SPLURGE OR SAVE: part 4

Final chapter in the splurge or save series.

Eye Shadow: save

OK what makes a quality eye shadow? PIGMENT! the intensity of the color as it appears on the skin , also called color payoff.

I do not buy department store eye shadows in principle because i think paying 14 to 20 bucks for one color is outrageous. i buy the eye shadows for my kit in artist palettes online and in that was i can get between 88 and 120 colors for a decent price, but the average frum women doesn't need that big of a selection and prefers a small product she can toss in her purse. At the drugstore, i find that Loreal's HIP (High Intensity Pigment) line of eye products rivals easily any of the pro brands i was trained with. the eye shadows are vibrant, and silky and easily bendable. I'm a big fan of their cream liners as well.

Loreal's wear infinite line is also a big favorite of mine as are Cover girl and Maybeline eye studio

Remember no matter what eye product you use they will look better, and last long when used with a quality primer.


Eye Liner: splurge.....mostly


OK so for eye liner its hard to give a blanket accross the board answer because there are so many kind. for most eye liner products, assuming you want a clean line and not a smudged look which does have its fans,  you're gonna have to pay for quality.

Liquid liner: here you can find good products cheap. Revlon's color stay liquid liner and Milani liquid liner do have great long lasting formulas. I wore Revlon colorstay to my own wedding and it looks flawless all night.

Cream/Gel: This is my favorite kind of liner and i confess many of the ones in my kit are off brand that i found cheap and bought as a way of trying out new colors without investing too much. And while they look as good as the more expensive ones, they don't last. they dry out quickly so i don't get much use out of them before throwing them out. A cream liner also has to be top quality if you want it to stay on properly. Poorly made formulas can give you the racoon look like nothing else by the end of the day. while physician's formula does make a line of cream liners which are decent and cheap (3 for $10), mac fluidline is the holy grail of gel liners.

Khol liner: don't bother. a powdery mess that does nothing special no matter where you get it.

pencil:  Like cream liners there can smudge and spear and it can also be tough to get the clean line you want. now thats fine for blended looks like the smokey eye but if you want a defined look ONLY buy drugstore brands that are waterproof or longwear. Revlon Colorstay pencil is a safe bet.




Cake eyeliner: cake eye liner is actually a pigmented pressed powder. any well pigmented eye shadow can be made into a liner with a dampened liner brush. so if the shadow is good, you're fine.


Alright ladies, now GET SHOPPING!