What's the Price of Beauty?

Aug. 7, 2006 — -- When it comes to cosmetics, expensive does not necessarily mean better. Kristin van Ogtrop, managing editor of Real Simple Magazine came to "Good Morning America" to share some tips on when to skimp and when to splurge at the makeup counter.

"Most cleansers should do that: cleanse," van Ogtrop said. "You don't really need extra bells and whistles like fragrance, which can increase price and skin irritation. The best cleansers for women with acne-prone or sensitive skin are gentle and noncomedogenic."

"Well it depends, but most of the time it's for the anti-aging properties in the cream," van Ogtrop said. "A lot of companies put more sophisticated science and research into these creams because they're big sellers. We love Créme de la Mer moisturizing cream which contains fermented sea kelp, high in iron, vitamin C and B-12. The exception to this is alpha-hydroxy creams: Most concentrations of aha acid levels in drugstore creams rarely differ from department store brands."

Spend: Bobbi Brown Lip Sheer $21.00

"Spend money on a great lipstick and buy an inexpensive lip gloss," van Ogtrop said. "The reason you want to buy a pricier lipstick is because you're paying for a deeper pigment, and department store lipsticks tend to be more creamy and have added extracts and vitamins that are oil-soluble, thus stay on longer."

"There is very little difference in formulas from luxury to drugstore brands, so don't bother spending a fortune on it," van Ogtrop said. "The key to good mascara is really the brush. Also, pumping air into the tube before you apply mascara allows bacteria to grow. So buy a new tube of mascara every three to four months."

"Like the facial soap, shampoos are designed to cleanse the hair, and most of the fancy ingredients are just going to go down the drain with the suds," van Ogtrop said. "If you have normal, non-chemically treated hair, a drugstore shampoo will do the trick. And if you can't live without your expensive shampoo's scent, just rotate it with a drugstore brand. There is an exception: If you've spent a small fortune on coloring and highlighting your hair, you might want to go with a product that your stylist recommends to conserve your hair color."