There are things that aren’t worth the price of getting the fancy kind — like false eyelashes or optical frames — or aren’t worth springing for at all, but there are a handful of items I’ve found are worth that extra few bucks. In fact, they’ve ended up saving me money, not to mention unnecessary headache, because I opted for the nicer ones. Here are five things in my life I’m glad I paid a little more for. 


TWEEZERMAN ‘Pop Op’ Mini Slant Tweezers, $15.00 from Nordstrom

Tweezers. Have you ever had a pair of tweezers that didn’t meet properly? Or they bowed and stretched after a few uses? It’s up there with paper cuts on the list of super-frustrating first-world problems. Yeah, bigger issues exist than getting that stray eyebrow hair the first time instead of the eleventh, but a nice pair of tweezers can make the difference in the morning, before your caffeine mediator, between you throwing something across the room or not. The “fancy” tweezers have saved my morning more than once.

SEPHORA by OPI Nail Treatment – 3 in 1 Base, Top, & Strengthener, $14.00 from Sephora

Top coat. Because you just spent all that time getting your manicure right! So then what, you take your cheap top coat and smear the whole thing? Or worse, it goes on fine and then gets brittle and chips within a day? Been there, done that. I go for the fancy top coat now — O.P.I. for me, all the way — and even as a hairdresser my polish stays on for nearly a week after applying it. Granted, a good quality colored polish underneath doesn’t hurt, but trendy colors aren’t always worth the splurge, so investing in your top coat will usually save you in the end.

Oil Free Supreme Foundation, $42.00 from Sephora

Foundation. Okay, there are some of you out there who can just use whatever as long as it matches your skin tone, and you’ll be fine. But gals like me are required to put a little more thought into our makeup choices. See, I’m acne-prone. Have been since I was around eleven. I cringe every time I hand over the cash for a new bottle of my foundation or my concealer (in combo they’re about $80), but I can only imagine the minefield that would emerge if I opted for a drugstore brand. I use prescribed wash and such, too, but let’s be honest: that wash is on my face maybe a minute out of every day. The foundation… usually around 14 hours? It’s worth it.

Cut Glass Jar, $26.00 from Anthropologie

Candles. Oh geez, now we’re getting into super first-world territory. Sorry, I know some people just don’t think of candles as a life necessity. They also might not have a cat that poops in a box in their one-bedroom apartment. I can’t change the litter every day, and I keep it very clean, but sometimes the absence of smell is better offset with some man-made fragrance. And you know what? Candles are expensive. Even at Target, where (sorry) I’ve been disappointed with the quality and scent strength, the candles are pretty pricey. So instead of going for the disappointing $14 candle at Target, I buy a $26 one at Anthropologie. Why? Because it’s worth my money and I really enjoy it. In my book, it’s a nice candle or nothing.


Nico Chelsea Mid-Rise Super Skinny Jeans, $154.00 from CUSP

Jeans. There’s something about the denim at Forever 21 and the like that just does everything it can to make a girl’s body look bulgy or flat in all the wrong places. I’m in full support of trying them out at low-price stores like that — you’re bound to hit a jackpot once in a great while — but I prefer to hedge my bets on the pricier jeans. I buy tops, shoes, accessories, everything in various prices, usually finding a bargain where I can. But the one article of clothing I find to reward me for paying a little more? Jeans. Crappy jeans stretch out and wear in wrong, and they wash and fade poorly. In a place like Austin, where the uniform is casual no matter where you go, a quality pair of jeans is a totally worthy investment, and I’ve never regretted tipping the scales of my normal budget on a nice pair.

But these are only my personal choices. For some girls it’s handbags, shoes, or perfume. I think that in order to keep things in balance we all have to treat ourselves to nice things on occasion, and keep everything else in perspective. We work hard to have the things that we want, isn’t it great to know you can buy yourself something high-quality when it counts?

What items do you insist on spending a little more money on?

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