By Alison • 16 Comments
When you're building your makeup collection or thinking of investing in some more products, it's difficult to know just how much you should spend and what you should buy. Then once you've bought it, you're not sure how much makeup you should apply! So before you buy any product, here's some questions you should ask yourself ...
If you're young, you only really need minimal makeup. Make the most of your youthful freshness and glow, while you've got it. So don't invest in a huge range of products that you don't need or won't use. Stick to a simple makeup routine and look after your skin (protecting it from the sun is one of the best things you can do).
Do you have any skin problems that you need to cover up? If you have problems like acne, dark circles or enlarged pores then that will dictate the kind of products you need to buy. If your skin is good enough not to need concealing, then you'll need a lighter foundation than someone who wants to hide uneven patches.
When do you usually wear makeup? If you only ever wear it on special occasions and when you go out at night, you should focus on stronger colors. If you wear both day and night makeup, you'll need a range of colors and products, or versatile products that you can use for both day and night looks.
Also consider the image you need to project; makeup can be an important part of that image. If you work in a very formal environment, makeup should be professional and subtle, whereas someone in a hip start-up will want a more trendy look. You can experiment more on your free time, but since you spend more time at work you should focus on those products.
Experimenting with makeup may be fun, but it's also expensive if you don't like the results of your experiments and don't finish up the products. So ask yourself what do you actually need? What are you really going to use? If you focus your budget on the essential products that you're definitely going to use, you'll save both cash and space.
The size of your budget will also dictate what makeup you should buy. If you're on a limited budget, the one product you should probably spend more on is foundation; everything else can come from budget ranges. You should also only buy the products you'll really use. If you have more spare cash you can afford to experiment more.
Going overboard with buying high-end makeup items might leave you with a pile of products gathering dust. Prioritize your essentials – perhaps a good concealer, mascara, and a lip product that makes you feel fabulous. Drugstore brands have upped their game, offering quality options at a fraction of the cost. Remember, a savvy shopper knows when to splurge and when to save. And when the budget allows, splurging on a luxurious lipstick or a splendid eyeshadow palette can be your beauty treat. It’s all about balancing indulgences with practicality.
Finally, when applying your makeup be careful to make it suitable for the occasion. It wouldn't be appropriate to wear heavy makeup at a funeral! You also need to make it last until you have time to touch it up; you don't want your mascara to run or your lipstick to smear while you're dealing with clients.
While it's fun to try out different makeup, it can also be expensive, so it pays to buy the makeup you're going to use. Bear in mind also that makeup has a limited life once opened, so you can't keep it forever. If you could only afford three products, what would you buy?