As a teenager, I often purchased the cheapest makeup available because it was in my budget and did the job. As an adult, I definitely see differences in the quality of makeup when comparing prices. Typically the less expensive a cosmetics product is, the less amount of time it will last while wearing it or it will irritate my skin. I have dumped cheap cosmetics recently, mainly for the reason that some have harmful, cancer-causing substances, such as parabens in them! I have started checking makeup labels at the store. Sure enough, the inexpensive cosmetics are the ones more likely to contain harmful chemicals. I have switched to mineral-based and organic cosmetics, which are much more expensive. What type of cosmetics do you purchase? Is there a particular brand that you have found that works the best? Do you read labels on cosmetics you purchase to check for harmful chemicals before purchasing them?
In my personal opinion, I find they all pretty much get the job done. There's only a few times I've come across makeup that was really bad quality, easily fell apart, etc. I just buy what's cheap because all makeup is very expensive. Now when it comes to nail polishes, that's a whole other story. You definitely have to buy the overpriced stuff and maybe in packs to get good quality. The cheaper, the worse the quality. But all I need from makeup is mascara and eye shadow. I don't use the foundations or powders or any of that other stuff. So I'm good to just buy what I need and it lasts me a long time. As far as brands go I usually stick with whatever is cheapest. I don't need a specific brand of makeup.
I'm the same as you @shoptodrop, I don't care much for the expensive brands. To me, good make up is all about correct preparation and the right brushes. I'm actually quite the fan of cheap nail polish. As long as you buff, use a base coat then a half-decent top coat, the color should last as long as the pricier brands.
It's not necessarily true that cheaper cosmetics are lower in quality having worked for over half a dozen major cosmetic houses and done all their training. They cost more for the staffing, marketing and advertising whereas the cheaper products (called self-selection) have reps that sell in quantities to stores. I used to buy in cosmetics for my companies and the wholesale costs are much lower than you think. Yes, the packaging may seem more flash with a click of a compact or a heavier lipstick case. That's what you are paying for. Things like foundation and concealer I would say spend more on, as there are more choices of textures and getting the right shade is important, but for other things like eye shadow and bronzer, I go for color rather than brand.
I really don't wear much makeup. Other than lip gloss, I have a bare face. I know my mom loves her matte lipstick. I don't know what brand it is but we get it from the beauty supply store. I would like to know what good brands are out there because I know some can be harmful.
Lipstick is my thing and honestly, I’m just as happy with my Rimmels and Revlons as I am with my MACs. And my favorite liquid eyeliner is a drugstore brand. Generally I follow the advice to go more expensive with foundation and concealer; with everything else, the differences tend to be negligible. This seems to be true of mineral cosmetics as well. There are quite a few indie companies out there that make relatively affordable, high-quality cosmetics.
I hardly use make-up such as powders, foundation or rouge. I do use lipstick and clear mascara. I buy cheap and only on sale. I buy aloe infused lipstick and found that Walmart has a good selection of clear mascara from name brands and got myself one because I perspire too much living in the tropics, so clear mascara is great for me. I have a medical condition, Trichiasis, that I'm trying to solve with my clear mascara and it is working. I'm on a very tight budget so I buy very cheap, but try to buy safe cosmetics.
I don't really wear makeup that often, so I don't have much use for the really expensive brands. Other than anything else, I really don't have the money for it anyway, so I don't tend to buy them all that much if I'm being honest. The cheaper brands do exactly what I need them to do, at a price that means I will still have money left in my pocket to save, and that is something that is very important to me at this moment in time.
I mix them up but I admittedly don't do much research. I just go for the best I can put together at the least amount of expense. The most research I do is I look up articles and videos on some recommendations and hopefully those recommendations are safe and good, but I guess I will now look up the ingredients since I am more aware of it. The local cheap brands here are still made by big companies, so I'm hopeful that they are at least standard in terms of safety.
I don't understand why some people think cheap cosmetics and poor quality are two sides of the same coin when in reality there are cheap makeup products that actually give good results. It's possible to be both because I've always been the type to not go for brands. I explore lesser known cosmetic products and I have never had a problem with most of them. Well, maybe because I'm not exactly a huge makeup person. The point is it's mostly on how you use these products and not on how expensive they are.
I'm not for cosmetics but I do buy perfume and cologne to give me a fresh scent. My usual purchases are the branded ones so expect them to be expensive. My husband has his way of saving money on perfume and colognes. He would buy the old brands whenever we would go to Singapore (we have a trip this month). Old brand perfumes cost so little now since they are almost obsolete. My husband regularly buys Jovan, Brut and some other brands of perfume in Mustafa mall in Singapore.
I do not skimp on my cosmetics. I want to get them from a reputable company that does not have any harmful chemicals in their cosmetics. This is my face we are talking about here!
Specially because my skin is highly sensitive and also very allergic, I usually will be very careful with what I put on it when it comes to beauty products and cosmetics. I will try choosing fragrance free, non-comedogenic products. For cosmetics, there are good quality products that don’t cost a fortune, but specially for face products I tend to go higher end, which is better for my skin. I like brands like Clinique, Laura Mercier and Nars. Those are my favorites for foundation. I like MAC concealers. For other products it’s OK to go lower end, like mascaras – I like Maybelline mascaras!
As I don't use much in the way of cosmetics and rarely ever buy anything other than nail polish, face powder, eye shadow and mascara - my cosmetics expenditure is relatively small - particularly as its not something that I have to do that often - as having experimented over the years and found what works best for me - I find its way more cost effective to spend a little more on a few better quality products that I know I will be able to use to the very last drop - as the consistency doesn't change - than it is to spend the same amount on a whole bunch of cheaper products that I'm only likely to be able to use part of - if that - before they need replacing - as they've deteriorated and need to be thrown out. I don't however - as quality and value for money are always my top priority when buying anything - entirely agree that buying high end cosmetics does always guarantee quality - as although its true that some do contain better quality ingredients as well as better pigments - in many cases its the packaging that hikes up the price rather than the ingredients - which is why I think it wise to shop around when looking for cosmetics - especially as there are many mid priced brands that are just as good if not better than many of the high end brands.
I prefer quality. However, that doesn’t go to say I don’t like a good deal. I have sensitive skin so I find a lot of the cheaper quality product irritate me. I try to stay away from products with a lot of chemicals and lean more towards natural and organic products. I think overtime, investing in quality products especially face cream and lotions will be better for your skin compared to if you were to use a lot of chemicals on it.
Expensive though usually associated with quality doesn't necessarily guarantee that an expensive product will be of superior quality when compared to a cheaper alternative. Not all the cheap alternatives are good though. You have to try as many cheap alternatives as you can to find the cheapest cosmetics that are just as good the more expensive brands.
Price doesn't always equate to quality, but may account for snazzier packaging. I know that a certain premium brand used a factory to make its nail polishes and to just put a different label on it, so basically you were paying for the nail box and label. Some cosmetics that are expensive will be better quality, they may use a higher level of ingredients or stronger pigments, but often there is a very small difference. Premium foundations and lipsticks tend to hold the colors better than cheaper products, so those are the ones worth investing in.
I have to say anything that i put on my face has to be of the very best quality. I don't just go off the price, though, I thoroughly check out the ingredients list and do a lot of research to see what people are saying about the products, before wasting my money. I currently use Mac, and I LOVE it. It's very pricey, but well worth it!
I think that skin can be a very funny thing, and if it doesn't appear to be at first, over time it can develop sensitivities according to what you are exposed to and what sort of foods you are eating. Cosmetic products are to go on our skin, so I feel like if that is the case then it needs to be the best quality. And by best quality I mean organic stuff.
