One makeup product I’ll never buy at sephora is mascara. I just can’t justify spending more than $10-15 on something that you’re supposed to throw out after a few months 💀 I’ve got my covergirl exhibitionist uncensored (a recommendation that I actually got from you) and I’m good to go. Also, I’m totally with you on the makeup sponges. I actually take it a step further and skip sponges altogether! For me, it’s the same reason as the mascara-you’re supposed to throw sponges out every 1-3 months and it just feels like I’d be throwing my money away if I did that, and from an environmental standpoint, I’d just feel guilty throwing something away that often. The elf dual-sided complexion brush is really all I need and the first one I bought like a year ago is still going strong! Potential video idea: things you’re more likely to buy at sephora? For example, I for some reason prefer buying complexion products and cream blushes from sephora. Additionally, single cream/liquid eyeshadows like the charlotte tilbury and ilia ones-the higher end formulas just seem more innovative and unique than the ones I’ve tried from the drugstore.
I’ve honestly stopped purchasing ANYTHING high end. The drug store is just killing it in all areas in my opinion. I’ve not been in Sephora in months and I don’t plan on it. Things are just getting so expensive and I am super happy with what I can get at the drugstore!
I've been using the AOA sponge for years now its the softest, best, cheapest imo. I used to get the WnW sponge but the quality is inconsistent from buy to buy
I’ve always appreciated your sensibility when it comes to cost in your videos and how you’re always honest about that. I’m the same way. We enjoy luxury, but the the value has to match the price. And if it doesn’t I wait for a sale. I’m teaching my daughter that same principle, and I’m sure you’ll teach that to your little guy when the time comes ☺️.
My favorite drugstore products makeup / tool wise are: - Beauty Blenders - Tinted Moisturizer -> my go to are Wet N Wild Tinted Hydrator or Colourpop Pretty Fresh Tinted Moisturizer (the whole pretty fresh liner) - Foundation -> Maybelline, Colourpop , Wet N Wild, L'Oreal, Physicians Formula, Neutrogena or Kokie Cosmetics - Blush-> Elf Primer Infused/ Putty Blush, Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel Cream/ Fit Me Blush, Colourpop Super Shock Cheek - Bronzer -> Elf Primer Infused/ Putty Bronzer, Rimmel Bronzer, Kokie Bronzer - Makeup brushes - Highlighter -Liquid Lipstick -> Colourpop Glowing Lip, Milani - Eyeliner except for the Too Faced Killer Liners in Killer Gingerbread when it goes on sale it's affordable - Eyeshadow Palettes - Eyeshadow -> Colourpop Super Shock Shadows, Elf No Budge Shadow Sticks, Maybelline 24 HR Color Tattoo - Candles-> only bath and body works I'll purchase candles from
GIRL. You need to try Arches and Halos brow products. Their brow pencil and brow pen are now the only ones I use. Trust me lol I’ve tried all of the brow pencils in the world- I worked at Sephora for 4.5 years and I’m now a pro mua. These brow products are the best.
I think everything (except maybe eyeshadow, I’d go indie) is just as good if not better at the drugstore, and it’s so much cheaper, and then there’s sales on top of that. Way better!
Ahhh controversial lol I agree with everything except for drugstore brushes. I just can’t. I tried lol. I used to freelance for Chanel so I have a bunch of theirs and some drugstore and they just hurt and don’t blend as well for me compared to high end lol and to me they don’t hold up as long.
I feel like you can make any makeup work as long as you know how to prep your skin and apply makeup correctly. Before I could never find a decent drugstore foundation or concealer but drugstore brands have come a long way. There's so many options and brands to choose from now.
My boujie self loves high end make up and I honestly have hardly any drugstore. A few colourpop items, the maybelline fit me matte foundation which is a fabulous foundation and matches me very well during the summer, and some brushes. I just love luxury and high end things but I know drugstore has many great things for sure nowadays.
I think it's so cute/cool to see similarities b/t Andrea and Kelly Gooch! The sheer red lip glosses/oils, the Blonzer, and today the little front braids. It just makes me happy 🥰 Honestly, the only 2 beauty folks I watch constantly!
