Which Beauty Products You Should Be Splurging On—and Which You Shouldn't
Financial planning applies to lipstick too.


If we were smart about it, we'd buy less and only the best we could afford, but LOL, have you *been* to Sephora? For those of us who like to put our money where we can see it (on our faces), we've got a complete guide for how all that beauty spending should really break down.

Body Lotion: Save
The chichi, almond-soufflé-scented ones may come with honey dippers, but there's really no compelling *need* to drop $$$ on body lotion. Drugstore brands work just fine.
Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion, $7, target.com (opens in new tab).

Eye Cream: Save (with a Caveat)
If you're in your 20s, your main objective is to hydrate the eye area to prevent lines. Beyond that, you'll want to choose a more technical (and probably therefore expensive) formula to undo any damage.
Burt's Bees Sensitive Eye Cream, $9, amazon.com (opens in new tab).

Daily Moisturizer: Save
You're layering your skincare (opens in new tab), right? So this just acts as a barrier, sealing the active ingredients underneath in. (See next slide.)
CeraVe Moisturizing Cream, $13, target.com (opens in new tab).

Serum: Splurge
...Like your serum, which should go on first so all the good, please-help-me-age-like-Pharrell stuff absorbs. This is not the place to scrimp.
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, $92, neimanmarcus.com (opens in new tab).

Cleanser: Save (with Another Caveat)
Most complexions should do fine with a mild cleanser—you're washing it off after a short time anyway. But if you've got acne or other concerns, you might consider investing in a cleanser formulated especially for your skin type.
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, $6, target.com (opens in new tab).

Hot Tools: Splurge
When you're applying heat directly to your hair, your goal should be do no harm—or at least no more than needed (opens in new tab). Higher-end models reduce the time your hair is in direct contact with the heat, which in turn means less fry-age.
Harry Josh Pro Dryer, $300, bigelowchemists.com (opens in new tab).

Lipstick: Save
Mostly in that there are so many new colors coming out all the time that it's *most* worth it to spend on a few classic/favorite shades.
Burt's Bees Lipstick, $9, amazon.com (opens in new tab).

Foundation: Splurge
In the hierarchy of makeup, an even-but-still-real-looking complexion comes first—always. But then again, if you're taking care of your skin, foundation is a category you won't need to worry about at all. Hmm...
Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Ultra-Light Skin-Perfecting Sunscreen Makeup, $48, nordstrom.com (opens in new tab).

Lip Balm: Save
Pretty much the only difference is that a white ceramic "CD" jar filled with rose-smelling balm looks prettier on your nightstand.
Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm, $4, amazon.com (opens in new tab).

Sunscreen: Save
Because you go through so much of it, RIGHT? Though with the recent news (opens in new tab), who even knows anymore?
Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen, $9, target.com (opens in new tab).
Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.
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