Groomed LA's Emily Wagner Shares What Beauty Products To Splurge On

STUDIO CITY (KCAL9) — You don't need to spend a lot on your beauty routine!

Emily Wagner, a beauty, wellness and style expert and founder of "Groomed LA", stopped by KCAL9 Friday to outline what products that are worth spending money on and what you can settle for at the drugstore.

SAVE on a Shampoo:

• Shampoos are designed to cleanse the hair, and any fancy ingredients will probably go down the drain with the suds. If you have normal, non-chemically treated hair, most drugstore shampoos will do the trick.
• Product Recommendations:
  • Sebamed Everyday Shampoo ($12.99, CVS Stores Nationwide): This botanically-based shampoo gently washes hair and scalp. Its mild formula helps to preserve the scalp's natural oils, to cut down the irritation that can come from the use of soap-based shampoos.  Maintaining a 5.5 pH, Sebamed Everyday Shampoo treats normal, sensitive and problematic scalp conditions. Formulated with a new generation surfactant blend to protect the hair and scalp from dryness, the shampoo's moisture retaining properties penetrate the structure of the hair shaft, adding volume and silky shine.

SPLURGE on a Conditioner:

• Conditioner is the main way to protect and repair hair. Yes, you rinse conditioner out, but these products are emulsions, which means they contain an oil or a wax that doesn't mix with water. Whatever healthy ingredients are in them adhere to the hair and don't wash away. High-end conditioners tend to have more advanced delivery systems for ingredients, meaning they penetrate the hair shafts rather than simply coating them. Spend money on one great product that makes the most difference in your daily style.
• Product Recommendations:
  • Nexxus Hydra-Light Conditioner ($20, Drugstores Nationwide): This silicone-free formula contains an advanced blend of deep-sea minerals, antioxidants, nutrients, hydrating polymers and a high level of Coconut Oil to help condition and strengthen hair. Your hair will have natural fullness and deep hydration – the best of both worlds.

SAVE on a Day Cream:

• Keeping your skin hydrated and protected during the day is important, and your moisturizer absolutely should contain an SPF. However, many drugstore moisturizers have the ingredients/protection you need to accomplish this. Swap your expensive day cream for a more affordable one.
• Product Suggestions:
  • OLAY Complete All Day Moisturizer w/ Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 Normal Skin ($8, Drugstores Nationwide): Condition and help prevent premature skin aging, when used as directed, with broad spectrum SPF 15 UVA/UVB sunscreen in your daily moisturizer. Includes anti-oxidants, vitamins E, B3 & C.

SPLURGE on an Anti-Aging Night Cream:

• If you have a limited budget, your splurging should be done on your treatment cream. Typically, the pricier treatments have more sophisticated research and development, and active ingredients that are of higher quality and concentration (which allows you to use less product!)
• Product Recommendations:
  • DECLÉOR Excellence Night Balm ($94, DecleorUSA.com): This 100% natural, preservative-free new generation balm, with its lush, melt-in texture, offers all the benefits of a made-to-measure aromatic night-care treatment to act on all signs of time. A touch of this balm uses an unprecedented synergy of Essential Oils and the Sol-Collagenine Complex to intensely renews the skin overnight, fighting off irritants and helping it recover.

SPLURGE on a Foundation:

• If your skin doesn't look good, nothing else will! It's important to find the right shade and formula for your skin, but you can rack up quite a bill by trial and error with inexpensive brands. Instead, have a makeup consultant match the perfect foundation to your skin and allow you to test it at the counter before you buy. The pricier brands will also have a more concentrated formula and more staying power throughout the day!
• Product Recommendations:
  • Merle Norman Perfecting Makeup Broad Spectrum SPF 25 ($30, Merle Norman Studios): Created for all skin types, this advanced formula contains innovative high-definition 3-D pigments to create a perfected, airbrushed look. With one stroke, this lightweight, luxurious formula looks and feels like a second skin with a satin finish that's your skin — only better. The light to medium coverage is buildable to create the look you want. Imperfections virtually disappear and skin looks impeccable in photographs as well as everyday life. Award-winning Broad Spectrum technology allows for SPF 25 protection without the opaque mask effect that can sometimes occur. Fragrance-free. Oil-free. Non-comedogenic.

SAVE on a Mascara:

• There is very little difference in mascara formulas from luxury to drugstore brands. It is really the brush that maximizes the performance of the product Actually, drugstore brands have long been the leaders in sales of mascara. The richness of drugstore brands is the same as expensive ones.
• Product Recommendations:
  • Maybelline VOLUM' EXPRESS® THE COLOSSAL WATERPROOF MASCARA ($8, Drugstores Nationwide): For the lushest, most gorgeous smudge-proof lashes, this mascara is a must-try. Waterproof collagen-enriched plumping formula and exclusive Mega Brush build 7X volume with one quick sweep.

SAVE on a Basic Facial Cleanser:

• A cleanser should do just that - cleanse. Any expensive active ingredients in a cleanser are only on your face for a very short period of time, and just  need to do basic cleansing. Added fragrances or other extras, like pearlescent properties, can increase the price and even irritate the skin. The best cleansers are gentle and simple.
• Product Recommendations:
  • Liquid Neutrogena Cleanser ($8, Drugstores Nationwide): Liquid Neutrogena® is pure and gentle cleansing for clean, clear, healthy-looking skin.This glycerin-rich facial cleanser contains no harsh detergents. It removes excess oil and then rinses clean--without leaving any pore-clogging residue.

SPLURGE on an Exfoliator:

• The very best exfoliators are the ones that combine physical AND chemical exfoliants, giving you an amazing clean. Physical exfoliants are the little grains you feel that physically slough off dead skin, while chemical exfoliants (such as AHAs, salicylic acid, among others) chemically losen and remove microscopic flakiness. Products such as these go double the distance of your traditional exfoliator, which is all the reason to spend the money.
• Product Recommendations:
  • ASAP Skin Products Exfoliating Facial Scrub ($49, Skinstore.com): ASAP daily exfoliating facial scrub is scientifically formulated to improve the appearance and texture of the skin. Smooth, round exfoliating beads, combined with AHAs, provide the ultimate treatment to remove dead skin cells without irritation and promote healthy looking skin.