The commandments of beauty products, according to Glimmer. Gloss. Glow.

Thou shalt not buy cosmetics simply because of the hype. Go with your gut.  If you know it is not going to work for you then it is not going to work for you.  You are not going to grab for a shadow that makes you look washed out or a blush that causes an outbreak of pimples every time you wear it no matter how much the magazines are raving.  The fad will pass and it will hit the trash.

Thou shalt not save products for special occasions. Yes, we know that you love MAC Pink Fish or Chanel Turbulent, and that they are LE and you may never get the chance to own another tub or pan.  But chances are that by the time they run dry you will have found a new product to love. Imagine the horror of unused product going bad!  And you should want to feel special everyday!  Oh, just wear it!

Thou shalt not endure pain for cosmetics. Glitter liner is amazing. Puffy, swollen, red eyes are not amazing.  If your face cannot handle a product it is going to let you know, so be sure to listen.  No matter how great that cream highlighter looks on your friend, if it gives you a rash that looks like the state of Texas, no one is going to notice your ethereal glow.

Thou shalt not feel pressure to turn away from drugstore beauty products. If you do not see the need to spend $20 on lip gloss then, by all means, you should not spend $20 on lip gloss.  If you do not think you need to pay $50 for a facial cleanser that is going to touch your skin for 5 seconds, then you do not need to pay $50 for facial cleanser.  This is about personal preference and none of the NARSaholics or Chanel Addicts are going to chase you down in the streets and beat you down with their pricey products.  I promise.

Thou shalt not feel guilty about loving high end beauty. If luxury cosmetics, creams, and soaps are your thing then they are your thing.  Do not let anyone make you feel bad for what you spend products, because how is that any worse than their Precious Moments figurine collection or Christian Louboutin fetish?  It is certainly not!  You are going to be hard pressed to find someone who does not splurge in one area or two so when they tell you that you could have found mascara at CVS just tell them that they could have found shoes at Walmart.

Thou shalt not stick to a single brand. We know you love MAC, we really do.  But unfortunately they do not make the best of everything.  If you refuse to buy anything without MAC on the packaging then you are really going to miss out.  Every brand has a specialty.  MAC has its high pigmented shadows and famed collection releases.  NARS and Chanel have amazing blushes.  Urban Decay has liners to die for and unique colors and palettes. Dior has its famous mascaras.  And so on.  When you refuse to have a eclectic collection you will never find the perfect everything.

Thou shalt not believe the label. Be skeptical.  Nothing is as good as it sounds or companies would have no need for PR.  Be sure to read the fine print tied to that little * on the packaging.  Usually it says something like, results not typical, statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, in comparison to, etc.  Read an online review.  Better yet, read 4 or 5.  People do not want products that scammed them to get more sales and will most likely rant and rave all over the internet.  That is the beauty of blogging.

Thou shalt not be ashamed of finding a dupe for your favorite product. In fact, let us all know too.  Chances are that someone else with your same pricey product passion is on the hunt as well.  Maybe it is a drugstore shampoo with the exact same scent and ingredients as a salon one that you love.  Or maybe it is a low priced night cream that makes your skin glow just like the one from the department store.  Who really sees the labels on your shower products and lotions anyway?  There is never any shame in using something that you love.

Thou shalt not judge a foundation by its color. Or a concealer for that matter.  Do not give a skin toned product a bad review because you or your makeup artist picked the wrong color.  That simply is not fair.  Judge by the texture, the consistency, the blendabliliy, even the number of shades available to match different skin tones, but please do not give it one star or blog hate because of a simple mistake.  Exchange it for a better match and if one does not exist then, by all means, rate it based on limited skin tone options.

Thou shalt love beauty and let others love beauty in their own way. Not everyone is going to understand the high that you get from splurging on a new high end product.  Not everyone is going to understand why you refuse to venture outside of the drugstore beauty isles.  Your friend may never grasp the power of the red lip or the smokey eye and you may never understand why someone would pair orange and maroon shadows with a pink lip.  To each their own.  Do not spread hate over these simple things.  It is all about personal preference.  And no one wants to be told they are doing it wrong.  Chances are we are all doing it wrong.