Splurging Tips

Hey guys :)

So if you didn't know: I'm a second year psychology student and by having this blog, the most common question I get asked is how do I have the money to buy and review items on a weekly basis. That gave me some inspiration and so today I want to tell you my top tips for how to splurge without wasting your money! 

1) Research

So every now and then there is this new NARS or Bobby Brown, or hell even Charlotte Tilbury, make up that has just released, instead of rushing to the nearest Selfridges to purchase the item make sure that you know exactly what you are going to receive. Nowadays there is just so many reviews on the internet, from blogs to YouTube especially made to show you what you will get. I usually find that researching the item will do one of three things: either it will make me realise that I own something completely similar, or I realise that there is something I don't like about it (for instance all shimmery eyeshadows in a palette), or it will make me want it more. In every case the option is good, because either I don't need it or I do and I will feel confident that I will get what I paid for.

2) Testing

Just because a brand is famous doesn't mean that everything they have is brilliant. This tip is the period when you can test out all that researching you have been doing - reading blogs and watching YouTube is fine but you have to remember that you may respond differently to different products - skincare and base make-up are prime examples of this. If you really want something then I think you should try it in store - this way you get all the best tips and tricks from the assistant and also the best service. I think with foundation especially  you should try the product on for the entire day and see how you feel at the end of the day- that's actually how I realised that the Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation was the one for me because at the end of the day my face wasn't as oily as it usually was and the foundation was still on my face! So when I did end up buying the foundation I knew exactly what I was getting and to this day I have no regrets since I am on my second bottle at the moment.

3) Relevance

Now I take after my mom on this one, if I buy something expensive I need to use it because then I get my moneys worth. You will see that my most expensive items are usually stuff that I will wear everyday like foundation, serums and eyeshadows. This way I get my moneys worth because what's the point in having a green eyeliner from Clinique if you wear green eyeliner once every 2 months. My advice to you on this one is to see what you do wear everyday - so if you like wearing mascara on a daily basis then perhaps think about getting a high-end one. I wear foundation on a daily basis and so it was important to me to buy for quality as I will wear it on my face for more than 8 hours a day. Think about what you wear everyday and then you can justify buying a more luxurious product because you will wear it and finish it, rather than buying something obscure that will just expire because it's in the wide depths of your make-up bag.

I actually follow these tips all the time, usually I experiment with drug-store make-up; My first ever lip liner was from Rimmel London (see here) and now because I love that so much I want to purchase one from MAC (because I heard they last really long -see Tip 1 is useful because now I know where to buy). It also reduces the chance of you not liking a product a significant amount. However I am not perfect and do splurge my money sometimes but I am trying to reign it in :)

I hope this has given some insight on how I shop and why I shop that way even though it makes me sound so boring. But it has improved the way in which I spend and now i can enjoy a diverse range of products which all perform great.

Thank you for reading :) I would like to know what your top tips are for splurging :)

Anjna x