I almost feel like I'm starting to come around on high end mascara over drugstore which is surprising. I tried the lash freak right before it got discontinued- fell in love- and now all the mascaras i've tried since haven't hit the same. One i tried from essence made my lashes just fall out which is something I've NEVER had happen before. Wasn't even a waterproof one. I think mini high end mascaras might be the future for me lol. I could probably stock up at the end of the year when brands do all those sets of mini mascaras for the holiday. On nail polish: I will spend up to 15$ from indie brands because they do incredible special finish polishes (holo, multichrome etc) But even 14 or 15 dollars can seem like a lot sometimes. My absolute favorite nail polish brand is ILNP. Every polish is 10$ and they make some of the most stunning polishes I've ever seen. But I also have a deep love for nail polish the way some people feel about high end eyeshadow so ig makes sense for me lol.
I totally agree with you about the brushes. I LOVE my Hank and Henry brushes!! They're not exactly drug store prices, but they sure aren't priced like some high end brands. But they are ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!
Love this! I feel the same about clear gloss, and I don't think I will buy brow gel from Sephora again. The elf wow brow is just as good as everything else I have tried that's high end.
I just made a video similar to this not long ago! My picks were lipgloss, bronzer and mascara. Now that you said makeup sponge I agree with that too! BB is good but I like my wet n wild one just as much if not better! And I agree with the candles! Bath and Body Works scents up the whole house and you can almost always get them on sale.
And let’s not forget that a lot of high ends lines are owned or affiliated with L’Oreal (Urban Decay, Lancôme, Yes Saint-Laurent, etc.) or other major companies that are filling all the markets. So it is often the same people that produce low and high ends products.
I rarely buy at Sephora now. I’ve found amazing smelling candles at dollar tree honestly. For brushes the ones from elf with the black handle and some of the ones from ipsy are awesome. Abh colored brow gel is basically drugstore price. I got a mini and there’s a ton in there. The holo taco channel reviewed some expensive nail polish and it didn’t cover well!
Unfortunately, with red hair, I have a hard time finding brow pencils in my shade. I have to go high-end and even then, sometimes they get returned because the color is not right. I always buy on sale, with Ulta points, etc. Another product I need to go non-drugstore is foundation. I'm very pale and the lightest drugstore foundations turn me orange! Going with the title of the video, I rarely shop at Sephora because Ulta usually has what I need, or I buy directly from the manufacturer because both Ulta and the manufacturers have great rewards options! Even Natasha Denona gets purchased direct when she has a sale!
Nothing beats the elf sponge the red one I have 3 lip pencil from Colourpop my lipsticks I buy on sale unless it’s drugstore. Most of my cream blushes are the elf’s and bronzers I wear light bronzers makeup brushes I buy on amerzon or elf wet and wild .I buy yankee candles Really enjoyed this video
I really liked this video! I have a mix of high-end and drugstore makeup, but the items I always purchase at the drugstore are Lipstick (all lipstick wears off, and Maybelline's formula is so creamy), Mascara (Essence & L'Oréal Voluminous work fine for me!) and Falsies (the Ardell Naked line are so wispy and natural!) I will spend more money on Foundation, Powder & Setting Spray, as I want those to be of the best quality, and last!
I ordered the "beauty blender dupes" off of shein and they are amazing! I got like 8 or 9 of them for $2.00!!!! I wasn't expecting much but I was blown away!!!! 😉
Great video and points! I honestly can’t justify spending $50 on a tube of lipstick or mascara. It’s just crazy but that’s me. Expensive candles?! Yeah I usually spend like $24 at most lol. The list goes on and on but I don’t spend a lot on primers either. TFS
I just bought a Sephora lip product, its lip blush or something, I really like it. It looks blurring on the lips and a very soft more muted red I got. MUCH better than the soft matte lip from Huda I bought with the KayAli Vanilla 28 perfume; they came as a mini-set. THAT product delivers the dreaded Butt-Lips. I get a bit overwhelmed when I go into the store I will admit; product overload and I want to touch everything.
