I know you might find this hard to believe, but I have a discretionary budget. I allocate myself a certain amount of money to buy non essentials and for leisure activities.

A few months ago I knew I had non essential but essential to me purchases (two pairs of shoes that were part of my rotation blew out and while I could live without replacing them, I wanted to replace them) so my clothing and makeup budget was stretched a bit thin.

In trying to be economical, I decided to not spend the 33$ to purchase the eye shadow palate I normally use, and would buy an 11$ set from the drug store.

Big mistake.

While some people might do really well with drug store brand eye shadow, my crepey eye lids took exception to this product that essentially flaked off my arid skin. Plus, the colors were just off- meaning that they made me look like a tired raccoon…

It was a make up disaster.

Of course the inexpensive set was unusable. And a waste of 11$, because I could not use it. I had to buy my tried and true palette anyway.

So in trying to be economical, I ended up wasting money.

Moral of my story- if you know and love something, it might be worth it to stick with it and try to economize somewhere else… see what other purchase can be put off or other ways to save a few bucks.

57 thoughts on “The Cheap Make-Up”

  2. I think we have all done this from time to time. I use Avon products and some have increased in price, but I don’t want to risk trying something new (and cheaper) that may not work for me.

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  3. Knowing what we won’t compromise on is important. It not only saves a lot of trial and error, but also waste and money- which most of us don’t have as hidden bundles of in our mattresses 😉

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  4. Ah…I hear you. I have a dear friend who always said her mom’s best advice was ‘buy good shoes’, never scrimp and she still carries that philosophy with her today. Every time I buy….or she buys…something cute and trendy, we regret it because quality footwear…especially as we get older is no joke. 😎

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    2. Very true. My grandfather in law was a shoemaker and he always said the same thing. He even inspected shoes whenever we bought them. I guess my biggest advantage though is, I don’t wear heels. 🤭

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  5. I don’t do well with cheap make-up, never have. It clogs my pores and never seems to blend into my skin properly thus I look like a clown. I buy good quality make-up, shoes, and eyeglasses. After that it’s hit or miss.

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  6. I think you should buy what you like and hope for the best. Stick with what you know because your face is never a good place to experiment. My wife has done the same thing with similar results. But hey, you tried. No real harm, no long term damage.

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  8. Yes, as we get older we go for quality as this makes the most sense. Speaking of this, I need new sneakers as my heel has evidently shortened on the right hand side. Besides, you can’t take it with you when you go.

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  9. Your heart was in the right place, but like you…I always wind up buying it twice. There’s a few things in life that are meant for us and we need to stick with what we know works.

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    1. You are talking about a shirt right? Not a mallet or something connected to the horse riding sport? If I was spending that much for a shirt (I wouldn’t btw) it would have to be framed and hung on their wall, not worn 😉

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  12. EVERYTHING IS SO EXPENSIVE NOW! I find myself going more and more without these days. You’re right — the quality of some things you just can’t get on the cheap without it really costing you in the end. For instance, I’ve noticed that several places we’ve frequented over the last thirty plus years have done what they can to cut costs while significantly increasing their prices, which means the quality has suffered even though we’ve paid much more and gotten a lot less, which means, we’re no longer eating there. Ugh. Mona

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  15. Occasionally, a cheaper brand works out–sometimes even better than an expensive one! I don’t think the old adage “you get what you pay for” is always true. I’ve seen people I know and love buy something just because it was more expensive and therefore it had to be better. That doesn’t always turn out to be the case. On the other hand, if you have something that works for you, it really is best to stick with it. Unfortunately, with rampant inflation, we may have to return to “make do or do without.”

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    1. It all depends on the product and expectations. I need a new pillow and the cheaper ones aren’t good, I tried a midrange pillow and that didn’t work so I think I need to spend money for a pillow…it’s frustrating

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      1. Good luck with that. I have tried all kinds of pillows and haven’t found one I like as well as my childhood foam rubber pillow that finally disintegrated. Some are downright painful by morning.

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      2. Yes! I had a foam rubber pillow as a kid that died many years ago…I just can’t find something I like. I do appreciate the 60 day money back guarantee many of these companies are offering. I heard parachute makes good pillows but I’m resistant to the price, but I may try it

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  17. I so agree. I found that my expensive Clinique makeup without any scent I didn’t have to change during chemo. All other items were too harsh . I had to buy unscented goats milk facial soap and their shampoo because my bald head and new hair growth couldn’t even tolerate baby shampoo. Sometimes you have to spend a little more for quality. I also discovered a product called doll ten developed by a woman who survived cancer. Because she lost her eyebrows she developed a special cream that is gentle and soft and that is that I used to draw on brows. So I found two new excellent products and my tried and true Clinique still works like a charm.

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  20. I agree, but some drug store brands are okay. Blogger, Atypical 60, put me on to the Essence makeup line and they have an Ice Baby palette of blues and gray, 3 of them matte, for like $5. I recently bought an Avon matte eyeshadow quad (Calypso) in blues and grays which is totally matte for $16. I had been searching for blue/gray matte for ages and found two in the past month! I find even drug store brands like L’Oreal are inching up in price these days, esp. the face creams.

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  22. There’s no doubt that older skin is less forgiving of cheap products than younger skin. Fortunately, I don’t wear much in the way of makeup so feel I can invest in the good stuff. Someone else mentioned shoes being the same, and I agree. I used to wear all kinds of cheap stuff when I was young, then I bought my first truly expensive pair, and never looked back. Everything has to pass a cost-per-wear/use analysis, so less (much less) but better.

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  23. “The common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a lot – it can’t be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay for something better.”

    A quote often attributed to John Ruskin.

    I don’t use make-up so have nothing to add. 🙂

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