Visit our sister sites:
  • All You
  • Coastal Living
  • Cooking Light
  • Health
  • My Recipes
  • Southern Living
  • Sunset
  • This Old House
Real Simple | Life Made Easier, Every Day
  • food & recipes
    • Browse All
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Galleries & Favorites
    • Cooking Tips & Techniques
    • Shopping & Storing
    • Tools & Products
    • Ingredient Guide
  • home & organizing
    • Browse All
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Decorating
    • Home Improvement
    • Gardening
    • Green Living
    • New Uses For Old Things
    • Cleaning 101
  • beauty & fashion
    • Browse All
    • Hair
    • Skin Care
    • Makeup
    • Makeovers
    • Clothing
    • New! Finish the Look Fashion Game
    • Instant Beauty Makeover Tool
  • holidays & entertaining
    • Browse All
    • Holidays
    • Entertaining
    • Gifts
    • Real Simple Gift Guide App
    • Holiday Decorating Ideas
    • Easy Home Entertaining
    • Holiday Entertaining
  • weddings
    • Browse All
    • Flowers
    • Cakes & Catering
    • Ceremony
    • Dress & Attire
    • Etiquette
    • Budget
    • Guests
    • Planning
    • Registry & Gifts
    • Real Weddings
    • Checklists
  • family & work
    • Browse All
    • Health
    • Money
    • Family
    • Life Strategies
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Etiquette
    • Books & Entertainment
    • Money Management Tips
  • checklists
    • Food
    • Beauty & Style
    • Household & Finance
    • Health & Wellness
    • Travel
    • Cleaning
    • Family
    • Organizing & Home Improvement
    • Holidays & Entertaining
    • Weddings
  • blog
    • Browse All
    • Adventures in Chaos
    • Conversation Starters
    • Daily Thought
    • New Products
    • Simple Tip
    • Where We're Clicking
  • magazine
    • Browse All
    • Table of Contents & More
    • Road Tests
    • Daily Finds
    • Newsletters
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Offers
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Back Issues
    • SUBSCRIBE
    • GIVE A GIFT
  • VIDEOS
  • NEW! WEEKLY MEAL PLAN
  • NO-OBLIGATION BOOK CLUB
  • REAL SIMPLE OFFERS
  • SUBSCRIBE

Smart Shopping 101

  • Email
  • Print
  • Save
Giorgio Armani Hydra Glow Foundation SPF 15Rita Maas Page 6 of 14

Splurge or Save? The Smartest Beauty Buys

Splurge or Save on Foundation?

Splurge.

It's important to find the right shade and formula for your skin, but you can rack up quite a bill by trial and error with inexpensive brands. Instead, have a makeup consultant match the perfect foundation to your skin and allow you to test it at the counter before you buy. Your age and skin type may determine whether you need a creamy, sheer formula or one that offers more coverage. It's tough to tell which is which without trying them on. But do figure out what works: "If your skin doesn't look good," notes San Francisco makeup artist Hillary Clark, "nothing else will." Recommended product: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation ($59, giorgioarmanibeauty.com) is a makeup artists' favorite.
 
 

The Exception

If you tend to use foundation sparingly (just around the nose and chin to reduce redness) and you know the undertones in your skin, you might consider a drugstore purchase.

Next: Splurge or Save on Blush?
Skip to Daily Finds slides.
0608mascara
Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion SPF 30 and Patricia Wexler M.D. Oil-Free Hydrator SPF 30
Creme de la Mer Moisturizing Cream
M.A.C Eye Shadow
Giorgio Armani Hydra Glow Foundation SPF 15
Nars Blush
Bobbi Brown Lip Sheer and L'Oreal Paris Color Juice Sheer Juicy Lip Gloss
Max Factor Lash Perfection Mascara
Prescriptives Flawless Skin Total Protection Pressed Powder
Bourjois Khol & Contour and Wet n Wild Lipliner Pencil
Garnier Fructis Fortifying Shampoo
Leonor Greyl Nourishing Treatment Jasmine Mask

Most Popular Galleries

  • Gray and black presents

      35 Great Gifts for Dad

  • Baggu Weekend Bag

      7 Weekender Bags for Quick Getaways

  • Blue present with silver stars

      29 Great Gifts for Grads

Hot Topic

“Did you go a little overboard with the self-tanner? Or maybe you’re scared to try it because you think you’ll end up looking like an Oompa Loompa like the illustration above?  Either way, have no...” - Julia Edelstein
More From

How To Fade Self Tanner—Fast

Is there a beauty product you’ll pay any price for?

View Earlier Comments
Advertisement

What's Hot

Stuffed panda bear

What Causes Dark Circles Under Your Eyes?

If your dark circles aren’t quite this adorable, you don’t have to grin and bear it. Try these (en)lightening strategies to minimize them.

  • How to Sell, Swap, or Donate Clothes
  • Huffington Post Home: 10 Ways to Transform Accessories Using Washi Tape 
Computer deskNew on the Web
Make a Pretty Hanging Lantern With Jordan Reid of Ramshackle Glam
I have a major thing for blue mason jars. I use them for everything – drinking g...
from The Nest Blog - Home Décor, Cooking, Money, Health & Sex News & Advice » house & home
FDA warns of infections tied to Tennessee pharmacy
Government health officials are investigating several health problems reported ...
from FOXNews.com
The Best Design Gifts For Girl Graduates
Got a girl grad in your life? We know what to get her! Go for something that wil...
from POPSUGAR Home
HuffPost Tastemakers: A Meal At Nopi
Ottolenghi is a lucky man. Read more: Tastemakers , Ottolenghi ...
from Tastepartner on The Huffington Post
Greg Dunlop: Paris in the Spring at Café Pinson, Le Marais
No one can deny the allure of Paris in the spring. We've identified a wonderful ...
from Home on Huffingtonpost
Decorate With Intention: Design Your Ideal Dining Room (10 photos)
Living rooms get a lot of attention, but a dining room that suits your style an...
from Houzz
  • Browse RealSimple.com:
    • Ask Real Simple
    • Contests & Sweepstakes
    • Games
    • Makeover in Minutes
    • New Uses for Old Things
    • No-Obligation Book Club
    • Photo Contests
    • Quizzes
    • Road Tests
    • Shop, Prep, Cook
    • Real Weddings
    • Tools, Videos, Checklists
    • Site Map
  • Customer Service:
    • Contact Us
    • Customer Service
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your California Privacy Rights
    • Subscribe
    • Give a Gift
    • Real Simple Products
    • Real Simple Offers
    • Real Simple Rewards
    • Back Issues
    • Media Kit
  • On the Go:
    • Real Simple iPadRead Us on Tablet
    Get our Apps:
    • No Time to Cook
    • To-Do Lists
    • Gift Guide
  • FREE Newsletters:
    • Weekly Tips
    • Daily Finds Newsletter
    • Keep-It-Together Checklist
    • SEE ALL
    Time Inc. Lifestyle Brands
  • Connect With Real Simple
    • Pinterest
      JOIN US
    • Facebook
      LIKE US
    • Twitter
      FOLLOW US
    • Google Plus
      FOLLOW US
    • YouTube
      WATCH US
    • Instagram
      FOLLOW US
  • Food & Recipes
  • Home & Organizing
  • Beauty & Fashion
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Weddings
  • Family & Work
  • Checklists
  • Blog
  • Magazine
Real Simple Home and Lifestyle Network
Copyright © 2013 Time Inc. Lifestyle Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.