I enjoy browsing at Sephora. The one closest to me is in a Kohls and I love the asthetic - the lights, the displays, the pretty shelves and nicely organized products... But, when I pick up a product and check out the price - I just put it back on the shelf and walk away! I can't do it! I've recently been thinking about how someone should start a drugstore Sephora. ;) Not quite like Ulta (where the drugstore section always seems cluttered, crammed and picked over!) and not quite like drugstore (where one brand runs into the next and nothing is properly labeled or in the right spot- Ha!) but like a Sephora set-up (the lights, displays, accessible products to swatch) and change the brands from high end to drugstore. Now THAT is a place I'd like to shop! :)
I don't remember the last time I spent full price on makeup, whether at Sephora or Ulta. I love Sephora brushes. When I had my daughter I switched to melts, something about the candle soot is bad...I'm using them more now than before.
Mine is mascara, I'm not spending that much on something I replace that often. I disagree with you on the brushes, and it's not simply because I feel they last a long time. I've tried quite a few different kinds and the higher-end brushes (like Sigma) work better with my makeup, specifically eyeshadow. I've got lots of elf brushes, some real technique ones, some morphe and I got some IT cosmetics ones on sale once. But the Sigma brushes are better at applying, blending, being more accurate, and even seem to have less fall out with some of my dryer products. I only buy them when they're on sale, like a $17-$20 brush for $4.80. And I try different styles, then stock up on my favorites.
The only items I would look for at Sephora first would be eyeshadow (I could buy indie too), bronzer (really limited options at the drugstore for me) and face primers because I haven't found many drugstore ones I love, but I do buy drugstore ones still. I will NEVER buy another beautyblender sponge. The ecotools is good, AOA sponge is good, elf concealer sponge *chef's kiss*, BUT my favorite is the Sacha Cosmetics sponge. Idk if it's sold on Amazon but Sacha is based in my country so I get them in store here. It's most comparable to the beauty blender for me and I like it even better.
Hey Andrea! Love this video, I've always found Sephora safaris to be a little intimidating. It's like if I know what I want, the salespeople just ignore me. I thought part of the game was allowing them to sell me partner products...? Anyway, the only things that interest me are the Sephora Collection pressed powder blushes, contours and eyeshadows. And I'll always insist on my favorite og BareMinerals Original loose mineral powders, which I've been using for over 20 years. I don't have to go to Sephora for this product, but sometimes they're just on the way to somewhere else in the mall, so it's convenient. Anyway, thank you for your energy, and for this presentation!
The past few years, I have started buying candle melts that I put in inexpensive warmer. I also love the Elf face sponge, as well as the concealer sponge and the sponge from the Cookies and Cream collection!
No at sephora: sponges (pawpaw from shopmissa or Amazon), mascara, brow pencil, mascara primer, face primer. Actually getting more infrequent with high end...except my abh brow pomade. Perfect shade and consistency. All my money is going indie lately.
I have been so impressed with drugstore eyebrow gel, liner, gloss, concealer, foundation, and more. Most of the mentioned products are from Elf but with the way things cost, why spend more money? The only thing I splurge on now is eyeshadow
I’m right there with ya with a lot of these - clear gloss, sponges for sure. I use the $1 AOA sponge and love it. A big one for me is liquid eyeliner. I will never pay $20+ for a product I have to replace frequently. Buying drugstore sometimes means needing to find replacements if something gets discontinued but there’s always another great product out there, ex. I had to switch from NYX liquid liner to essence when nyx’s formula changed, but the essence one is actually cheaper! Holds up all day and is easy to use, no reason to pay any more than the essence price.
For brows and brushes I only do drugstore. I go through brow products too fast so it’s better to have a drugstore product. High end brushes are way too expensive. I have found drugstore brushes that are very good quality and last for years.
