5 things you need to know before you buy!

Hey there lovely people! sorry haven't posted for a few days!
Got exams coming up so trying to study and juggle 2 jobs (don't do it!)
I'm a mess right now! oh the struggle of this life...

Anyway I thought today I would write about the 5 most important things you need to know before you start buying products! 
I am obviously not a makeup artist - far from it! but I remembered when I first started exploring the world of makeup (not a fun experience) I wish I had done all these things, which surely would have saved me a lot of time and money! 

1. Know your skin type! 

I can't tell you how important this is! Skin types are - normal, dry, oily, sensitive and combination. Knowing your skin type is extremely important when looking at buying foundations and concealers because these days most of the brands cater to your skin type. For example Revlon, their colorstay range has foundations for dry, oily and combination skin etc. Also it will help keep your skin healthy and glowing using the right type of product! ( I will be writing another post explaining skin types in detail and how to determine what skin type you are?) 


2. Research, Research, Research! 

There is so much information out there about cosmetics - I mean if you search on YouTube you will probably get 1000's of videos! Try to gain as much knowledge as you can about products and how to use them. There are so many brands and products out there and it can be absolutely overwhelming when you step into a store and have no idea where to start and what to look at - I know I was like that in the beginning. 
If you want you can go in store and get the makeup artist to help you but to be honest with you, 4 out of 5 times they are going to direct you towards the slightly expensive product for the sake of the sale. Also i don't know about you but I found it extremely uncomfortable to ask them for help (plus not all of them are qualified and know what they are recommending you!). This is the reason you need to do your research! At least have enough knowledge about products and the price range as well. 


3. Sample/Tester

Ask for samples/testers! If you take one thing away from this post then pleaseeeeee let it be this!! Ask for a sample, especially when buying foundation! You don't have to buy anything and please please don't feel pressured into buying anything (even if they give you all the mumbo-jumbo about 'oh this is perfect for you!' and 'this is the best things for you') It's their job! If I was working there I would do the same thing so you as a customer need to be careful about these things because it's your money at the end of the day! 
I know that whenever I have gone into priceline or chemmart and asked for a sample they have always happily given it to me! ( Also helps if you go back to the same store and build a bit of a rapport with the staff! Might bag yourself some freebies! Never hurt to be nice :D ) This is really important because believe me foundation and concealer look so damn different in the shop and outside in natural light, also it gives you time to apply it yourself and get a feel for it before you commit to buy! Just ask guys, and be really polite and friendly about it and I'm sure they will give it to you. try before buy - especially for foundation and concealer ( please don't go asking sample for eye shadows and eyeliners...) 


4. Budget?

Strongly advice that you set a budget, because you will end up spending too much on products that you may not even use. The best place to start I would suggest is priceline in Australia - im not sure if they are a worldwide company. Any local drugstore or chemist who stock basic brands like Revlon, Rimmel London, L'Oreal Paris, Maybelline etc. 
And most importantly stick to it! believe me its way too easy to get carried away.

5. Avoid high end brands

Just because mac is the best doesn't mean you need to start there! I've just recently started buying mac products (after 4 years of starting to use makeup) and to be honest some are a hit and miss but I feel like you should really experiment with a range of products from different brands before you know what works best for your skin and you wallet. Sometimes you may find that a bit of concealer is all you need and foundation isn't needed so its good to try out all these option beforehand. Plus a lot of the cheaper brands are just as good as mac! (not even kidding) - I find the Revlon foundation works much better for my skin than mac and its certainly cheaper - you will only know these things when you've tried it. 


NOTE - One thing I would recommend is go to your local mac store and get them to match you with your perfect concealer and foundation! write it down and that will make your life so much easier because you can find the equivalent shade in different brands! makes life a hell of a lot easier than trying on different shades of foundation.
I have to say though as much as I love mac products their customer service is shocking! They will only make an effort in serving you if you 'look like you're going to buy' so pretend to be extremely ready to hand over your money to them! LOL 
I would also try and go to at least 2 different mac stores and get them to match you because it has happened that they match you with a wrong color! trust me they do it! - for some reason every 'Indian' person they see they automatically recommend NC45 - which isn't always right! So just to double check go to 2 different stores or go different times and get matched by 2 different people!


So good luck guys! I have an exam in the next few days :( hopefully I can put up the post for the skin types in the next few days! Plus I have a lot of things to tell you guys - I just need to find me some time to sit and write! 

Thanks for reading guys :)