Eye Spy

As little as a year ago, I wasn't into make up. Don't get me wrong, I would wear it, but I stayed to fairly neutral tones. If I was feeling really daring I would wear something bright, at Halloween I would wear glitter. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe it was moving to a new place. Maybe it was a fear of turning 30 (3 months left - eek!). Maybe I just got bored with the same old same old.

My name is Laura, and I'm a cosmeticaholic. Seriously, I have a addiction. My eyes have become a canvas for where ever my imagination takes me. I'm become utterly unafraid of piling on as many colors as I can. My coworkers are completely unfazed when I show up with rainbows on my eyelids (one of my favorite looks), and customers stop by the store just to see what colors I'm wearing. My days off have become host to hours of practice, and my monthly cosmetics budget exceeds what I pay for electricity. I take solice in two things. 1 - There are so many worse problems to have. Compared to other shopping problems, mine is relatively inexpensive. And it's legal. 2 - I am not alone in my addiction.

So what's a cosmeticaholic on a budget to do? First, get over the labels. Yeah, MAC is amazing, but at $20 for pigment, it's also unreasonable expensive. Beauty From The Earth makes mineral pigments that are less than $7 each. Loreal's HIP cosmetics offers brights and neutrals with amazing color payoffs that are priced under $10 for a duo eyeshadow pot. (Their pigments are great, too!). Get to know your drugstore brands, and you'll find that you get way more bang for your buck. Dollar Tree can be a gold mine for beauty buyers. Many times when products are discontinued or have redesigned packaging, you can find them at the dollar store, and who doesn't love make up for a buck? Stores like Hot Topic also offer good deals on hard to find colors, a five color palette with run you around $5.

Second, start looking for sales. That CVS ExtraBucks card will come in handier than you've imagined, as will its savings card brethren. With a little patience, the colors and products you want just might go on sale. (CVS is great for buy on get one half off or free.) Clearance areas at mall stores (ie: Victoria's Secret, Aerie, Hot Topic) are great places to get deals.

Third, don't berate yourself for spending on something you'll use. Balance the cost of an item against how much you'll use it. If you'll use the $15 eye primer everyday, then it's better to get that one than the $3 primer that will gather dust in your kit. However, buying 3 versions of the same thing will not only empty your wallet faster, it'll clutter up your storage and make it impossible to find what you need.

Make up can be an expensive habit. But there are some great deals out there, too. Keep your eyes open, and don't fall into the trap of thinking that the best cosmetics are branded. Drugstore brands, evven store brands, can be just as fun and long-lasting as something that's 5 times the price. And remember, a lot of the time make-up is about fun. And just like in life, the cheap seats can sometimes be the most interesting.

<3L