I only went to Sephora because I have severe eczema and I couldn’t find another company that would give me samples. It took about 5 months to find products that didn’t make me itch until my skin would crack and bleed. Now I’ve gotten where I can go back to some drugstore products. Primarily I buy skin care and facial sun screen from Sephora. I wish I could just slap anything on my face but I can’t. Ty for this video. 🙌🤩
I totally hear you on the clear lip balm issue BUT Sephora has my absolute fave: Smith's Tropical Ambrosia Balm with Coconut and Mango by Rosebud Perfume Company. I lah-lah-LOVE this and, for a time, used to get it at Ulta for 50 cents less than Sephora but then Ulta stopped carrying it. So, Sephora it is!
I only bought the browblade because of your recommendation and yeah, never again! 😂 No shade at all, I’m glad I tried it and got my wiggles out but I found a dual ended knock off on SHEIN and it is such a better color match and everything for me (it’s $3-4)
Also, I would never buy brushes at Sephora. My investment goes to sigma! Their brushes are so worth it to me, but then again, I only buy them when they have their semi-annual sell.
Love the look! Your face and hair are so pretty! I also relate drugstore is totally the way to go for most things, especially when you think about it is something you just wash off at the end of the day.
I’m with you on the candles. I like Bath and Body Works. Big candles, good price on sale, so many options, they’ll last forever and you know they’ll smell in the other room. I’ve been curious about Jacki Aina’s candles though. That’s a brand I would love to buy from, but it’s too expensive for me right now!
I totally agree with so many of your selections. I will never spend high end money on nail polish, candles, or eyebrow products!! There are also a few that I used to have no problem spending the high price tag on at Sephora that I’ve definitely changed my mind on. I used to love high end brushes or beauty sponges, but when I heard about Profusion brushes from you & EmilyNoel as well the AOA $1.55 sponges, I’ve never turned back!! Thank you so much for sharing these products with us. You’ve once again helped all of us by highlighting products that can help us save money so that we can use the savings to buy the more expensive products at Sephora that we’re ride or die for!! Oh, and PS: I refuse to buy expensive clear lip glosses as well, but also have no issue spending higher prices on glosses that are virtually clear with a hint of color. 🤦🏻♀️ 💜 😘
Essie is my FAV brand! Prob have about 50 bottles. Saves so much in the long run to do my own nails at home. I do them once a week. Essie lasts so well with the Seche Vite quick dry top coat. It's therapeutic and self care too!
I love the drugstore sponges. I had 1 Beauty Blender and I felt like it was a waste because he’s, you do have to replace it often. I love the biodegradable sponge at Walmart. It’s amazing.
It took me so long to have time to watch this. 😩😭 I was at a Dr appointment for hours yesterday. I got the notification and was trying to make them hurry up 😂 then I got home, exited to watch but my cat got sick all over the place so I had to clean it up and hold him for a few hours, along with another million things that happened. I’m starting my day off with your video so I know today will be better! My cat is 17 so I worry when he’s not feeling well or acting like he usually does. I don’t buy much from Sephora anymore. Unless it’s something I really want and it’s on sale.
And girl NO the lip liners (some) are superior hands down ( I have colour pop milani and nyx) and have done the testing and pat mccgrath and Charlotte tilbury last WAY longer hands down 100%! (For me) and clear glosses mmm I need a long lasting formula semi heavy but comfy and I have found a long lasting gloss in drugstore but the fenty glosses and jaclyn hill and tarte chefs kiss! 💋 but that’s my opinion of course! 🙊 I agree with the others though yea you can definitely stick with drugstore and get amazing results!
I totally agree with you about the brushes, I think pretty much every brush I own is drugstore. One of my faves is a crease brush I got from elf and it was a free gift with purchase haha. I’ve had it for a couple years now and it’s still holding on. The brow products are another- nyx & elf have great products and I’ve never had any desire to try anything high end. And don’t get me started on sponges haha I love love my drugstore sponges. 💖💖
Shampoo, conditioner, nail polish, cotton pads/balls, nail files, hair spray, hand soap, hand sanitizer, lotion, deodorant, makeup, and face/eye masks. These items are way cheaper at retail stores and coupons are accepted.
