Makeup guide that saves you money, makes you look great

HOUSTON

Houston celebrity artist Sergio Escalona works with some of the best beauty experts in the business at Ceron Salon. His new makeup line Art On It is known for its strong pigment and quality ingredients, but he says you can save money on your makeup by shopping at the drug store, or by using some of his insider secrets.

Tip number one: Double your concealer as an eye shadow base.

"It basically is the same thing," Escalona said.

Using concealer as your eye shadow base will also extend the life of your eye shadow.

Another product that serves dual purposes: your blush.

"Use a nice shade of blush which is suitable for you, and you can use it all over your eye as your eye shadow. That way you don't have to spend," Escalona said.

So where should you splurge? Escalona says definitely on your foundation, because many times these products have extra ingredients that are actually good for your skin, like sunscreen and antioxidants, so that's why you are paying a little bit more.

To make your foundation last, Escalona says use a brush versus a sponge. A foundation brush will really make a little go a long way. A sponge will soak up all the makeup.

So where should you save? On mascara. Escalona says in his business he can't afford to go through tubes and tubes of mascara, so he likes the drug store brands.

But where you want to splurge is on your makeup brushes. It's so important to keep healthy skin looking good and some of those drug store brushes can be abrasive and hurt your skin.

Look for makeup brushes that are made up of natural hair or organic, like some brushes we found at Walgreens, and avoid nylon brushes.

"Sometimes you are saving money if you spend a little bit more," Escalona said.

Other things makeup experts say you can save on at the drug store: lipsticks, glosses, lip pencils and eyebrow pencils. Other items to splurge on: concealers, primers and bronzers.

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