To be (Quality) or Not to be (Quality)?

Ohhh "Hamlet". Forgive me, Shakespeare.

A lot of times, makeup artists and clients want to take a look at my kit, to see what I'm using, whether I'm using the latest overpriced foundation or the cheapest of glosses. I always tell them the same thing:

Ignore the price, look at its mileage.

Basically, look at how you will use it, how much you need and make a decision to buy.

Nigerians love a bargain, even though it's clear that at the end of the day, they'll spend more to fix the crap they got in the first plan. I'll never forget the day I wanted to practise false economy by trekking a bit, in order to save on spending N100 on bus. That 20 minute walk became a nightmare, as the sun came out to clap and shriek at my utter stupidity. All I had was a headache and a bad tan. But hey, I saved N100, innit!

When some products work, they perform brilliantly, and sometimes they can be cheap, or expensive. When I was training, I was advised to get a certain brand of non-cheap eyeshadows. Till this day, best decision EVER. I was also advised not to buy a certain VERY popular brand of eyeshadow. I bought some sha, but still, it was good advise. So here's my Top 5 tips of Not Being Cheap, But being wise.

5. Save on lipglosses. N1,000 will buy you excellent lipglosses, those N200 are mostly crap.

4. Save on mascara. Honey, I have Dior, Maybelline, MUFE and Sleek mascaras. I can't tell the difference, it's the brush that matters.

3. Get good eyeshadows and blushes. Sleek, Tara Orekelewa, La Femme, Nars do excellent blushes at different price points. Eyeshadows, hmm. The best eyeshadows are not easy to find in Nigeria. But I'll give you a hint: Professional Grade eyeshadows are the best (Lekki Phase 1 has two good shops, Ogba too and check Toyin street, Ikeja, start looking from there). Any palette that has 25 or more eyeshadows in one palette isn't gonna cut it, unless you really wanna spend even more money on eye primer.

2. Foundations need to have the perfect undertone and performance for black skin. Most companies which cater to black skin will be better than mainstream brands. Spend well on this, you get what you pay for. And I dislike Mary Kay.

1. Spend on brushes. Good brushes will last 20 years if taken care of. Try white-hair MAC ones (only white!), Essence of Beauty, Make Up For Ever, MUD, Sue Devitt, Bobbi Brown, Hakuhodo (the Rolls-Royce) are all good brushes.

Remember, if you're just a regular gal buying makeup for herself, go easy on your wallet, the only expensive product you should buy is foundation and powder. and no, not MAC studiofix, (sorry). It does work for some few people sha.

So, that's it! Remember, it's easier to learn with good quality products and then look for cheaper alternatives. But as for me and mah homies, never again shall I think to myself, penny wise, pound foolish.