There was a time when I only wore department store cosmetics. In my pre-husband/children days, I would wander around Macy’s to play in makeup from MAC, Estee Lauder, Benefit, NARS, etc. I would usually go after work when I could afford to waste time and money. Now that I have a little less free time and money (gotta love the rising cost of childcare), I tend to opt for convenience. My daily makeup routine has increased from brows, concealer, powder and eyeliner to foundation, concealer, powder, brows, highlighter, blush, eyeliner, mascara and setting spray. I just use more products to say the least. Since my watch and my wallet won’t allow me to wander in department stores as much as I would like, I tend to pick up my items from the many Ulta stores that have popped up all over the city recently. My go-to brand is now NYX. Their colors actually match my skin tone, and their prices are husband approved. I primarily shop this brand for my eyebrow pencils, brow concealer, highlighters and lip glosses. This brand literally has all the bases covered when it comes to your makeup routines.
I do still purchase higher end foundation (its the base for your face after all), but I love to mix drug store with department store. I feel like its the equivalent of mixing Hermes with H&M.