One thing I often hear from girls on a night out or during a consultation is 'I would love to be able to look like you. I'd love to have the money to look like you' - a statement that is beyond the truth. I like high end brands. I love beautiful packaging, I am a sucker for the pages of Vogue and I love luxurious things. When I have the money for them of course, but most of the time I don't. Right now I would say my make up collection is at about 60/40 with high end brand to drug store brands. That's nearly half of my make up costing less than say €20.00 an item. I'm starting to fall in love with brands like Smash-box, Urban Decay and Sleek as apposed to Chanel, Estee Lauder and YSL. What some people seem to mis-understand is that you need the exact products used in high end editorials to re-make a look. Make up is all about doing the best with what works best for you. Right now? I'm sculpting with a bronzer that I got from a pharmacy that was closing down. It was so old that it doesn't even have a name on it and if I remember correctly it was about €3. I've never had so many compliments about my bronzing, with any other product. On the flip side? I'm using a Chanel limited edition highlighter that cost me upwards of €60 - its all about balance.
You need to look at what works for you, what you can afford and what you want to achieve. It should never be about who made it, who wore it or what magazine you saw it in. All that should ever matter is that it works for you. I can not live without certain items in my make up kit, I know what its like to fall in love with luxury - but when you find something that does the exact same job in Target for $4 why not use it? I've become one of those people who finds something they love in a drug store and buys 10 of them. I once cried in Super Drug because they only had 4 of a highlighter I wanted (which was actually an MUA eye shadow for £1) and the shop assistant genuinely looked like she wanted to ring the mental hospital for me. Stop caring about what other people think. Stop listening to bloggers and gurus. Stop watching youtube videos that make you feel bad about yourself for not being able to afford Tom Ford eye shadow and Armani foundation. Look to these people for skills, for tips in application, for inspiration. Look inside your wallet to decide on your budget and never be afraid to ask for help! I spend most of my time replying to emails about cheaper brand dupes of products that girls have seen being used and liked the effect of.
Remember - be brave. Try new things, it's the only way you'll ever know if they work!








