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Cheap JAP 101

Sephora No More-A

I used to consider makeup something that couldn’t be scrimped on. I mean, it’s your face, you wear it every day. What’s an occasional $42 for Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer or $29 for Nars Bronzing Powder? $71 might seem a little steep for two items, but it’s worth spending on stuff you use every day, right?
Wrong. So effing wrong. With brand-name clothes, sometimes you get what you pay for; an F21 dress will probs fall apart before a DVF, and that’s life. But with brand-name makeup, I’ve found the opposite to be true: Cost doth not beget quality.
If you haven’t jumped on the mineral/organic makeup bandwagon yet, it’s time. Not because it’s made with natural anti-oxidants and leaves out most of the 100-plus chemicals used in other makeup. Not because you’ll notice a visible difference in your punim. But because it’s so. freaking. cheap. I got my latest crop of Physician’s Formula at Target. The Shimmer Strips Blush/Bronzer/Eye Shadow Powder, Conceal Rx Concealer (which claims to reduce the appearance of under eye circles and/or scars over time), and Natural Origin Tinted Moisturizer cost me a grand total of $29.85 (plus tax). One week of use affirmed the PF tagline: My eyes totally didn’t believe my face.
The allure of overpriced makeup is tough to avoid, what with a Sephora on every corner (full disclosure: I’m still a sucker for Stila Lip Glaze). But for other kinds of makeup, I’m never going back. You shouldn’t either.