Splurge or Steal?

Now that Christmas is over and New Year’s has come and gone, if you’re like me, one of your New Years Resolutions is to try new products. That may seem silly, I mean, a resolution to try new products? But personally, I love being able to play around with makeup and figure out what products work and what don’t. Not only does it allow me to write reviews, but it allows me to possibly find staple items to add to my cosmetic collection. I’m sure you have seen “splurge or steal”posts on various beauty blogs, and I decided to do a version of my own. So keep reading if you want to see my list of splurges and steals (high end/drug store products) that I think you should try out this year!

FACE
Splurge: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - I raved about this product here and probably won’t stop raving about it. This gives the perfect dewy finish  without making my skin look oily. It can be used for light, medium or full coverage just depending on how you apply it.
Steal: Covergirl Natureluxe Silk Foundation - This foundation gives a great natural finish and has a mousse like consistency, easy for blending. Definitely the best drug store foundation I have ever tried.

MASCARA
Splurge: Benefit Cosmetics “They’re Real!” Mascara - This mascara does everything it says it will. It “lengthens, curls, volumizes, lifts and separates lashes”. The great thing about this product is that it doesn’t clump or smudge, it makes your lashes look naturally amazing.
Steal: Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - This mascara has been around for a while, and is always going to be a staple in my collection. I have obviously tried other mascaras, but if I’m looking for a “steal” of a product that is cheap but works great, I always go out and repurchase this product.

CHEEKS
Splurge: NARS Orgasm Blush - I’m sure this pick comes of no surprise. It is one of the most talked about blushes in the beauty world, and for good reason. It is the perfect pinky peach colour with golden shimmer. It leaves your cheeks the perfect amount of flushed, without looking like a clown did your makeup.
Steal: Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush - This blush really is dreamy. It’s a mousse based product that is great for blending. Great product to try if you’re on a budget but want a high quality product.

EYELINER
Splurge: Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner - I got this product in the Stila Dream in Full palette that I bought last month, and instantly fell in love with it. This eyeliner is extremely pigmented and great for just a regular eyeliner or if you want to smudge it out during a smokey eye look. It is so smooth to apply and lasts longer than any other eyeliner I’ve ever purchased. Definitely worth the splurge!
Steal: Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner - I sincerely hope this product never gets discontinued because it is hands down the best gel eyeliner I have ever used. It is comparable to the Bobbi Brown gel eyeliner and is half the price. Not only is is long lasting, it is incredibly easy to apply. If you try nothing else from my list, please try this, you won’t regret it.

EYESHADOW
Splurge: MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked - This eyeshadow has been my favourite of 2010 and 2011. It is the only eyeshadow I have ever hit pan on because I use it that much. The MAC eyeshadows are very pigmented and blend amazingly. This colour is the perfect bronzy colour that can be used both as a base or a crease colour.
Steal: Maybelline ExpertWear Eyeshadow Quads - These eyeshadow quads are perfect for both beginners to makeup and long time makeup users. I love that they put in a colour for every section of your eye, making it super easy to create a look. They have lid, base, crease and liner all in one little mini palette. There is 14 different colour combos to choose from, but personally I have the 12Q Plum Smokes.

SKIN
Splurge:Clarisonic Mia Sonic Skin Cleansing System - I did a more in depth review of this product here, so be sure to read that, but I will say this much… this is without a doubt worth every penny. It has done wonders on my skin in just 2 weeks of using it. Not only is my skin able to absorb product so much better, it’s reduced redness, evened out my skin and allowed me to feel more confident when I’m not wearing makeup.
Steal: Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes - I bought these on impulse one day  when I was in the drugstore and after once use knew they would be a staple to skin care routine. I had heard of mac cleansing wipes, and other more expensive brands versions, but personally these drugstore brand ones are great. I use them as the first step to my nightly skin care routine and they do a great job of taking off both my eye and face makeup, AND they don’t break the bank.

LIPS
Splurge: MAC Shygirl Lipstick - MAC carries some of the best lipstick around, and this colour is beautiful. It is the perfectly pinky -nude colour and doesn’t dry out your lips.
Steal: Maybelline Baby Lips - I recently discovered this product a few weeks before Christmas. Baby lips is today’s version of lipsmackers. It is the most moisturizing lip balm, and is said to actually permanently soften your lips in just 4 weeks. I purchased the relieving menthol one but they also have a orange, cherry and berry versions that have tints of colour in them, just enough to give your lips a little bit of colour.

I hope you enjoyed this list of my favourite splurge and steal items, and please let us know in the comments below if you’ve either tried these before or plan on trying them. Make this year a year to pamper yourself with new cosmetics, even if they are just “steals” rather than “splurges”. You deserve it!

Linda xx