Which Beauty Products You Should Be Splurging On—and Which You Shouldn't

(Image credit: Courtesy, design by Dana Tepper)

published 15 July 16

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.

1/10

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).

2/10

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).

3/10

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).

4/10

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).

5/10

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).

6/10

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).

7/10

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).

8/10

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).

9/10

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).

10/10

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

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.