My Make Up Story: Embracing the Drugstore.

When it comes to buying make-up, I seem to have come almost full circle. I am over my "everything has to be high-end" obsession, and I'm just as happy coming out of my local Boots or Superdrug with a bag full of goodies as I am when I've splurged on something pretty from Benefit.

Benefit's Non-Fiction
the start of my high-end obsession

The first 'high-end' make-up I bought was an old Benefit foundation, called "non-fiction" which has since been discontinued. I don't quite remember what made me buy this, but it was then that my obsession grew. Everything I put on my face HAD to be high-end and I wouldn't even look at drug-store products, let alone try them out. I wasn't really aware of blogs then, but all the YouTube hauls and tutorials that I watched were filled with Mac, Urban Decay and Benefit products. Thing are different now, in fact a lot of blogs I read seem to feature more drug store products than high-end, but back then I thought in order to re-create the looks shown, you had to go out and spend a fortune.

The truth, quite simply is that you don't. At the end of the day, the product won't do all the work for you, you have to 'work' the product. I think this is especially important for people who are just getting into make up. That expensive Mac foundation isn't going to look good if it's caked on, or is the wrong shade, or breaks you out. Whereas if a cheaper, drug-store one doesn't quite work for you, it's not the end of the world as you've not spent £25+ on it.

Some of my current dug-store loves, including Sleek,
Boujois, Max Factor & Collection 2000

I think drugstore make-up is better than ever at the moment. Brand such as Sleek, Barry M and Elf (though that's technically not a drugstore!) have fantastic products at amazing prices, and older brands such as Rimmel, 17 and even Collection 2000 have really revamped their image and are expanding their range all the time and there's always something I want to try out.  Even the packaging is much nicer these days which is always a bonus if like me you're a sucker for anything pretty looking! And  obviously as it's cheaper, it's easier to buy more things and experiment, so when you do want so splash out on something a bit fancier, you know what colours and formulations work with your skin, so you won't be wasting that hard earned cash.

It's okay to splash out once in a while!

I think I've got the balance about right now. Yes I still love my Benefit, and my Urban Decay eyeshadows, but I'm not afraid to go into my local Boots or Superdrug and see what they've got. Boots have a 3 for 2 across all their cosmetics at the moment, and you can mix and match different brands, so it's a good excuse to try out something new. And this way, buying something high end is more of a treat, and let's face it, we all need a little treat once in a while don't we?!


Sarah Xx