My first Splurge vs. Steal

Every cosmetic line has its hits and misses. You can find some real gems in drugstore brands. Obviously, highend cosmetic companies such as Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, or Chanel invest in more expensive ingredients (which accounts for part of the higher cost) and have prettier packaging but, for those on a budget, there is no reason why you can't find a great duplicate in the drugstore savings yourself a lot of money. My stash is a mix of highend cosmetics and low end cosmetics. For instance, I haven't been too impressed with Chanel so far so I am mainly paying for the "name" and their advertising campaigns when I purchase one of their items. However, I have had great success with Christian Dior.

Some of the problems with drugstore makeup are that you can rarely test the product, any testers you do find have been horrible mauled by customers making them unhygenic and you barely want to even test them on your hand. The florescent lighting distorts the colour on the back of your hand and many drugstores return policy do not allow you to return a product so once you go home and find out that the pretty mauve lipstick on the back of your hand is really dark violet with red sparkles, you're stuck.

All is not lost, however, and if you know what products you want, you can find great cheap thrills.

So here it is, my first Splurge vs. Steal review:

NARS "Multiples" by makeup artist Francois Nars.

It comes in 13 colours ranging from mauve to bronze. This is a cream-to-powder, multi-purpose makeup stick. You can use it on the cheeks as a blush, other colours are used as a highlighter on the temples or the cheek bone, they are also used on the browbone for a very pretty illuminating look. Some people also use them on the lips, nose, chin, and as eyeshadow but I don't. They look very natural when blended properly and one tube lasts forever. I love the convenience and the healthy glow/shimmer this adds to my skin. Great for a glamourous evening on the town.
The colour I chose is Copocabana described as a glistening pearl. The next colour I would try is the much raved about St. Barts described as a taupe shimmer or South Beach (shimmering apricot).
Price: Retails for US$36.50 at beauty.com.

Wet 'n' Wild "Twist Up Blush Stick": The duplicate for NARS Copacabana is called "Flirt #724 ". The packaging isn't attractive but I don't really apply this in public so it doesn't matter to me. The colour is a warm-toned silver base almost identicle to Copacabana. The Wet n' Wild is a little on the harder side while NARs' formula is a little creamier. It is not dry or cakey. Overall, it is an excellent gem found in the drugstore cosmetics aisle.
Price: Retails for about US$3.00.

Total saving: $33.50. Excellent savings! I think I can afford lunch now.