Advanced Aesthetics priceless-magazines.com 100
Save or Splurge? When it comes <strong>to</strong> replenishing <strong>your</strong> makeup arsenal, what’s worth splashing out on, and what’s not? Josephine Fairley lets us know is<strong>to</strong>ckpho<strong>to</strong>.com/kaedeezign Beauty sales boomed during the lockdowns. Fragrance, <strong>to</strong>o, slightly surprisingly: even though we weren’t actually going out at all, many of us found a sort of cocooning comfort from wearing fragrance, or used it <strong>to</strong> cut through the Groundhog Day meh-ness of life, or simply <strong>to</strong> help us get back our get-up-and-go (perhaps with a burst of something citrusy and zesty), when spirits were flagging. Now we are ‘liberated’, though, there are many other tugs on our purses. We can eat out. Plan holidays. Buy clothes with the thought that actually, we might get <strong>to</strong> wear them <strong>to</strong> something/somewhere exciting. Basically, our financial priorities have reset <strong>to</strong> normal. So I thought I’d share my thoughts, as a beauty edi<strong>to</strong>r, on what is still worth splurging on, and where can we save? And what I will add is that my answers have changed over the past few years, because many products at the lower end of the price scale have improved beyond all recognition… Eyeshadow: Save or Splurge? Answer: both, actually. There are some really fantastic, affordable shadows available on the high street now, particularly in terms of palettes. I would most definitely point you in the direction of E.L.F. The New Classics Palette (just £14 for 18 shades), which contains just about every shade you might ever want <strong>to</strong> use in a lifetime, but none of them scare-the-horses bold. Actually, I’m SO impressed with E.L.F. make-up (I had many a splurge myself, during lockdown/s), not least because they also offer virtual try-ons and free gifts when you spend £25. If you want a more simple, classic palette, E.L.F. also offer one of those for just £3, with Flawless Eyeshadow: a goof-proof quartet (in a choice of plummy/ greys or browns), which tells you which shade <strong>to</strong> put where. However, for shadow that really stays put, you may want <strong>to</strong> splurge – especially if you enjoy luxury packaging (who doesn’t, frankly?) Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi- Effect Quadra Eyeshadows, £44, are unbeatable, and available in a huge portfolio of wearable shades. Grabbing slightly more space in a make-up bag is Tom Ford Eye Color Quad, £68 – pricy, yes, but it says a lot that over the past few years, I’ve got down <strong>to</strong> the metal pans on two of these (in Cocoa Mirage) and am on my third. And neither of these has ever cracked or crumbled, in my experience, which is often a problem with shadow. Mascara: Save or Splurge? Answer: save – but make sure <strong>to</strong> seek out <strong>your</strong> particular favourite style of brush, when shopping for a bargain. With mascara, it really IS all about the wand: do you like those that are curved, are almost fuzzy like a bee, or are you in<strong>to</strong> rubber (wands!)? Finding an example of <strong>your</strong> favourite style should be <strong>your</strong> priority when hunting down a new mascara; <strong>to</strong> make that easier, if shopping IRL rather than online (where you can always see the brush shape) the tester units in places like Boots and Superdrug often display the actual brushes glued alongside the product, for guidance. Some particular recommendations, meanwhile: Max Fac<strong>to</strong>r Masterpiece MAX Mascara, £11.99 (rubber wand), L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Couture mascara, £8.99 (good for va-va-voom), or Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, £9.99 (with that curvy wand, for a ‘fan’ effect). SPF Day Cream: Save or Splurge? Answer: splurge. I believe in investing <strong>to</strong> protect my skin – an ounce of protection is <strong>your</strong> best weapon in the war against premature lines, wrinkles and pigmentation. You don’t have <strong>to</strong> spend squillions, but I’d generally go north of £25 – in ascending order, price-wise, great examples are SVR Clairial Crème SPF50+, £25 for 50ml, Temple Spa Life Defence SPF30 Protecting Moisturiser, £38 for 50ml, 101 priceless-magazines.com