The Cheapskate Way to Expensive Makeup

Happy Easter!  

I have been into makeup for a couple of years and have both access to cheaper and some more expensive brands. I love to compare both, see if the niche is aaaalways better (or not), and want to share some tips of how to do The Cheapskate Way to Expensive Makeup

1. Fast Technology and family 

 Huh? 

Fast technology, think how brilliant Armani Fusion Makeup foundation has been since 2012 and how L'oreal made a clone-tastic variety in 2013 by Nude Magique Eau de Teint (review here , here & here). Another one, how revolutionary was Kerastase Elixir Ultime and how fast it has been replicated by the zillions of other hairoils?

Family, brands like L'oreal often have a zillion subbrands that sell someting similar under a diffferent name & cheaper pricecard.  For example the beautiful Kerastase - I think that the L'oreal Professionel line can be just as good or even more expertised. They often have the same technologies and laboratories as Kerastase but are in slightly less polished bottles. They are often used abundantly by hairdressers and they know their stuff.

 2. Sample, Sampling Samplinged!

Buy your things at places that are often generous, bug ask the Sales Assistent what would suit your skin most: and add "your skin is sensitive so if she would have a sample to try out"...etc etc. Find online places that sell samples instead of full-sized. How often do you really empty a full eyeshadow palette or a perfume? Not that much, right? Samping gives a good way of experimenting.

The Perfumed Court - niche perfume Samples

The Body Needs - Mac pigment samples (I'm so passed MAC but I used to love them when my something in thirtysomething wasn't that much yet)

Various mineral Makeup shops have dupes of the popular stuff, and often they are less chemical/friendlier for skin: eg Alima , Silknaturals, MeowCosmetics, lucyminerals, or find even more at Phyrra's blog.

For organics head over to naturisimo.com as you can take 5 samples per order, or the sample service of beingcontent.com.

3. Pretty face & a pretty wallet = good enough

 You don't always have buy the pretty box! Various brands sell refills that you can easily use without ever have bought the original packaging.

4. You can't always get what you want, but know what you need!

Enabling of bloggers often might make you think you reaaaallly gonna need the $100 eyeshadow brush they recommend, and about a 100 more of the same line/expensive range! But  you might not even be into an intricate eye with 8 different eyeshadows. So a couple of brushes is enough. Or perhaps you enjoy your Dolce & Gabanna perfume just as much or even more than the $200 Byredo/Killian/Ineke varieties out there. There's a reason the drugstore perfumes are more popular so don't feel enabled into going niche because Ms. X does. 

Ps: I do love the eyeshadow brush posts from bloggers like sweetmakeuptemptations. It's like beautyblogger's porn: something you would never do yourself but still looks so lovely if you would have so many brushes with all the skills and perhaps the right canvas (face) as well.

5. Read, Read, Read, & take the best

You already stumbled upon my blog so I guess you read beautyblogs.  Take the best of a brand! Most brands have something they really excel in. Some have a kick-ass eyeliner or the most amazing lipstick. Just take the cream of the Crop.

6. Go Global

Beautystandards are (still) different from place to place, and so does each countries' expertise on the 'beauty-goal'. Japan is being innovative in brightening skincare. On the other side of the spectrum, the UK loves their bronzed godesses so you'll find a high expertise and selection of selftanners. "French women don't get Fat"? Thanks to their zillions of anti-cellulite creams. And for makeup the US is absolutely present. So more choice, more competition, more expertise & lower prices by each country on their 'beauty-goal'.

I think there are a lot of other ways to look good for not that much cash, so I might do a follow up on this one. Please comment if you have some fab advices on going cheaper with the same 'expensive face'-look.

Ps: have an amazing day and please enjoy your naughty food too: I adore chocolate and it's actually a superfood (without the sugar, but hey, can't have it all...)

L'óreal Serie Nature Abondance de Cacao shampoo

I don't think shampoos are the most exiting things to review on beauty blogs, but I still like to have a look at a recent [LIKE] of mine .

My last L'óreal Serie Nature mini-review was not too positive, however,  I am mostly content about their products: They are effective for the aim you use them without using too many chemical enhancers (read about their guiding principles here). Not that L'Oreal Serie Nature is the most organic brand ever, au contraire, but they are often soft enough for my sensitive scalp.

L'Oreal Nature Abondance de Cacao

*Abondance* means abundance or overflow in french. Shortly, they promote an abundance of cacao and most girls like their chocolate (and not getting fat) which brings in a fantastic concept. But Cacao is not only that delightful thing that soothes the soul and palates: it also can be used to create volume in finer hair. Hence we feed the hair chocolate so the hair can get fat voluptious!

That is something I need.

