Beauty of a Buy--Update

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat: There IS no substitute.

Last April I posted a link to a New York Times article "Beauty on a Budget: Advice From a Stylist", which offered economical alternatives to high-end beauty products. Professional makeup artist Ann Orcutt took the Times reporter on a tour of Duane Reade, pointing out drugstore products of comparable quality to more expensive deparment store brands.

Needless to say, I was intrigued. Here was an artiste, vouching for Voluminous mascara, crowing about Colorstay eye shadows--swearing that she used them in her professional and personal life. In the piece Ms. Orcutt assembled a makeup palette for $66., which was quite a savings from the $175. the items would have cost at a department store.

So, I thought I'd give a few of these items a try---I was particularly interested in her suggested
alternative for $40. YSL Touche Eclat highlighter (Maybelline Double Face Perfector, $9.) and her recommendation for "the best" mascara (L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara, $8.).

The verdict: Um, no.

While I was impressed by the Voluminous mascara--it went on easily, didn't clump, and wore well throughout the day--it was certainly not "the best" mascara I've tried. (Frankly, it wasn't **that** much better than cheapie Maybelline Great Lash. Didn't begin to measure up to YSL , or even Bobbi Brown, for that matter.) Was it a bargain? Yes. Was it the ne plus ultra? Meh.

The Maybelline Age Rewind Double Face Perfector was a disappointment. Ms Orcutt touted this as "practically an exact copy of the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Radiant Touch Highlighter." She liked that the product featured a concealer wand on one end, a highlighter brush on the other for "mistake-proof blending". I found it fussy, and the blended results unimpressive. Why not just provide the right shade out of one end? The highligher brush took up too much product, so it was difficult to apply sparingly. Worst of all, the product itself smelled noxious.

I'd rather spend the $40. for Touche Eclat, which lasts me a couple of months.

While the article was informative, and offered some decent suggestions for saving money on makeup and beauty products, some things are in a class by themselves: Touche Eclat is one of them.

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While I'm not a makeup artist or stylist or beauty expert, I AM on a budget. Here are some of my favorite economy beauty buys:

*Sonia Kashuk Bare Minimum Pressed Powder, $8.99. Lives up to its name--minimizes shine, giving you a translucent, almost glowing finish. (Available at Target)

*Revlon Colorstay Undereye Concealer, $9.99. Fairly thick coverage that lasts for hours. Might be a bit dry for some skin types. (Available at Drugstore.com.)

*E.L.F Professional Eyeliner Brush, $1.49. This is especially good if you cut the bristles down a bit--gets in very close to the lash line. No, it's not Trish McEvoy, but for $1.49 you cannot beat it! (Available at Drugstore.com.)

*Aubrey Organics Rose Hip Oil, $13.99. Love the roller applicator--like a lipgloss, so you are not getting oil on your fingers. Smells clean, absorbs instantly and moisturizes beautifully. (Available at Drugstore.com.)

*Alba Hawaiian Plumeria shampoo, $9.49. Smells expensive, gently cleans and conditions your hair. (Available at Drugstore.com.)

Beauty of a Buy

A bit late posting this (my apologies), but this piece on drugstore beauty buys is certainly a keeper:

Beauty on a Budget: Advice from a Stylist

Professional makeup artist Ann Orcutt gives readers the inside scoop on budget buys that really shine. For instance, L'Oreal Voluminous ($7.) is one of the best mascaras at any price.

Other highlights:

*Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector is "almost an exact copy" of YSL's Touche Eclat. Of course, Maybelline is $9, while YSL is $40. (I'll have to check this one out. I am skeptical, I admit. Touche Eclat is always in the makeup bag, and I've yet to find anything that comes close. Also, not to nitpick, but I prefer the name. "Istant Age Rewind Double Face Perfector"? Only for aging, two-faced fraus? )

*Don't skimp on foundation. That's right, go to Bendels or Bergdorfs or Bloomies and sample. Find the exact shade for your skin, and buy. Get in and get out, with military precision---the longer you linger, the more you spend. Just get your foundation, and go. If that means some Krav Maga with the spritz girl, so be it.

*Don't skimp on makeup brushes. Buy the professional quality brushes, and treat them well. Wash them, dry them and store them accordingly. They will serve you well and last you for years.

*Don't waste your money on fancy cleansers. "There’s no point in spending $26 on something with grapeseed extract when you’re just going to rinse it off." Ms. Orcutt recommends Olay Foaming Fash Wash ($4.49), which is what she uses.

Bleak Chic

It Sucks in the City. According to a recent article in TheNY Post, "the luxury business is heading to the poorhouse". With the dire economic developments of the last few months, free market honchos are now in free fall. Firms are in line for bailouts, buyers, or just going bust. There's Hermes belt-tightening going on all over The Street: no more bench-made shoes, It bags or designer attire. Time to make do. As a result, sales at stores like Saks, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus are down 10-15% in October, while discount stores like Wal-Mart and Costco actually posted modest sales gains. Gasp.

Conspicous consumption is definitely out; bargain buys are definitely in. Not only should you shop Target and Kohl's, you should brag about it. That's right, when people stop you and admire your discount threads, you should tell them how much (or little) it cost. It's the New Etiquette. It's Envy for Less. It's BLEAK CHIC.

With designers like Vera Wang (for Kohl's) Isaac Mizrahi (for Target) and Norma Kamali (for Wal-Mart) creating value lines for penny pinchers, there are some amazing finds under $100.

Check it out:

Create and post your own outfits at Toutie.com!


Don't forget to tell them where you got it!