I'm a makeup artist who spent $400 on beauty products this month here's what was and wasn't worth it for me

I thought Beauty Blender's Turn the Blend Around makeup-sponge and cleanser set was a steal with three original Beauty Blenders included in the kit for $65.

However, I wish I'd read the reviews more closely before purchasing. In my opinion, the sponges weren't as soft as the original Beauty Blenders.

I'm pretty sure I buy one shade of Nars' Natural Radiant Longwear foundation every month.

The foundation in the shade Macao is a staple in my kit because it serves as a good mixer for many of my brown-skinned clients.

Another bottle of this Nars foundation cost $66.

This month, I took a class with one of my favorite makeup artists and she recommended using a dark eye shadow as a base for colorful pigments.

Her advice inspired me to purchase Sephora Collection's Colorful eye shadow in Truffle - black and it's been an absolute hit in my kit.

I picked up the Sephora Collection pigment for $12.

I loved the color of Sephora Collection's lip gloss balm in Nude Attitude but I wish it was a bit more pigmented.

For only $12, it was worth trying but I'm going to stick with my MAC Lipglasses for now.

TikTok convinced me to try Haus Labs' Triclone Skin Tech foundation after seeing it in every other video on my for you page.

At first, I was skeptical about yet another celebrity makeup brand (Haus Labs was founded with Lady Gaga) but the foundation lived up to the hype and has since become a go-to for me.

I picked up a bottle for $59.

I'm not ashamed to say the Huda Beauty FauxFilter Crease-Proof concealer was another TikTok-influenced purchase.

This concealer was good but it wasn't the best I've ever used. For $38, I probably won't be repurchasing.

When it comes to my own makeup, Jouer Cosmetics' concealer has my heart.

The Morphe Highlight and Contour beauty sponge is an affordable substitute to some pricier alternatives. I've probably bought at least 15 of Morphe's sponges.

In my experience, my sponges tend to rip after a few uses — they're here for a good time, not a long time. But when I have them, they blend like a dream and cost only $13.

I don't know what I was doing before I found Laneige's Glowy balms. I'm not sure which I love more, the packaging or the product, but either way I don't leave my house without it.

I think it's the perfect salve for my chapped winter lips and it gives them a gorgeous rosy tint that attracts lots of compliments.

I picked up a Laneige balm for $20.

I really wanted to love Fenty Beauty's Gloss Bomb in Hot Cholocolit Heat after seeing it all over TikTok.

I've only used it twice and I already know I won't be repurchasing this particular shade because I just didn't think the color was for me. I'm more of a pink- or clear-gloss girl.

Fenty Beauty's gloss bomb cost me $31.

Morphe's Continuous setting mist might just be my most-repurchased product.

My kit feels incomplete without it so I'll be loyal until death do us part — or I find a setting mist I like better.

I picked up Morphe's setting spray for $24.

I've been obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury's Brow Cheat pencil since I discovered it in 2021.

It's my favorite natural-black eyebrow pencil and the great thing about it is you can buy refills to shave off a couple of dollars.

I bought a refill for $19.

I like to call Cinema Secrets' brush cleaner an efficient queen. I've already used most of it and probably buy one of these a month just because of how often I have to clean my makeup brushes.

The cleaner removes product build-up like foundation and other cream products and makes the actual washing so much easier.

I purchased a bottle for $41.