I have been discussing my recent lack of volume (here) and I believe a gentle, non-SLS shampoo is the first step into reconstructing the hair. And not just that: A shampoo without SLS, parabens or other chemical elements is better when the skin around the hair is eczematic or has other sensitivities. People often forget about this, but notice their skin flares up after showering: well, that could be it, that your shampoo (conditioner) is too harsh for you.

chocolaty liquid: No worries, it rinses out

I actually have some scalp sensitivity during winter weather. This shampoo is easily tolerated and I feel it does not irritate or aggraviate my sensitivities.

Then the chocolate element. How does it smell? Wow, it is quite a wonderful and cacao-y scent that reminds me slightly of a mixture of cacao butter with some warm chocolate mixed through it.

The volume aspect? Ok, I have difficult hair so I see a tiny bit of result, but no shampoo has had that amazing effect on me yet. Ok, some of the volumising shampoos have some effect but leave hair really crispy dry or fluffy unmanagable and this one keeps everything soft but slightly more bouffant [=volumized].

I love this in conjuction with the L'óreal Nature Abondance de Cacao hairmask which has the same delicious scent and is really good at taming down frizzies and moisturizing dryness.

Conclusion:
A delicious fraganced shampoo that is really gentle for hair, scalp and surrounding skin. It has a bit of volumizing effect but I actually like it for it's smoothing (frizz) qualities. Best thing of L'Oreal Nature lines is that they are almost as cheap as most drugstore line, only made with higher quality ingredients made for the expertise of hairdressers.

Availability:
It's on lookfantastic.com (here) and Dutch people can get it over here. Also in hairsaloons that sell this range (see lorealprofessionel.com)

Last week's 'Meh'-product

L'oreal Professionel Serie Nature Masque Au Huile (to smooth flyaways)...

• smelled like weird herbal tea
• smoothing flyaways? Nope, still flying around (and the hair is still fluffy too)
• After finishing it up: messy hair and dryer than with my other masks

 Ok, my readers know I am often more elaborate on my category 'craptastic'. I have felt postive or neutral about any L'oreal Professionel Serie I've tried so far (reviews here) but this one was that craptastic that don't want to spend too much words on it.

Stupidly enough (or that I really wanted a miracle to happen) I finished it up.

Newbies

Goodie, I haven't planned any no-buy so I am glad I could stock up on some beauty items

1. Fairydrops Mascara in Long & Curl Always a good excuse to buy mascara as you have to replace them oftenly in order to keep the lashes fresh

2. L'oréal Professional hairmasks: Left is the Nature Re-Naitre and the turquoise one is their latest Pro-Keratin refill.

I will keep you updated how it works. I hope I don't chat too much about hairstuff but it's my thing at the time being ;-)

3. SpaceNK Sale haul:
WOWEEEEE,  the first surpise it that they deliver to Europe again and the sale was superduper excellent. I bought a Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in PK 375 based on Driveller's Kate swatches (here). And a Laura Mercier mini Palette from the Christmas 2012 range in Smokey Taupes.

L'óreal Professionel Série Nature Mask with Macadamia

I got familiar with the L'óreal Professionel Serie expert line thanks to the many positive reviews on their intensive repair mask. That one is basically a cheaper version of the Kerastase Masquintense, and has a great cult-status these days.

So I wanted to venture further because they have really appealing products, and found not that many reviews online. That left space for me and my hair-curiosity to buy one of the masks from their Série Nature line. 

The Série nature line is a part of their Professionel line, only on a more natural base without parabens & silicones. 

from the Lóreal Professionel website

It still has some chemical-based elements inside and smells like one of those chemical cococted Macademia scents too: but it's a step forward to a more natural care.

clearly stated: No Parabens & Silicones

 The mask has a mid-creamy consistency that is neither runny nor really past-like:

Verdict:

• I used it up and liked it. My hair is in a state of blah-dryness now and it helps to make it look slightly healthy until the next wash. Perhaps people who have dry/damaged hair know this too that after a wash & deep-condition the hair good until you have to wash it again: then the dryness seems to reappear.
•  It smells ok: a bit chemical but still somewhat like macadamia.
• I do not notice the lack of silicones as a positive thing: sometimes my hair needs silicones to appear to look healthy but it didn't need that and I think I prefer to stay without the silicones if my hair looks just as healthy without them, or perhaps even get healthier in the long run because real ingredients are used instead of masking silicones.
• Long term: Not a real verdict yet. I used up the whole jar and switched to another L'óreal Professionel Mask Age Densiforce (against ageing hair...yes, now we have to take care of that too). I think I already prefer the Nature Mask with Macadamia, although the Age is quite ok too.
• I love the price: it's around €12 if you order it online so that makes it about drugstore prices with a better value and quality.

Availability: It's for sale at feelunique for €16.38 and in the Netherlands it's available at haar-producten.nl