For all the Singles Ladies: Best Value When Buying Eyeshadow
Let’s go with NARS eyeshadows since I’m such a fan of his makeup:
6 new single NARS shadows at $22 each = $132
Ok, so we decide that buying singles isn’t such a good idea, and we opt for NARS duos:
6 NARS duo eyeshadows at $32 each = $192. Ouch, well that brings the price per shadow down to $16 each. Hmm, making sense yet?
Or, I can buy a palette of NARS shadows or a combination palette:
So, now I have cut my shadow cost in almost half from the duo. This palette equal $8.33 per shadow. Good deal!
Or, you can go full hog and get the whole face palette (I recommend this option)
Now these palettes I LOVE! I have all NARS palettes, except these two (new) and use them constantly in my professional kit. So let’s do the math again: 10 colors, two cheeks, 4 lips, 4 eyes = $7.50 per color. YAY!
Okay, so we did the math on a prestige brand, let’s check out a drugstore brand. I recently picked up the following shadow kits:
Revlon 4 shadow kit at $6.99 (I actually paid $2.49 for mine) as opposed to $4.99 for one. That is $1.74 per shadow. Good deal.
Rimmel Quad for Smoky Eyes at $5.99 = $1.19 per shadow!
And another brand I LOVE, Black Radiance. $3.99 for 4 shadows = $.99. A big WOOT!
So when it comes to shopping for singles, my advice is to check out palettes. A few words of advice to remember though:
- Be sure the colors in the palette are user friendly. Just because you are getting 100 shadows for a couple bucks is not a great deal if you only use two of them.
- Remember that drugstore brands tend to have more filler to pigment content. So for women of color, this can mean that you may not have the “pay off ” in color when you apply your shadow. This is why I love NARS and Black Radiance brands.
- Keep shimmery colors to a minimum. Look for matte colors and leave the shimmer for the brow bone, the club or Halloween.
I think about the money I have spent on makeup over the years and when I add it up, it’s kind of shocking. What has saved me is that fact that I can write it off on my taxes or charge my client a “kit fee” when it’s work related. But for the everyday woman feeding a makeup addiction, the dollars can seriously add up.