When to Spend, When to Save: Makeup

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Ingredients vary only slightly between brands, so buy your favorite type of brush and formulation. If you want volume, choose a thickening formula with a large wand. For lengthening, try widely spaced bristles or a comb wand.

Glosses are meant to go on sheer, so you don't have to worry about the pigment level. Plus, finding a shade to meet your every desire has never been easier -- the gloss market has exploded in recent years, with prices as low as $1.

"Since there are only a few wood-pencil manufacturers in the world, most brands come from the same factory," says Barnes. You may want to spend on the lipstick, but you can save on the liner.

Polishes have a limited shelf life because the chemicals separate and the liquid becomes goopy. Buy your favorite drugstore brand on the cheap and cover it with a pricier chip-proof top coat such as Seche Vite Fast Dry Top Coat, $10, amazon.com.