Lauren: Hey guys, it's Lauren from The Financial Diet and today I'm going to be talking about a guilty yet really pleasurable expense of mine, which is makeup. Sometimes I do feel guilty about how much I enjoy buying makeup, but I can't lie I do and I know that I'm not the only one. But that doesn't mean that we should let the cost of makeup bleed our bank accounts dry and we shouldn't be spending a third of our paycheck at Sephora on lipstick. Like anything else you buy, you should practice buying beauty products in moderation. Did you know that the average woman will spend about $15,000 on makeup over the course of her lifetime? And about 2 weeks per year putting it on, which adds up to 2 years over the course of her life. And did you also know that the US cosmetic industry is estimated to be worth about $63 billion this year? So yeah, this is a topic that clearly a lot of people should be interested in because we're talking about real money here. 

The expense of makeup can add up quickly without you even realizing it. Now I know that a lot of people, especially hardcore personal finance bloggers would say that makeup of all things is a really luxurious expense that you should totally cut out of your budget because you don't need it. Now I don't think there's anything inherently bad about spending money on makeup, but I do think it's crazy to spend a lot on designer products when drugstore products can work just as well. If you really do your homework and try to find inexpensive products to replace designer favorites, there's no reason why you can't keep the expense of makeup down. With that said, I'm here today to help you identify cheaper yet really effective drugstore products to replace designer products that you might be buying currently or that you might be tempted to buy in the future. 

Number 1, mascara, so the cult favorite Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara is great and I've tried it before, but it's $23 a pop, so it's not something that someone should buy on a regular basis. So instead of that one try the L'Oreal voluminous mascara which is only $8 and it's got a great curved brush, which allows the mascara to go on just as well, in my opinion, as the Too Faced Better Than Sex version. Next up, concealer, so the Lancôme Waterproof Undereye concealer gets great reviews because it's so lightweight and the formula has great coverage, but it's $31. Too me that's an awful lot of money to spend on something that you're not even supposed to see. So instead, try the Almay Makeup Undereye concealer, which is only $6 and it gets 4 stars on Amazon. 

Number 3, blush, so beauty vloggers really love the Nars brand blush especially in the color of orgasm. It's got this like peachy pink tone to it with a subtle shimmer undertone and they love the way that it blends and goes on smooth. However, that's $30 a piece, so instead try the Revlon powder blush, which is only $10 and it delivers that same really highly pigmented color that the Nars one is so famous for. Number 4, finishing powder, so people really love the Laura Mercier mineral pressed powder for it's ability to control shine and go on smoothly, but it's $40. So instead of that try Rimmel brand stay matter pressed powder, which is only $5, it gets 4 stars on Amazon, and I've used it before and it's great. 

Number 5, foundation so I used to use the bareMinerals complexion rescue foundation because it was so highly rated and it is great, but it's $30 a piece. So instead I tried to find a cheaper alternative and I found that in the Maybelline BB cream and also the Garnier BB cream and both of those are $9 and $13 respectively and those have great coverage and go on super smooth. Number 6 lipstick, so I'm not going to lie I do like the Nars brand lipstick and I actually wore the shade Rita on my wedding day, but it's $32 a tube and it's not something that I would've ever spent on unless it was for a super special occasion. So instead of that one you can try the Milani brand lipstick, which Chelsea swears by and I've tried it myself. It's only $6 and it smells really nice, it goes on smooth, and it's very long lasting. 

Number 7 liquid eyeliner, nearly every beauty vlogger can get on board with this Stila waterproof liquid eyeliner, but it's $22. They say that the Stila one is unrivaled because it doesn't smudge and it's waterproof, but I've tried it and it smudges. So instead of that one you can try the L'Oreal liner intense liquid eyeliner, which is only $7. So that one can create the same dark intense lines that the Stila one does, but this one is actually smudge proof. I've tried it and it's great. Number 8 ChapStick, now it's really hard not to laugh when beauty vloggers suggest buying the Lamer brand the lip balm for $55. ChapStick is one of the easiest things to save your money so buy cheap. So instead of that one try the Neutrogena Norwegian formula lip balm, which is really great, it's $4, and it leaves your lips feeling moisturized and super soft. 

Number 9 nail polish, now while the internet really loves the Chanel brand nail polish, it comes in those squat little cute bottles, it's $28. In my opinion the Sally Hansen complete manicure salon line is awesome. That one is only $8 a bottle, it doesn't chip, and it comes in a wide variety of great colors. Number 10, eyebrow pencil, now I used to use that Anastasia Beverly Hills eyebrow pencil because every beauty vlogger recommended it, but it's $23 a stick. So instead of that one you can try the Revlon brow fantasy gel and pencil that only costs $9, it really kicks ass, and it gets 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon. I've tried it and it works wonders. 

Now I'm no beauty vlogger, but in my own humble experience, the expertise of our readers who wrote in as well as a number of articles that I researched online, the products mentioned above really do work. Buying beauty products shouldn't make you feel guilty, but you should absolutely make sure that you're getting the most value for your dollar. We should make smart financial choices with everything we buy, makeup included. So don't fall into the marketing trap set by the cosmetic industry and your wallet will thank you. So as always, thank you for watching and don't forget to hit the subscribe button and go to thefinancialdiet.com for more. Bye!