanne Kristensen on Unsplash
Eyeshadow
Splurge.
The necessity of face masks and collective yearning for simplicity has affected eyeshadow trends in 2021; instead of complicated, multi-shadow looks that were popularized in the 2010s, one-and-done looks with neutral cream shadows now reign supreme.
To get that chic, glistening finish beauty tastemakers rave about, you must spend some coin, as department store brands almost always pack more pigment into their shadows, pigment that lasts and lasts, pigment that’s a must for beauty lovers of color.
Blush
Save.
Cream and powder-cream hybrid blush formulas are also having a big moment in 2021; luminous finishes are everywhere, as are melanin-friendly colors. Luckily, however, cream blushes tend to hover in the $15-25 range, meaning you can score makeup artist-quality products without breaking the bank.
Lipstick and Lip Gloss
Splurge on lipstick; save on lip gloss.
Ain’t nobody got time for boujee lip gloss, especially since glosses wear off after a few hours anyway.
Regarding lipstick, I find that no other makeup product is as aesthetically pleasing; well-designed packaging adds a decorative touch to your vanity, and a well-formulated bullet, obtained after dropping $25-40, hits all the sweet spots: creamy, blendable, long-lasting, vibrant, and comfortable color in a variety of finishes and shades.
Highlighter
Splurge.
Like eyeshadow, highlighter trends are moving away from blinding powders and towards subtle, lit-from-within cream and liquid formulations. And like bronzer, most drugstore highlighters are too frosty or metallic for melanated ladies; unless you’re fair-skinned, you might be forced to splurge.
Eyeliner
Save.
While nothing is worse than eyeliner that tugs, I believe there’s no need to spend more than $22 on it.
This is especially true for pot and liquid eyeliners, which need to be replaced after three to four months.
Mascara
Save.
Mascara has a notoriously short shelf-life; refrain from throwing money down the tube by sticking to the drugstore’s copious offerings.
Brushes and Other Accessories
Save.
I’m biased about brushes, as Target and Ulta have an abundance of affordable brush options.
My recommendation to save is also influenced by the popularity of cream products that blend well with your fingers. If you enjoy tactile makeup as much as I do, then budget brushes are more than enough.
Do you disagree with any of my recommendations? If so, which ones?
