Steal v Splurge
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Splurge: Rodial
Rodial aims to provide an alternative to going under the knife, hence product names like Skinny Beach, Boob Job, and Tummy Tuck. The line is packed with some of the most expensive active ingredients and is clinically tested to prove its efficacy.
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Save: Nip + Fab
While Rodial's prices are far from cheap, late last year the brand's founder, Maria Hatzistefanis, launched an affordable line called Nip + Fab. Everything in the line is under $20 and the packaging, marketing, and careful formulations are all in line with Rodial’s philosophy. The price difference has to do with the number of active ingredients. On average, Nip products have one compared to Rodial, where the average product has five actives (i.e. Nip is better suited for younger or less damaged skin).
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Splurge: Bliss
It's hard not to love Bliss products and spas. They've got a slew of products that have nothing short of a cult following and many of them actually do work wonders (for one...).
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Splurge: Bliss
It's hard not to love Bliss products and spas. They've got a slew of products that have nothing short of a cult following and many of them actually do work wonders (for one...).
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Save: Soap & Glory
One of my all-time favorite brands, Soap & Glory was founded by the same woman behind Bliss. Initially it was a Target exclusive, but it's now stocked at Sephora where it never ceases to impress with its quality-for-price ratio. Add to that cheeky product names like Sexy Mother Pucker gloss and fun bright packaging and it more than gives its high-end counterpart a run for its money.
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Splurge: Kerastase
Given that salon-only L'Oreal products are awesome, it's fitting that the brand owns one of the world's best haircare lines, Kerastase. Unlike many other high-low comparisons, however, be forewarned, if you're used to L'Oreal drugstore shampoo and conditioner and try Kerastase, you'll find it impossible to go back to the affordable counterpart.
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Save: L'Oreal
I'll admit that it has been a while since I've used a L'Oreal hair product, but I've tried a couple over the years and, aside from the salon-only ones which are fantastic, they've all left me feeling like I was washing my hair with Tide detergent.
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Splurge: Lancome
L'Oreal owns a slew of skincare brands including Vichy, La Roche Posay, Skinceuticals, Biotherm, Kiehl's, and Lancome — all of which have countless worthy products to offer. It does appear that L'Oreal harvests much of the technology from the high-end brands it owns because their namesake line has a number of affordable products to give the more expensive ones some stiff competition. Among the most notable offerings are L'Oreal's Youthcode and RevitaLift.
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Splurge: Bite Beauty
Bite Beauty has some of the best mid-price lip products including lipstick, lip shines, lip pencils, and lip scrubs. To boot, all of the products are formulated using food-grade ingredients and resveratrol, the antioxidant found in red wine.
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Splurge: Jemma Kidd Make Up School
According to Kidd, The Jemma Kidd Make Up School line "is a highly edited collection of everyday makeup essentials, combining professional performance with simplicity, innovation, luxury, and step-by-step teaching. The aim is to give women the know-how and confidence to do professional makeup for themselves."
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Save: Sula Beauty
Best known for their paint-and-peel polishes and fragrances, Sula Beauty was launched by Bite Beauty founder Susanne Langmuir, and now also has a color range. All of the brand's products are affordable and come in streamlined packaging with feminine designs.
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Save: JK Jemma Kidd
While Jemma Kidd Make Up School is sold in high-end outlets, like the beauty department at The Plaza Hotel, Kidd has developed an affordable range which sells at Target. She told us that with her JK Jemma Kidd line she "wanted to bring the catwalk to the curb without breaking the bank," adding that the line is her "personal expression of style and design, incorporating high fashion, statement color, and all the latest runway trends."
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Splurge: Napoleon Perdis
When we interviewed Perdis (arguably the most vivacious celebrity makeup artist), he told us that
the Napoleon Perdis product line helps to democratize glamour with empowering products that inspire and educate. It's about runway AND reality." -
Save: NP Set
While Perdis' high-end line beats its affordable counterpart, NP Set, when it comes to packaging, it's hard to argue with the quality of the formulations (especially the NP Set primers). When talking to us about his affordable range, Perdis said, "NP Set is about glamour on the go, easy chic and California cool. It's about getting the look, but keeping the change."
