The Price of Beauty

The Price of Beauty

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If spending a small fortune on cosmetics and beauty products is a frightening prospect, divas take heart. We’ve done the research and have come up with a list of cosmetics that, while spendy, are totally worth the investment. To help us sort out La Mer from La Prairie, Cincy Chic tapped local makeup artist  Chenese Bean and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Trina Paul to tell us which luxe beauty products should have a place in your makeup bag and why just purchasing them can be a pamper-me worthy treat.

 

Cost plays a major role in any fashionista’s hesitation to try department store cosmetics (better known as prestige cosmetics). Don’t let it be the only reason you resist trying a high-end brand.

 

“I think some drug store products are almost the same price as the department store products nowadays,” Paul says. “You are paying more in the department store for your products because you are able to try them on or have them applied for you.” If trying to determine if you’re a Fair Natural or a Soft Ivory is a daunting task, the hands-on service of the department store makeup counter is a great choice. “It’s so hit and miss with color but you don’t want to mess around with the wrong foundation or 0208GIBBERMAN.gifconcealer. It always pays to have a pro match you up and have a quality foundation,” Paul says.

 

Another bonus to buying prestige versus drugstore lies in the fact that you can “try before you buy” with many of the more expensive products. Bean offers this tip to anyone considering a pricey purchase: “Buy something you know you can use, and in addition, ask for that sample of a particular product that you’re not familiar with but always wanted to try.” A general rule of thumb is that the more expensive a product is, the more readily available samples there will be, Paul says. “The cosmetic companies know that if a face cream is over $100, people will need to try it before they buy it,” Paul says. Both Bean and Paul encourage women considering a prestige cosmetics purchase to call the makeup counter and schedule a makeover to feel the products on your face. They emphasize that if you’re spending your hard-earned cash on cosmetics, you should love what you buy and know it looks good on you.

 

And now, for the favorites! We asked each makeup pro to share with us a list of her fave products, beauty lines and splurge-worthy investments.

 

Fave Luxe Beauty Product:
Bean: Christian Dior’s DiorShow Mascara
Paul: Estee Lauder’s Ultimate Youth Eye Cream

 

Fave Cosmetic Lines:
Bean: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics — From skin care to makeup and fragrance
Paul: M-A-C Cosmetics — Great quality and amazing color selection

 

Most Expensive Product Used/Seen:
Bean: Re-Storation Skin Treatment Facial Cream by Z.Bigatti ($155/2 ounces)
Paul: La Prairie Cellular Cream Platinum Rare ($1,000/1.7 ounces.) “If Angora was a cream, this is what it would feel like!”

 

Fave Luxe Beauty Line:
Bean: La Mer
Paul: Cle De Peau Beaute

 

My “Pamper-Me” Shopping Spree List:

 

Bean:

 

Paul:

 

 

PHOTO CREDITS
Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom

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