I have consistently had big trouble with Elf brushes shedding. I like the performance, but it’s no bargain when they are shedding badly in a couple of months. That has happened so many times I’m just done with them. I also don’t like fluffy soft brushes that don’t pick up much product, and many inexpensive brushes I’ve seen are like that. The RT brushes are a real exception. I’ve really used mine for them for years and they are just like new. I won’t buy luxury brushes though.
It takes me forever to go through most lip liners so I have a variety of price points. I do love MAC and Huda lip liners. I also am really slow to go through brow pencils. I’m still on my first one I bought a year ago. I do use quite a few brow gels. I’ve also felt like good brushes have changed my makeup game. My favorite brand is Rephr followed by Sonia G and BL Beauty. Now I love the AOA paw paw sponges. Beauty Blenders are too expensive and I don’t see or experience an advantage.
I go drugstore for most things now. Exception would be eyeshadow, some blush and powder, and a few lipsticks. If I can, I'll buy from ULTA to build points and redeem them, plus sales.
Love your videos Andrea! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. I think part of shopping at Sephora is the feeling, the vibe they have, and the overall experience. I went once to a Sephora in 🇺🇸 and I was so disappointed. It was very different from going to Sephora in 🇨🇦 (at least the ones close to me). Drugstore products are amazing, however, ingredients sometimes are not the best.
If you ever want the most amazing (and worth it) luxury candle check out DS & Durga Big Sur After Rain. A friend got it for my bday and it's a small 7oz candle for $65 (I know). BUUUT even just opening the mail pkg w/ other things the scent wafted and was amazing. Smelled like eucalyptus and a rainy forest. It's not even a profile I'd lean for usually but I'm obsessed now. Officially became my fave candle ever and was what made me finally understand ppl who buy luxury candles. Not all are super high quality but DS & Durga is--soy wax & far reaching scent throw.
I've gotten some sets during the holidays at QVC. Built up a nice collection. I like Sigma for eyes. But I have Elf, RT, ecotools, Crown, and brushes from Ipsy.
I used to ONLY use Beauty Blenders…$20 a pop. Now I only use the Shop Miss A Paw Paw sponges! $10 for 6 of them on Amazon! I’ll never use another sponge unless they discontinue the PawPaw Sponges!
Mine is makeup brushes and sponges and eyeliners. I get Mascara as a mix of high end and drug store, as I do like Benefit mascaras but also Maybelline. But everything else is mostly high end, although I like a few elf and nyx products
Idk why but I can’t get myself to spend money on a high end foundation. Idk what it is that makes it sound so crazy or outlandish to me. I’ve always heard how great the TF Peach Perfect foundation was for oily skin. Or how beautiful the skin looks with the Fenty Eavesdrop or Armani Silk foundation. I agree though with everything you listed in this video. The one thing I don’t mind spending a little more money towards are eyeshadow palettes. The most I’ve actually spent was $50 for the SG Enduring Love palette. No regrets there whatsoever. Great video! 😊❤️💄
If you can find your shade and preferred formula+finish at the drugstore, I think it's perfectly reasonable. For me, foundation is the only one I only go high end on bc it took 40 years for a brand to finally match my skintone and undertone so I'm never going back to drugstore and looking orange/clown white. 😁 Luckily I just need the one bottle until it runs out so it's a pretty calculable expense.
I don’t buy mascara, brow products or eye primer from more expensive brands. My go to brands include elf, Milani and colourpop! But I find products like foundation or palettes (face or eyeshadow) tend to be better quality from Sephora-like brands. I have a pink undertone and so far only CoverFX has a foundation that matches me!
The color on your lips. Wow. So so pretty !! This is such a fun video. I love it. Xo. So the big thing is I hear. The stands out sponge. It’s $20 but they saw it lasts longer ?? Hmmmm I love the Sonia Kashuk sponge front target. LOVE THEM !!
I agree on all points! I hear press on nails have come a long way since the days when they fell off five minutes after applying. Any brands you would recommend with more interesting colors/designs?
For me, it's mascara and powder. Not that I never buy high end in those categories, but it's super rare. I don't have finicky skin and it's somewhat oily, so just about any powder will do. Same with mascara. Unless it smudges or flakes something terrible, then it's good enough!
