Skincare Essentials for your Beauty Kit and Makeup Bag

What are your Skincare Essentials? Should you splurge on that expensive eyeshadow or foundation or save your money? Is it really worth it? Purchasing new makeup & skincare products can often be at overwhelming. Due to the sheer number of choices we are faced with. Between the pretty packaging & plethora of pigments & shades, it is easy to get swept up in a cosmetic shopping spree.

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This begs the question; which products should we splurge on and when should we save our money, and snap up the product at a lower price? Luckily, not all of your makeup essentials need to come with a hefty price tag, and we break down which products are worth the splurge, and which ones you can afford to save on and pick up at your local Priceline or Chemist.

Where to splurge on Skincare Essentials: Makeup bag essentials worth the extra money

Get a Great Primer

What you use on your face as a base for your makeup can make all the difference to the appearance and longevity of your final look. A good primer can help to lessen the appearance of flaws and enlarged pores on your skin, as well as extending the wear of the rest of your makeup. Splurge on a good primer and save yourself the time of re-applying your makeup throughout the day or night.

Use a Great Foundation

When it comes to finding an even, natural looking foundation that will last throughout your day, it is often worth the extra money to get a product that will live up to its promises.

While you may find a decent foundation at your local chemist, the chances of finding the perfect formula and shade for your skin colour can often be a hit or miss. That is why it can often be worth the higher price tag to receive help from a skin care expert – ask our Dermal Clinicians about the mineral makeup ranges and cosmeceutical sun screens they carry. Some are even great at covering up the initial redness you might have after a deep facial peel or other procedure. If you’re not in Melbourne, you can even try a specialised makeup store such as Mecca.

Not only will a skin care & makeup professional be able to help you to colour-match the best foundation and give you advise on what types of foundations might work best for your particular skin type (or skin sensitivities), there are often more shade, coverage and finish options available for higher-end lines. This means you are more likely to find a shade that perfectly matches your skin tone.

And if you choose mineral makeup, it’s usually better for your skin – whereas cheap makeup might more readily clog pores or attract more bacteria to the face – resulting in more breakouts.

Spend on Eyeshadow

Your eyes are precious! So a good quality eye-shadow is typically worth the investment, especially for everyday, neutral tones that you are often to use on a regular basis.

If you want the colour you see in the makeup container to be what shows up on your lid, you have to be willing to spend a bit more on your eyeshadows.
Less expensive shadows can often be hard to deposit and blend evenly.
Pricier eyeshadows are often made from higher quality pigments which allows them to last longer, have a richer colour and blend out easier which is worth the extra cost.

Don’t want to spend upwards of $30 AUD on a quality eyeshadow palette?

Invest in a high-end eyeshadow primer which can help to keep even the least expensive eyeshadow in place for longer. Simply dab some primer on your eyelids and let the product dry before applying your eyeshadow.

Get a Great Bronzer – the GO TO makeup product

To avoid the dreaded blotchy, ‘orange’ look, it can often pay to spend a little more on your bronzer.

High-quality powder formulas are more finely milled, resulting in a smoother, blendable texture that lasts longer on the skin.
Spending a bit more on your bronzer is especially helpful for those who struggle with their makeup application as high-end bronzers will often distribute evenly and glide on with ease.
Some less expensive powders may use fillers like talc, so the colour you see in the makeup pan will not always be the colour that transfers to your face.

Powder products such as bronzer and blush can last for months, so investing in these products can often be worth it in the long run.

Where to Save on Skincare Essentials : Makeup bag essentials you can pick up for less

Powder/Setting Powder

For preventing shine and setting your face makeup, a basic, affordable pressed or loose translucent powder from your local chemist or Priceline can typically work in a pinch.

But mineral makeup powder is usually a better choice.
Often, its designed to stand alone but some types might be usable over liquid foundation (mineral makeup usually comes in liquid or powder formats).

Whatever powder you choose, be sure to choose a setting powder that doesn’t cause ‘flashback’ if you are planning on having your photo taken. This can cause the dreaded bright, reflective sheen under your eyes in your pictures.

Eyelash & Eyebrow Products

Most eyebrow powders, pencils, gels & pomades have very similar formulas, and with the growing popularity of ‘instagram-worthy’, shapely & filled-in eyebrows, there has been a rise in the variety of eyebrow products available amongst the more affordable makeup brands.

There is no need to spend up big on a powder or gel to help enhance the shape and/or fill in your eyebrows – a lot of people even use a brown-coloured eyeshadow or eye pencil to do the job.

For longer eyelashes, ask us about the fantastic product Ey-Envy – which lengthens your real lashes when used regularly over time.

Mascara

Many of the consistent best-selling mascaras are ‘drug store’ classics from brands like Maybelline & Covergirl. Not only are there many different types, brush shapes and colours to choose from, these more affordable mascaras often deliver full lashes just as well, if not better, than many of their luxury counterparts.

Even though there are many different formulas for mascara – some for darker lashes, fuller lashes or longer lashes – most do the same thing and there is not a bit difference between the higher-end brands and those that are more affordable.

In addition, mascara usually has a short lifespan once opened, usually around 3-4 months, so spending a lot of money on a new mascara can add up quickly if you choose a higher-end product.

Concealer (everyday)

There are a number of good quality ‘drug store’ concealers that are highly recommended by beauty gurus and bloggers, and do a similar, if not almost the same job as the higher end concealers on the market.

There are a variety of concealers you can pick up from your local chemist – from full coverage, to colour correcting & under-eye highlighting products. With so much choice, it is hard to justify spending upwards of $30 or $40 on a concealer.

Just don’t skimp on Concealers after a Treatment – you want HIGH QUALITY ingredients that your skin won’t react to and you want GOOD COVERAGE of any redness

If you need a good concealer after, say, a Fraxel laser treatment or whilst you’re still red after a deep chemical peel, you’ll want to ask our Coco Ruby team about the high-end, cosmeceutical grade concealers we offer.

Lycogel can even be used not long after a treatment (but DO check, as some of these laser treatments require you to be makeup-free for several weeks).

Lip Glosses & Lipstick

First off, let’s be honest, lip glosses rarely last too long, so why spend up big on them? Both Revlon and L’Oreal make a great basic lip gloss and often have a generous variety of colours.

When it comes to lipstick, the formulas of the higher-end brands can often be hard to beat, although you can easily find a great long-wearing lipstick in your local chemist. With the growing trend of big, plumped-up lips – many affordable brands have produced extensive lipstick ranges from a matte look to a subtle sheen or a rich, vibrant & shiny finish.

Your lip colour can make all the difference to your overall look, so if you are wanting to change up your style or add a bit of vibrancy to your makeup, you don’t have to spend up big to do so.

Makeup Remover wipes

Don’t get fooled into spending up big on makeup remover wipes – cheaper brands often get the job done just as well. After all, your wipes end up in the bin after a single use, and shouldn’t be used to take up your makeup off without the help of a cleanser.

For a quick freshen-up in the morning, or before applying makeup, makeup remover wipes can be extremely helpful, although that doesn’t mean you have to splash a lot of cash.

Affordable brands such as Simple, Neutrogena & L’Oreal are often crowd-pleasers and do the job just as well as more expensive brands.

Skincare Essentials Summary

There you have it – the Skincare Essentials – make up products you should splurge on and the ones you can save money on, without compromising your overall makeup look.

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Skincare Essentials for your Kit