Beauty Best Section

Beauty Best Section- How many of you have a taste for the finer things in life? I definitely used to be that person, the person that thought the more money you spend the better the product must be. This was EVERYTHING for me,like makeup, hair care products, Facial care- everything. You name it and I had the name brand stuff. I only wore MAC makeup, I only used Paul Mitchel product's, and I only used Origins.

Here I am at 18, in college far away from reality at times with my ticket to name brand Heaven- a Dillards credit card (equivalent to Macy's or Nordstrom). I was living my life in a name brand Paradise. My Mom was way too good to me and paid my bill EVERY month... I was so delusional as to what kind of price tag came with my obsession with only name brand stuff. I then graduated from college went on to graduate school and married the love of my life. I should preface the story with the fact that my hubby is 3 years younger than me. Here we are living in MO crazy in love but with only one income- mine.

I was quickly catapulted into reality. My obsession with name brand things was no longer the way I could live. The reality of the debt I racked up was overwhelming and even embarrassing. The worse part about it all, was that I had nothing to show for it. All of the name brand bottles and containers were used and gone, probably somewhere in a junk yard...I quickly had to adapt to my new reality. If we didn't have the $$ I wasn't getting it...This lead to me dying my own hair-That is a whole other story in itself- one time you would have thought someone tried to kill me (I get really upset when I don't like my hair-seriously ask Jared), and many other quick "beauty regimen makeovers"...

Thus began my journey of being delivered from my only "name brand" sickness. The products you see under my "Beauty Best" section have been tested and tried by a former "name brand" slave. These are the products I now use. I promise you the St. Ives exfoliate is just as wonderful as the Origins one. The CG mascara works better then the Dior one (trust me I used to use it). The John Frieda shampoo works wonders on color treated hair. The Cetaphil cleanser is marvelous- your face feels so clean when your done and my hubby loves the way my face smells at the end of the day :)

There are some products that I spend a little more on but they are my favorites and they usually last me a year or 2. Nars blush- I haven't found a color that I love as much. MAC Studiofix- still my favorite I have tried CG and a brand that Kohls carries but I went back to MAC after about a year. I am willing to try anything cheap but I do believe in those few beauty essentials that you love and may not be willing to compromise on.

The moral of the story is don't get bogged down on only the "name brand" stuff. Don't let our Hollywood culture sway you right into bankruptcy. Find the products that you can save a buck or 2 on and then spend that money on something that will have eternal value... Something that will last way beyond our beauty bottles and inevitable wrinkly faces...

Jen Xoxo

P.S I will continue to update my Beauty Best List

Are there any products you can't live without?

Have you found cheaper alternatives that work just as well?