High end beauty: why do people pay the price

Ok, I have noticed that there are blogs that only feature high end beauty. I find nothing wrong with SAKS or Nordstrom makeup. Why do people like to spend the costly price for high end products? I recently did a post on my blog about a dior luggage tag that featured to of the addict glosses and costs around $60. It was nothing special to me but people would actually spend the money. I go green with my makeup and tend to avoid high end beauty. Plus, I get more bang for my buck if I search for value sets. Why do people spend the money on high end beauty is it for:

a) the brand

B) just to be noticed if they pull it out in public or with their girlfriends

c) is it purchased because it "works" for their skin or complexion.

d) is it all the above

I just realized I am able to create polls on this blog, but for now I will leave it alone =). Its just a thought about why people go out of their way to spend top dollar on beauty. I personally have found the value sets at sephora or other department stores to be of a better value than just spending $60 on one product.

For me, it is A and C. I have Dior quints, and part of why I bought them is because they are Dior. Why shouldn't I treat myself? Anyone who has spent a good  amount of time on this forum knows how budget conscious I can be. However, why should every purchase be totally justified? There are also some items I spend more on simply because they work better.

I have never bought anything just to whip it out and rub in other people's faces. People who aren't into makeup wouldn't have a clue how much it cost anyway, so I would be deluded to think I was impressing anyone anyway.

I like mid-end brands like MAC i think if someone wants to buy some MAC makeup enough they will be able to save up for it , just like i do

i dont think its a sign of wealth to impress people

i for one think Dior , Chanel all the really high end brands are pointless.. but thats me

I would also say A and C, I spend a lot of money on skin care and cosmetics, Not necessarily because of the brand but because it works for me and/or I know i like the formulas. When it comes to Chanel, YSL, etc.. I go to the counters because I am lured by the brand but I purchase because I love the colors/textures/packaging.. 

I refuse to buy drug store because I cant have it sanitized and tried on me first. How can I tell from looking through a package how pigmented something is or what kind of quality it is..

I would never buy something name brand just to show it off. In fact I barely carry anything with me but a powder and lipgloss, Everything else is in my vanity and most put away where you can't even see it. 

thanks....next post will be on splurge vs save.

yeah, I agree. I am not that picky about brands...but a chanel gloss is nice every now and then...ssshhhhh

I agree. I like mac and mid priced brands like bare escentuals, korres (value sets are amazing).

 all excellent points!

The $60 luggage tags are collectors' items. Dior comes out with a couple every season, and some people buy them just to add to their collection. It's def not for everyone. Anyway, I buy HE makeup because it works for me, and I like quality product as much as I like quality packaging. 

Haha i buy whatever looks the nicest.

I haven't spent over $20 (australian dollars) on any beauty products, and all my stuff is rather good.

So i see no point in using really expensive products!

I buy HE product because I can return it and get mye money back if I of some reasons have an allergic reaction to it.

I like MAC because I think it works for me, and i LOVE the colors that they come out with.

I spent years trying to find the perfect pink and nude lippie, until I found MAC. Now I have loads of favorite nudes and pinks!

I love their blushes and MSF's.

I'm not a brand who$re or anything. I just buy what works for me, however I do wear Diorshow mascara. It pains me to pay that much $ for a mascara, but it

is the best one I have used! Same thing for the Dior bronzer that I have now. It is the best one I have used. Although, that thing has lasted me forever! I more than got my $ out if it.

But I mainly bought the Diorshow because I heard it was amazing, not because it was "Dior:"

So the moral to my babbling is, If I buy a high end cosmetic, it is because it is my HG, and I haven't found anything better yet......whew!

Originally Posted by lolaB /img/forum/go_quote.gif

The $60 luggage tags are collectors' items. Dior comes out with a couple every season, and some people buy them just to add to their collection. It's def not for everyone. Anyway, I buy HE makeup because it works for me, and I like quality product as much as I like quality packaging. 

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I agree. Sometimes I like to buy a collectors item every now and then, I find it no different to when people pay an equivalent price for another limited edition item. Its certainly not for anyone else's benefit or for my own ego, I just like them! Most of my makeup is higher end but I do use different brands (namely NYX who I am getting into more seeing as we can get it in the UK online now), but my staples are MAC, Smashbox and a bit of NARS. This is simply because I like the range of colours, textures and products that suit me, some of these essentials I have been looking for literally years to find the right one i.e decent primer/foundation.

Originally Posted by Modirty80 /img/forum/go_quote.gif


So the moral to my babbling is, If I buy a high end cosmetic, it is because it is my HG, and I haven't found anything better yet......whew!

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This is pretty much it in a nutshell.

I have a few high end HG's and a few drugstore HG's.  It all comes down to what works best for me.

If I've found something that works, it's better IMHO to buy it and be happy with the results than to keep

trying lower priced alternatives that are either so-so or not good at all.

On the other hand, I have a few HG's in drugstore brands too.

--vicki

In general I use YSL, Chanel, Laura Mercier, and most of my lower end and basic stuff is MAC makeup products.  Some items are worth the money; like I love YSL's touche eclat highlighter, Chanel's inimitable mascara and perfecteur correction concealer, and Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer.  They are products that I may try others to replace, but I always come back to them.

I use the products because they worked for me.  If they didn't I would complain, return it and get something that did work.  Sometimes I'll try a product if someone I know has been ranting and raving about it, but otherwise, I follow blackbird668's statement to just buy what I know works.

All of the above, better ingredients (I trust that they don't do damage to your skin) also i find that high end brands have nicer and more attractive packaging. 

I'm trying to buy vegan and cruelty free which can also be expensive :S (Urban Decay for example). I don't have much interest in other brands.

Personally I don't really buy high end makeup like Dior or Chanel or anything like that. The only sort of expensive make up I buy is MAC and Urban Decay. I don't see the point in spending a lot of money on one or two makeup products just because it has the brand name on it. Maybe for some people these products do work for them but I think I can find better alternatives from less expensive makeup brands.

I used to buy only Drugstore makeup when I was in college, because I couldn't really afford high-end. Nowadays, it's mostly high end for me, even though I still can't say I can afford it easily. But I would rather pay and buy makeup every couple of months, than go back to drugstore days with the sucky packaging and the doubtful quality. I can't say all drugstore products are the same, there are plenty that work really well, but I'm just tired of looking for them. And I can't say I have a drugstore product that I can compare to high end. The quality might be good, but it;s never the same.

This doesn't mean all high end products are worth their money too! You need to research and look for what's best for you, and not blindly buy something because of the brand. Which is why I like having things from many brands, and I don't stick to one exclusively for all my makeup.

I choose c.  If it works for me and is safe to use why not?  I don't care about pulling out brand labels, in fact I don't like to do it all really, I feel like a billboard.  Some of the best products are hidden in a drugstore and some of the worst products are at a makeup counter.  The only difference to me really is that at a makeup counter you can try the color.

If I am going with a high end product, I will go with all of the above.  I want the brand, I want the quality and damn it!  I'll wanna show it off!